This thread is truly inspiring. There are so many great tips here, and it's heartening to know I'm not alone. Sometimes it feels like the stress of worrying about funding is eating away at me, and I get frustrated because I just want to focus all my attention to my studies. That being said, I'm better funded this year than I have ever been. I'm entering the second yr of my MA with a SSHRC, a top-up award, and a TAship, plus some summer savings. I almost didn't work when I heard I got the SSHRC, but now I'm so glad I did, even if it's just a contract job. The only difficulty is that I still owe $5000 in tuition from the previous year, and along with paying tuition for this remaining year, I should have about $13000 the school year, and from reading this forum this seems quite feasible to live on. I would like to spend as little as possible so that come May, I still have a few grand in the bank to travel or to subsist on while I take a breather.
My rent is only $500 a month and I live with roommates. We don't cook communally but someone always makes homemade treats which adds variety. Like some of you here I do get bored with eating the same thing more than 2-3 meals; I get around this by freezing what I don't eat, or making two big batches of food and mixing it up, or adding fresh veggies. There is also a neighborhood corner store I've dubbed "the place where veggies go to die", seriously, it's like they get all the fruit and vegetables that have somehow fallen off a truck or just about to go bad. When I've been really tight with money, I've bought up baskets of tomatoes and eggplant, etc that are just a little bruised, grilled them or made sauce, and had enough for pasta or sandwiches or salads for a week. So good!
Other tips I have is not to live in a neighborhood with a lot of trendy stores; out of sight is out of mind. How many clothes can one person have? I love clothing so this is a weak point, I have convinced myself that marketers target women in order to brainwash us so that we won't care about social issues. This may not be necessarily true but it has helped stave the shopping cravings. Also, growing up my family also had quite a tight budget and I learnt to sew and knit from my mom, totally invaluable tools. It is really satisfying thing to do, particularly as a writing/reading break to make your own clothes or accessories. Lots of websites such as craftster give instructions for simple projects.
Also, start a garden, even a small container garden. Or sign up for a fresh food box, this can save time and ensure that you eat enough veggies in the winter months. Also, my roommate and I made some homebrew wine; we went to a "U-Brew" type of facility and for less than $30 each we got 25 bottles of decent red wine which we take to bbq's, or make sangria with. Corks, bottles and other supplies may initially set you back about $30, or you can collect bottles or borrow a friends' corker.
Coffee, like many of you, is a habit- I buy the best quality beans I can for about $10 a pound, and with little grinder and a bodum I've learnt to make an amazing cup of brew. Or carry around your own travel mug and most coffeeshops do give a discount. Ask for giftcards to your favourite cafes or grocery stores for christmas and save them for when you are really broke.
I'll be thinking of all of you as I embark on a new school year! living on such a tight budget may hurt at first, but the plus side is that we are learning financial skills which some people never do, and we appreciate every small luxury we have!
