Before settling down I lived pretty frugally in Tokyo, San Francisco and Vancouver, Vancouver BC is a wonderland of mountains, oceans and haunting misty forests that makes playing outdoors easy (except during the rainy winter). You can spend the morning skiing and be kayaking with seals in the afternoon. Tokyo is fascinating because it’s so different from Canada. And San Francisco offers you a buffet of California living.
Unfortunately all these cities sit at the top of most expensive cities to live on the planet. Here are some ideas on how to live well on a budget.
The most important thing you can provide your family is good health. If you are a self-employed parent your biggest worry is one of your children getting sick. What if your son is born prematurely and needs to spend months in a juvenile intensive care unit or Jane suffers head trauma in a skiing accident. Both Canada and Japan have excellent national health care plans. In Japan the health care premium is based on your previous year’s income. So if you’ve just arrived with a new working visa you’re covered for free the first year. In America, health care benefits are provided by your employer so you want to be working for a relatively large company.
After looking after your family’s health, shelter is the next priority. In popular cities with low vacancy rates you’ll need to use all your resourcefulness. It takes very little carpentry skills to turn a 1 bedroom into a 2 bedroom or a 2 bedroom into a 3. Learn how to make a frame of 2×4′s and shoji screen to divide a room. Bunkbeds are an efficient way to maximize free floor space. If you have a large family use benches around the dining table to avoid a clutter of chairs eating up your floor space. Use a futon bed that folds into a sofa during the day to add another bedroom.
Think about the heating expenses before the cold weather hits.My friends in Ottawa (the 2nd coldest capital city on the planet) spent $900 for their hydro alone one January/February, Does your unit have a fireplace? Keep your eyes open for wooden pallets. Break them up and use them for firewood.
Transportation. Buy bicycles and a Burley bike trailer instead of a car. I spend an average of $80 for a used bike in good running order. Besides getting you around, you’re ensuring your family is active and healthy. I’ve moved apartments and carried tons of groceries in my Burley trailer. Take advantage of the waste in the city. There are three bakeries close to my house. On rainy days when business is slow they end up throwing away bags and bags of bread. Talk to the owner and they might be happy to give you a free or cut-rate deal.
Guerrilla gardening. You’ll meet some cool people and your kids will learn about nature. Hike around and get to know the apple trees, cherry trees, blackberry bushes, fiddleheads, chanterelle mushrooms spots in the region.
Keep your eyes on the bins. At my complex I’ve salvaged lamps, 2 desks, fans, coffee makers, futon frames, 2 working computers, wifi router, an armoire, DVD players and even a deep freeze. Besides saving money you’re helping the environment.
I’d like to hear your ideas for living frugally. Drop me an email or leave a comment.
