In this difficult times with persistent job loses, what do you do to cut living expenses to enable you send monthly stipend to struggling relatives back at home?? I'm sure new intending visitors to the U.S can learn from this.

Always Go on Dry Fasting!

hmm,  not sure there is anyway to significantly  cut expenses beyond living within your means in the first place . The idea is to budget , understand your income  and expenses and the rule of thumb I use is that all my expenses must fit into one pay check ( I get two a month) so that the second paycheck is more or less discretionary spending,  saving , tithing (  church and my parents and siblings share) and investing.

Also do your best to do away with non essentials some small things that add up are -

1. Paying for more than one phone ( I.e cell phone and land line, if you need a land line and have internet explore a service like Magic jack).

2. Eating out - if your workplace does not offer a subsidized cafeteria   bring your lunch from home ( Mine does so its actually cheaper and healthier for me to eat the food provided i pay like $1.50 per meal)

3. Cable bill - if you can not do with out TV like me - at least get the basic cable package ( Websites now provide for free a lot of the TV shows provided by HBO & co.)

4. Pay attention to local taxes , property taxes when choosing an apartment / house to buy . I saved   $1300  this year by choosing to live in the same city I work

5. Pay attention to what you are being charged by your bank and every expense in your account _ This one i got from Suze Ormaun . You may be surprised to find that some random service is charging you $20 a month for something you are not using .


if your paycheck is small then I dont subscribe to cutting your neck to send something home . Just make sure you are doing your sincere best after allocating a reasonable amount to your comfort and savings ( very important you must have at least a six month emergency fund)  . if you lose your job it will be like making a mountain move to get the money from naija,  if you have no savings to survive on . So pay yourself first , cos those same relatives will tell you are silly if you tell them you are broke in bad times.

(Please note that this advise is coming from someone who has no mortgage , car note , student loans and walks to work , thereby having hardly any gas expenses , and no children or dependents in the US to feed)

Overall this is a very good thread , I look forward to posts from others that may help me cut expenses

Keep alone, leave closer to work place, skip car if possible, stop drinking/smoking/etc.
read books in local library (you can get movies/internet over there also) or in big book stores like B&N, etc
cook your food, take lunches form home <- these two huge saver.
get roommate (or two

I have big family, house, car, etc. but i think i could be very reach if i follow my own advises. but life is life.

PS: you can call home using www . 011now . com

Tamita:

Always Go on Dry Fasting!

Biggest fool of the 22nd century.

Pittbaby:

hmm,  not sure there is anyway to significantly  cut expenses beyond living within your means in the first place . The idea is to budget , understand your income  and expenses and the rule of thumb I use is that all my expenses must fit into one pay check ( I get two a month) so that the second paycheck is more or less discretionary spending,  saving , tithing (  church and my parents and siblings share) and investing.

Also do your best to do away with non essentials some small things that add up are -

1. Paying for more than one phone ( I.e cell phone and land line, if you need a land line and have internet explore a service like Magic jack).

2. Eating out - if your workplace does not offer a subsidized cafeteria   bring your lunch from home ( Mine does so its actually cheaper and healthier for me to eat the food provided i pay like $1.50 per meal)

3. Cable bill - if you can not do with out TV like me - at least get the basic cable package ( Websites now provide for free a lot of the TV shows provided by HBO & co.)

4. Pay attention to local taxes , property taxes when choosing an apartment / house to buy . I saved   $1300  this year by choosing to live in the same city I work

5. Pay attention to what you are being charged by your bank and every expense in your account _ This one i got from Suze Ormaun . You may be surprised to find that some random service is charging you $20 a month for something you are not using .


if your paycheck is small then I dont subscribe to cutting your neck to send something home . Just make sure you are doing your sincere best after allocating a reasonable amount to your comfort and savings ( very important you must have at least a six month emergency fund)  . if you lose your job it will be like making a mountain move to get the money from naija,  if you have no savings to survive on . So pay yourself first , c[b]os those same relatives will tell you are silly if you tell them you are broke in bad times. [/b]

(Please note that this advise is coming from someone who has no mortgage , car note , student loans and walks to work , thereby having hardly any gas expenses , and no children or dependents in the US to feed)

Overall this is a very good thread , I look forward to posts from others that may help me cut expenses

WORD.

abahm1320:

Keep alone, leave closer to work place, skip car if possible, stop drinking/smoking/etc.
read books in local library (you can get movies/internet over there also) or in big book stores like B&N, etc
cook your food, take lunches form home <- these two huge saver.
get roommate (or two

I have big family, house, car, etc. but i think i could be very reach if i follow my own advises. but life is life.

PS: you can call home using www . 011now . com

Brilliant post.
Overall cut your coat according to your material not to your size anymore.
To live here is not rice and beans talk less of sending money home in this badly hit recession California.
How i wish people in Nigeria think twice before leaving their lucrative job or business looking for pastures that are not green in the US.
I feel sorry when i see people doing the extra ordinary to come here, though WHO NO COME NO GO KNOW HOW FAR.
They would all think u are living the American dream but if they come and see for themselves it would be better.
May God save us

Keep alone, leave closer to work place, skip car if possible, stop drinking/smoking/etc.
read books in local library (you can get movies/internet over there also) or in big book stores like B&N, etc
cook your food, take lunches form home <- these two huge saver.
get roommate (or two

I have big family, house, car, etc. but i think i could be very reach if i follow my own advises. but life is life.

PS: you can call home using www . 011now . com

yep like that one fire block buster , netflix and on demand , hire redbox and your local library .