Living on 60$ a Week
Yesterday, on the F-market heading to Zeitgeist (would Quentin be there??) I got pickpocketed. Now will begin my week of living on 60$.
I cancelled my cards, and they’re in the mail, but I don’t really expect to get my ATM card until Friday. Some friends have helped me out on the cash campaign. I think it’s a fun exercise actually. Can you live in the most expensive city (arguably) in the US with only 60$ cash, and no credit? I think the hardest thing will be preventing myself from ordering expensive lattes, schwermas, and burritos and in general, trying to eat entirely out of my cupboard.
I will update my travails here.
Today: I have fastrak so I got to work without worrying about the toll. We have Manchuran soup cups that are free, so that was lunch. Tonight is the gym, and I prepaid my membership.
Online services: CA DMV has a nice site, but the main “re-order your DL form” (d-44) is not there. The police have a very nice police report form.
Day 2: paid for new drivers license by check, but completely buckled last night in the mission and went to La Castena and got a super burrito. Managed to quell the thirst for good coffee this morning- walked by 2 Peets AND Cafe Grec, Cafe Puccini, and Caffe Roma.
Like Rachel Ray’s 40$/day, here is my breakdown:
60$
- 7$
53$
Day 3:
1. Forgot that Sunday I bought a pitcher of beer at Zeitgeist, so that’s
-$12
2. and then, yesterday, bought a round for coworker (who then bought me fries) prior to a work shindig.
-$10
Leaving me at a balance of $21
I found some extra cash lying around the apartment
+$18 (is that weird- the same amount that was in my wallet when pickpocketed??) I was informed by a friend who does social work that 18$ would buy 2 vials of crack, giving someone a happy space for about 3 hours. “They would take the first one slowly, to make it last longer.” In a twisted way, glad I brought joy to someone for 3 hours.
So now, heading into Wednesday with a resounding total of:
$39
Spending Habits:
56% of my money spent on beer
12% spent on food
40% not spent yet
I should go out and buy some books, if I really wanted to represent the population spending habits. My alcohol consumption is right in line, Thank God.
To the poster re: Chinatown, my problem is that I’m really busy this week so I haven’t had a chance to prepare at home or walk around the town! Next two days will be easier, and yet more full of temptations, as I work at home, which is very close to Chinatown, which I call: “Fun for Five Dollars” (as long as you stay out of the jewelry shops!). Where do you pay 5$ for dim sum? I usually pay, max, 2$. Louie’s on Stockton after Broadway is my favorite. Bought dim sum for 12 people for 13$ the other day.
Anna, how terrible! Do you remember it happening or did you just get off the F and discover something missing?
Wow sorry! I caught the guy who had his hand in my purse on the MUNI a few months ago and have thought about what I’d do in this sitch (without of course having the wherewithal to put any cash aside etc). But a friend of mine is on a mission to live on 1$ a day in this fair city of ours. I think she failed today…. $1.99 burrito at Trader Joes for lunch broke her bank…. Good luck on 60$! I bet you can do it.
wow! 1$ a day! Sometimes when I feel down about how expensive the city is, I break down my rent/mortgage into daily increments, and then compare it to hotels nearby. Usually brightens my day. It’ll be interesting to see the weird little things that happen. Wanted to buy a ticket to an Ajax workshop– but no, credit card is cancelled.
This may be a little ‘crunchy’ for your liking I don’t know… but how about instead of attending the Ajax Workshop you head over to the Womens Center and ask about how to volunteer to teach women basic web/computer skills? A) It would be free, B) You’d enrich someone’s life who always has to live on 60$ and you’ll C)most likely learn something new and interesting anyway!
DOH. That blows [understatement]. Yeah, I’m paranoid about that these days. In the past 2 years, MUNI is increasingly notorious for it. Especially high traffic/crammed-like-sardines lines like the 38 Geary. Beware. I don’t leave any bags facing away from me that can be zipped open. And I always leave my hand in the pocket of where my money is if standing. And I’ve had several friends whose purses have been lifted off the backs of their chairs at semi-nice restaurants too. (For some reason, especially sushi places. Weird yeah.)
There’s always this book, which you can’t afford right now:
http://www.poorasdirt.com/
But luckily they have a blog, which is free:
http://www.poorasdirt.com/Blog/rockstarblog.htm
(found via http://www.redlightmusic.com/)
Here in Europe, every train station in every country - all the bus, rail, and metro stops - are COVERED in “watch out for pickpocket” signs.
This is good because it makes people take note of their surroundings.
I also think it’s bad because you get soooo paranoid, you spend all day grabbing at your purse or bag zippers and snaps - which, really, shows the bad guys EXACTLY where the good stuff is.
You know, you can get cheap food in SF … if you go to Chinatown and find a dim sum place in one of the side streets away from the main tourist thoroughfares, you’ll find places with good dim sum and you’ll pay $5 to $8 for 10 pieces of dim sum. Also, in Chinatown, on Kearny between Clay and Washington, there’s a tea cafe that gives free tea tastings - as much tea as you want. Little Saigon has lots of pho places where you can get a huge bowl of soup fr under $5. Burritos, tacos, empanadas tamales, etc in the Mission are cheap and good - try the El Tonaynese taco truck at Mistral and Harrison (between 19th and 20th) and Dona Teresa’s Tamales van on 21st and Alabama. All the meat markets and produce stalls in the Mission, on Mission and on 24th, are cheeeeeap and have great stuff. The Mission panaderias have cheap coffee and pastries.