The countless people who document their thrifty lifestyles give readers with money woes emotional support – but they don’t often deal with true poverty
On Sunday mornings, Katie practices the same ritual: she sits down on her couch in Toronto with her laptop and a cup of tea, pulls the receipts from her purse and makes a tally: “Groceries: $55.90. Petrol: $43.10. Hospital parking: $0. Total Spend: $99.” Then she hits publish and shares her weekly spending with the world.
Katie, a single mother of two adopted children with special needs, has to keep track of her money. Multiple surgeries over the past year have left her paralyzed from hip to knee, unable to work her healthcare job and saddled with between $15,000 and $20,000 CAD of debt. Once government assistance kicks in, her budget for the year will be just under $17,000.
Related: ‘We’re struggling to survive’: student debt still weighing down people over 30
Frugal bloggers range from suburban mothers, to a mohawked man named J Money with a site called Budgets are $exy.
Continue reading...