# Free book - Radical Frugality: Living in America on $8000 a year



## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

This is a free Kindle book -- have no idea whether it is good or not as I haven't read it, but thought it might be of interest to folks here:

http://www.amazon.com/Radical-Fruga...5953&creativeASIN=B006GG0U0C&kc=AG56TWVU5XWC2


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

Thanks, just downloaded it.


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## hillbillygal (Jan 16, 2008)

Thanks, always looking for interesting free reading for the kindle


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## DanielY (Aug 25, 2011)

I am already doing that and then some. I have 7 people in my household and we live on less than $40,000 per year total. We bought a home 7 years ago as well. That works out to less than $6,000 per person per year. On top of that we found ways this last year to reduce it even more. By changing what we bought or in other words how we spent the money we reduced just one yearly expense from $3,000 per year to $1,500 and can do better than that. With enough space we can almost eliminate that entire $3,000 expense. We have not even touched energy issues and could do more on food costs if we had some land, made more from scratch and maybe produced our own meat. The meat thing depends on what we produced and where we got the feed.
We have as much as 48 man hours of labor that is nearly completely unused right now simply because we don't have more that we can do for ourselves. Not in a back yard anyway. Give me some room and I can do a lot more.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Thanks for that link. I just downloaded it also.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

Stupid question. do you have to have a kindle to download these books? I have seen several free download things for these on here that I would like to read, but I don't have one and not likely to get one.


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## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

You can do a kindle on your pc. I think the instructions are there on Amazon. It's also free. I've read a couple of books that way.


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## ryanthomas (Dec 10, 2009)

https://read.amazon.com/about


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

Downloaded it! Thank you!


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## idigbeets (Sep 3, 2011)

Heh.. doing it on less than 6k for 2 of us right now....


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## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

I downloaded the reader and can now read the book. Thanks for the post.

Nomad


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

idigbeets said:


> Heh.. doing it on less than 6k for 2 of us right now....


Ya, us too. Almost 1/3 is food cost. Normal?


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## soulsurvivor (Jul 4, 2004)

My advice to anyone trying to make it on less income is to try and stay healthy. Medical costs will sink any ship.


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## Aimee (Nov 8, 2010)

thank you for the link. I just downloaded it. I can't wait to read it


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## cc (Jun 4, 2006)

I just downloaded it too thanks.


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## Jena (Aug 13, 2003)

You can also get a kindle on an Android phone. Not sure about other smart phones, but I read my books on my phone all the time.


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## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

I guess im the odd man out with a Nook? Is there a way to convert it? Ive had my Nook for a year and really need to learn more about it.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

Just Cliff said:


> I guess im the odd man out with a Nook? Is there a way to convert it? Ive had my Nook for a year and really need to learn more about it.


Yes, there is, but it's a bit cumbersome. You have to convert the book to epub format. 
I found the instructions here: http://steveumstead.com/2011/06/23/converting-a-kindle-book-to-nook-format-or-how-i-synced-my-life/

It is for a MAC but should work on a PC as well.

Or an easier way is just to read Kindle books on your computer.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Thanks - looking forward to reading it. 

Idigbeets and others - tell us how you are doing it on less than 8K - I'm always looking for frugal hints. Maybe time for another frugal tips for S&EP thread? Don't forget the tightwad types on Melissa's forum, too.


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## Guest (Dec 25, 2011)

lonelyfarmgirl said:


> Stupid question. do you have to have a kindle to download these books? I have seen several free download things for these on here that I would like to read, but I don't have one and not likely to get one.


I use Kindle For PC.


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## kinnb (Oct 23, 2011)

thank you as well--the COLA we got for SSD just got matched by the rent increase, so...yep. :umno:
regardless, during the SSD "process" of 2 denials/court case nonsense, I had to live on $200/month, so I'm very well versed in this. however, there is ALWAYS something to be learned on any subject, no matter what. (if you believe otherwise, well, have fun in your own sandbox, don't come play in mine :heh: )

I thoroughly enjoy HT and reading as many topics as I can in any given day. thank you all for sharing your knowledge with each other and helping each other "up". LOVE IT.
Kyrie and Doppler (the wonder service dog)


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

idigbeets said:


> Heh.. doing it on less than 6k for 2 of us right now....


When I read the title of the thread I thought to myself since I got divorced and paid off my place I spend less than that a year on bills too. Which I like in this current economy because some months I don't get a good horse trading deal for extra pocket change in my budget and a few months these last few years any extra pocket money at the end of the month was the jingly kind that went into my coin purse or change jar


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## whodunit (Mar 29, 2004)

If it means $8K per person, I am doomed! We are a family of six, so that's $48K which is WAYYYYY more than I make.


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## wvstuck (Sep 19, 2008)

We are living on more or less $13,000 a year now with a family of 4 since I quit my job to homestead and farm full-time. We are by no means suffering, we are poor by all government standards yet we just can't feel or look poor no matter how hard we try.

Living without debt is the only way to do this. Our farm is paid off, we drive older vehicles and we grow what we consume... Our goal this year is to grow everything our animals consume too... Without having to supplement animal feed we'll have even more money to play with.

Thanks for the link, I'll read that on my PC kindle and see how someone else is doing it. It always helps to find the next little thing that lessens the load.


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## Rainy (Jan 21, 2010)

So far i am really enjoying this book... Alot of things we have already started and our doing... but i have a Friend who is fixing to lose everything, and i sure wish she'd read it.


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## Trixters_muse (Jan 29, 2008)

I plan to give it a read, we are living on less than $15,000 for three people. We don't have a car, mortgage is really low for an old house and we are super frugal. This amount is not only for living expenses but also college for two kids.

It can be done but it's not for everyone. I like the simplicity and I like not having a ton of debt. Once kids finish college and the house is paid for I can live off of even less.


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

His idea that 15% is right for food is al little wacky. Since 15% of 1000 is awhole lot more than 15% of 500.
I just don't see how some one could live on $75 worth of food for a month. 
That must be per person, which mean dh and I are living douple frugle.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

Using $8,000.00 as the base, 15% comes to $100.00 a month. That is about what I spend on groceries (not including household goods and pet food). So 15% is about right as far as I'm concerned for a single person. 

I suggested the book but haven't read it yet -- I guess I'd better mend my wicked ways and do so!


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