Page 12 RAIN October 1980 living on under $ 500 a year by Julie Summers From 1974 through 1979 I averaged $449. 91 per year. (I don't get food stamps or welfare either.) I live comfortably, not longing for anything more money could buy. (In fact I'd spend more if there were things available that I thought would make my life better.) I live in beautiful, peaceful surroundings, without smog, noise, hustle or bustle. I eat well. My health is good. My time is mostly my own, since I need devote little of it to earning money. I do not live as I do because of a religion. Nor am I an ascetic, fugitive or primitivist. I live as I do because after trying various other ways (all more expensive and providing less leisure) I find my present situation gives me the most satisfaction. I'm not out to set a record for living on little money: it just happens that what I've found to be most congenial is at the same time very economical. Food My diet is based on grains and pulses (the edible seeds of plants having pods-peas, beans, lentils, etc.) bought minimally processed, in bulk-often 50-100 pound sacks-from wholesalers: wheat, rice, millet, corn, beans and lentils. Also alfalfa, sesame and sunflower seeds; nuts; and dried fruit. Because of perishability I buy baking yeast and oil in smaller amounts (by the gallon) at natural food stores. I try not to be attached to any particular food. When one shoots up in price I cut down, substitute, or simply do without. E.g. when raisins were extremely high I used dates, which were less expensive. When rice was many times the price of other grains I eliminated it. Cheese is so expensive that it's now in my luxury category and I buy it infrequently. To increase the nutritional content of my fare I sprout alfalfa and other seeds. I also buy fresh fruits and vegetables that are currently low in price, such as carrots and oranges. I buy eggs when I crave them-I may go months without any. I use meat very irregularly, perhaps on the average of once a week. ' ' ::-- =-- • ..--:-~-!-;, . ' ' I do some foraging; mostly for berries and greens, occasionally for a squirrel. I seldom eat out. That must save a bundle. But it's not simply a question of money: the food most restaurants serve (often reheated, highly seasoned and doused with chemicals) is not what I want to eat. Also I don't care for the waiter-patron relationship, and I don't like having to worry about my·table manners. From 1974-1979 I averaged about $200 a year for food. Shelter My partner and I live in an old house trailer. Admittedly small, it's still adequate since all we want to do is live in it, not use it as a status symbol. It keeps us dry, it's easy to heat, easy to clean, and everything is within easy reach. lt',s also mobile so we can change scenery without much trouble. We usually live in sub-rural, woodsy areas, trading a few hours of work a month for camping privileges. Clothes I don't wear any-when I can get away with it. For nasty weather, armed berry bushes and intolerant people, I cover up. Free-boxes, second hand outlets, or home industry provide most of my garments. They may not be highly fashionable but they serve the necessary functions. Transportation I don't have a car. I walk, ride a bike, hitch, or take the bus. (To move the trailer I borrow a vehicle.) Maintenance For the toaster, blender, chain-saw and electric toothbrush it's simple-since I don't have any. But I do have a bicycle, se'\'Ving machine and typewriter to contend with. I learned bike mechanics prif!larily through books and how to service my sewing machine by reading the owner's manual. I approach typewriter repair on a trial and error basis. Health Care Taking care of my own body is a more complex matter. My first line of defense is preventative medicine, but even so, sometimes I get sick or have an accident. Learning what to do when that happens, without recourse to exorbitantly priced doctors, has been difficult. Some books have helped: Where There Is No Doctor, David Werner, $5.50 in '79, Hesperian Foundation, P.O. Box 1692, Palo Alto, CA 94302; Being Your Own Wilderness Doctor, Angier and Kodet; First Aid Afloat, Eastman; Medicine for Mountaineering; and The Merck Manual. Recreation Because my way of living does minimal un-creating, re-creating isn't called for. Or putting it another way, my everyday activities are my recreation: making bread, walking in the woods to fetch water, picking berries, bicycling, making clothes, writing, reading. I tried a daily 30-minute meditation period. Although free, it didn't do anything for me so I gave it up. I think the reason it was a flop is because I already meditate practically all the time. I'm constantly reflecting about what I experience. I think that's important if one wishes to live economically; otherwise it's easy to get caught up in someone else's expensive follies.
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