How To Live Large On Little

By Lev Novak

Being a Millennial means dealing with a difficult binary. On the one hand we have upwardly mobile hopes inspired by the lifestyles so visible on the internet and, on the other hand, we have downwardly trending money with which to enjoy it.

Tricky, huh? Fortunately, you’re on uCribs where you get more for less.

Besides getting your apartment through this very site, here are four other great ways to live large on less.

1. Find Your Priorities

I am not much of a driver. I’m not very good at it, to be honest, and I find it to be a hassle more often than not. I live in a city where I can use public transportation, and the dual frustrations of gas and parking outweigh the very real benefits of quick and easy personal travel.

Because of that priority (or rather, that lack of a priority) I’ve decided not to spend much on a car. It’s not an investment I feel like making, or an indulgence high up on my dreams-list. Now, if you love driving, or if you love cars enough to study them and know the difference, then by all means, prioritize cars. They’re a solid investment and you should follow what you love.

And I love hamburgers.

I will buy the cheapest but useable car possible but I will spend eighteen dollars on a fancy burger without blinking. That’s a contradiction to some people: they’d point out, reasonably, that with the money I could save by eating cheaper burgers (or by not eating out at all) I could save hundreds of dollars that would go to a better car. But to me, I just see a car that would cost dozens and dozens of hamburgers more.

So what’s the takeaway? Living large overall is fine and dandy, but you should pursue what you care most about.

2. Small Pleasures, Big Rewards.

When you have little money, small indulgence can feel huge. But they don’t have to cost like that.

If you live within your means, handle your debts, and avoid big splurges, you can split that big splurge into a dozen smaller ones. Are you living dirty? You can get a cleaning service once a month, and the cost won’t be insane when compared with a more expensive apartment. Get an Xbox and the games you want: when broken down per hour, it’s pretty cheap entertainment and it’s a whole lot cheaper than going shopping just because you’re bored.

At its smallest, you can even buy the fancy jams and pastries you’d never be allowed to have as a kid. Why not? A few dollars here and there, when savored, can be the most rewarding to be frivolous with. It can feel just as bold as a big purchase with much less damage to your bottom line.

3. Be Grateful

At the end of the day, consider that you’re reading this on a laptop, proving that you have literacy and access to a magic future-box of opportunity. You’ve probably eaten today and bathed five this week. Two hundred years ago you’d have been a space-king.

Hopefully that gives you some comfort. And if not, eat some fancy jellies.

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