Saving Money from the Evil Clutches of a Consumer Created Society

Hiking the Appalachian Trail can cost a lot of money. Imagine you have been hiking for six days straight. You've slept on the hard ground every night, you've sweated profusely in one set of clothes all six days, and you've eaten nothing but ramen, trail mix, and granola bars for every single meal. You are now walking into a small town for resupply. As you walk to the grocery store you pass by a restaurant serving pizza, another serving burgers, and a hostel where you can spend the night in an actual bed, do laundry, and take a shower. How could you refuse?

I just read a blog from someone who failed to hike the Appalachian Trail. She walked from Georgia to Virginia in forty-some days, but decided to end her journey there. She listed several reasons why she believed she failed. First, she realized she did not have enough money saved up. She thought she would  be able to resist spending much money in towns before she left, but after several days of living in the wilderness she was quite willing and happy to spend quite a lot of money on town comforts. In fact, she thinks people can spend no less than $100 when they go into a town. Most people resupply in towns every 4-7 days and over six months of hiking spending $100 in town would amount to a whole ton of money.

Another reason she failed was because her pack was too heavy. She had too much excess gear and didn't purchase lightweight gear which is more expensive. In Appalachian Trials, Zach Davis says the best way to successfully thru-hike the AT is to hike your own hike, that is, to enjoy it. Some people can successfully thru-hike the AT by gritting their teeth and using their determination to keep walking through the misery. Davis, however, decided to hike in such a way that he would actually enjoy it and he never seriously considered quitting.

When it has been raining non-stop for five days straight and you and all your gear is sopping wet, you will want to quit. If every step along the way is also torture, experiencing the inevitable horrible weather is enough to break someone. Needless to say, my wife and I have decided that it is important for us to purchase expensive lightweight gear so we can enjoy the hike a lot more.

So how can a young couple with low-paying, part-time jobs and student loans afford such an endeavor? Here are some tips to help anyone save some extra cash.

1) Make a budget.

This is quite simple, but once you decide how much bills cost each month, and how much you can save, this will help force you not to spend the money you are now officially putting aside each month. When we first started to do this in January, we decided to save a modest $400 each month, but utilizing the other methods of saving below have allowed us to save plenty more.

2) Think before you purchase anything.

Is this something you really need or just want? I'm not saying to refuse purchasing anything absolutely unnecessary, but if you think about how many times you've spent money on something unnecessary it can help you refrain. If you bought a coffee from a coffee shop yesterday, refrain from going to your favorite cafe for a few days. Spend money at a restaurant less frequently and remember to bring food from home when you're going to be away from home for awhile. I firmly believe that a lot of people burn through most of their money from a coffee here, an ice cream there, and that new shirt you just couldn't refuse when you were walking by because it just looked so great! And it was on sale!

3) Don't drive so much.

Do they have public transportation where you live? Do you have a bicycle? I don't have to tell you that gas is really, really expensive. And believe me, I know how inconvenient it is to spend more time that you don't have, more energy than you can muster, and actually plan a way to get to work or the grocery store or a friend's place without your car. Sometimes it means bringing an extra set of clothes with you or riding in a crowded bus with loud people. But every time you do, you will save money. So do it as often as you can and if you spend the time to schedule it into your routine, it will become normal and easier and in no time you'll wonder why you ever drove to work in the first place. I still have a hard time following this advice because biking to work means riding almost seven miles one-way earlier in the morning than I care to get up. However, it also provides exercise which is not only good for the Appalachian Trail, but for a healthy life in general.

4) Find a cheap place to live.

I know this might be hard for some people, but if you find a place to live for just $100 less a month, you'll be able to save $1200 a year. Simple math! If you aren't terribly opposed to the idea, talk about living with a relative if they are close by. We save a lot of money by living with my sister in her basement. A lot of people have more rooms than necessary and if you don't mind sharing a kitchen and a bathroom, they can also earn a little extra money from giving up a room or two they barely used anyway. Everyone wins! Try getting it out of your head that it is a grown-up thing to have your own place. If you live on your own I am quite confident that you can find a room to rent for really cheap. Forget about decor and roominess and you can really save. I once lived in a room I found on Craigslist for $190 a month and it was two miles away from downtown on a bus line. Sure it always smelled like smoke or marijuana and sure I just stacked my clothes on the ground against the wall, but who cares? It wasn't the best of neighborhoods, but if you don't have anything worth stealing, it doesn't matter! Also, the world is not as dangerous as the media leads us to believe. That being said, bad things do happen, but I don't think living in a poorer community dramatically increases the chances unless you also decide to join a gang or run drugs.

5) Ditch the smartphone.

Seriously. You probably don't need it. You don't need to be online as much as you are. Use your computer. Wifi is everywhere. A contract phone costs too much money. It might seem like a fair price, but it adds ups every month. I use a pay-as-you-go phone and pay about $10 a month for the same amount of talk-time and texts as a $30 a month contract phone.

6) Dumpster dive.

I know you might think this sounds odd, but try it. Once you do, you'll see that it isn't really crazy. Since I work at Target I know how ridiculous the selling of food is. I recently worked a shift where I was in charge of the grocery section and was forced to throw away a ton of good food. A minimal amount could be donated, but the majority had to be thrown out. Fruits and vegetable on the very minimal edge of going bad, cans with dents, a loaf of bread with the end smashed, a can of peanuts with a slit in the cap from a box cutter (not the seal, just the cap), a bag of grapes where only three of the grapes were bad, fruits and vegetables that just didn't ascetically look pleasing are just a few examples of the incredible amount of food that gets thrown away each day. Also, we have to throw away all food a day before the dates printed on them and those dates are calculated for many, many days before the food will actually go bad so the stores can ensure no lawsuits. My wife and I only dumpster dive about once a week and only at one store, Aldi. Forget about dumpster diving at large grocery stores or places like Walmart or Target. They all have compacters that are impossible to get to. Small grocery stores like Aldi do not have compacters, but still throw out a considerable amount of food. This is food that is still great to eat, that is free, and that would be wasted otherwise. In my opinion, it is crazy not to take advantage of this. Try it. Go to Aldi. If you live near a Trader Joe's, we hear that's a good place to go too. We go at any time in the middle of the day. It is not illegal and we even once met a gentleman who was dumpster diving who drove his car right down their loading/receiving ramp and parked it right next to the dumpster.

8) Buy clothes at Goodwill or the Salvation Army.

I know most of the clothes there would look silly to wear nowadays, but I think it is even more silly that fashions change so rapidly, forcing you to purchase new and expensive clothes so frequently to fit in with everyone else. Don't trick yourself into thinking you can feel good about buying a new outfit because clothing is also a utility. You probably have many more clothes and many more shoes than necessary. I realize for some people, buying clothes can be really helpful to boost your self esteem, or to make you feel good when you are down etc. but I think there are many other cost-effective options to relieve stress etc. that also work much better. If you can't give up shopping for clothes at retail stores altogether, try easing into it. Refrain from purchasing a new item once or month or make a rule that if you buy something, you have to give something away. I.e. If you buy a new pair of shoes, you have to get rid of an old pair.    

7) Give away some of your money.

You heard me right! Give it right away. Give monthly to your church or to one of the thousands of non-profit/charity organizations that are doing good. Sponsor a child or two through Compassion or World Vision. How could this possibly help save money? I firmly believe the reason why people have a difficult time saving money is because the culture of today tells us to buy a lot more than we need. Our standard of living is ridiculously high and even those who think they live a modest life spend a ton of money. One of the ways to combat this way or thinking that has forced itself into our minds is to give it away so you simply don't have as much money to spend on stuff. It is amazing how much you can realize you don't need to buy as you possess less and less money. Maybe instead of buying meat for dinner, you'll buy rice and beans. Maybe you'll buy some hair clippers and have a friend cut your hair instead of paying a barber to cut it every couple of months. Maybe you won't shower every single day so save on soap and shampoo costs and maybe you'll wear your clothes a few more days before laundering them (rotate the outfits and people will never notice). If you're a woman, maybe you'll start wearing a diva cup instead of spending money monthly on tampons and pads. There are so many alternative ways to make life work that are cheaper and only require a little less convenience or require the giving up of a little bit of satisfied desire. And don't think you are too poor to give money away or that you will start doing so once you've paid off your student loans! That's what I thought most of my life, but my wife has really pushed giving money away every month. It is really great to be able to support friends and causes we believe in and you can too, no matter what your station in life is. There is a reason there is a story in the Bible of a poor woman giving all her money away. You are never too poor to give away money!    

If you have any other tips on how to save money, please comment below! We want to save as much money as possible for the Appalachian Trail. Every time we don't eat at a restaurant now, we will be able to purchase a meal in a town after several days in the wilderness, which will taste so much better than now! Going without always allows one to properly enjoy those gifts in life we are lucky to have!