This Guy Loves To Party

Being “successful” with money is about how you use it, not how much you make.

I inadvertently saved lots of money while working a retail job in Los Angeles.  I spent $850 a month in rent alone, so it’s not like I didn’t have plenty of expenses.

But I cut out so many miscellaneous, small expenses that I was able to put at least a thousand dollars into savings every month.  That’s the power of not having cable TV, of preparing my own food, and of picking up average women in lieu of high-class prostitutes.

Now the money I saved is worth many times more, since I’ve been spending it all in South America, where not only is everything cheaper, but currency fluctuations have worked out in my favor, making the dollar even more powerful here.  Essentially every dollar I spend here is buying me 3x as much as it would have in the United States.

And when I do return to the United States, I’ll have plenty of opportunities to keep my cost of living very low, including staying temporarily with friends, family, and renting apartments from people desperate to sublet them for a month or two at the last minute.  These are just a few of the things I’ll do to keep my cost of living low in one of the world’s most expensive countries.

My savings aren’t substantial, but they’re enough to sustain me for almost two more years at my current rate of spending.

So why is your money goal so low?

I’ve been questioned about my current measly income goal of $1,000 a month.

$1,000 a month is enough for me to live on very happily and comfortably at the moment.  I’ll consider myself a success with an income of $12,000 a year simply because that puts me at the break-even point if I were to continue the awesome lifestyle I’ve been living for the past 8 months.

And if I were to bring in only $2,000 a month, then I’d be able to put an extra $1,000 into savings every month.  I consider this my “mini-retirement fund.”

I’m looking to grow my income, but I am a success if I have only $1,000 a month in income.  This is because my $1,000 is far more valuable than someone else’s $5,000, $10,000, or more.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 13th, 2009 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Make Money, Mental Stuff, Minimalism.