My Best Frugality Hack | brokeGIRLrich
The absolute best frugality hack I’ve found in the last 10 years is to find a way to not pay rent.
Now, I’m not telling you to go be some bounce back millennial that’s all over the use and mooches endlessly off mom and dad.
Though, a lot of parents really don’t seem to mind, and if they genuinely don’t and you actually use their home as a savings tool and funnel as much as you can into savings and investments, I have to say you don’t hit my general definition of a lazy millennial.
There are a lot of ways to live rent free legitimately though, especially if you’re right out of college and looking for adventure for a few years.
If you went to college for some high paying major and managed to land a gig during career week or something, this post isn’t really for you. Follow that money, honey. But, if you followed your dreams and your job prospects are looking a little rough, consider maybe doing the equivalent of a “graduate degree” in a job that lets you save money – or, at the very least, pay off the student loans you racked up.
Here’s an extra perk to this approach – most jobs that include room and board are usually pretty cool adventures.
Cruise ships have just about every kind of job on them, so you’d be able to live most of the year rent free on a boat, seeing the world, possibly building up your resume in your field (I really harp on this one so much because it worked out so well for me).
If you get seasick, along similar lines, there are a lot of resorts that out there looking for people with a wide variety of skill sets that will also house you.
Maybe if you’re looking for a quiet space to write the next great American novel or get your own business off the ground, you can house sit, so rent is one less thing you have to worry about during that time.
If you got one of those useless theatre degrees, you’ll have tons of options to live rent free by going out on a tour or working for a small regional theatre that offers housing. Lots of times, especially at the small regional theaters, the pay isn’t that great, but you’d be surprised how much you can save once rent isn’t an expense you need to deal with.
If you really want to build up some skills, as well as set yourself up with great benefits for years to come, join the military. Four years seems like an eternity when you’re 22, but as someone in her early 30s, let me tell you – they fly by. And there’s still a lot of life left after your 20s, so the stronger financial foundations you can build during that decade, the better.
