Many couples have had a torrid financial time over the last couple of years. Job insecurities, along with rising debt, and a general economic down-turn have left many severely out of pocket.

This shortage of money does not have to mean your social life, and more importantly your leisure time together as a couple should be affected. In fact in my opinion quality time together is absolutely vital. Especially for couples working long hours, or those with child commitments.

We have had a sniff around and came up with some cheap, fun, and easy ways to spend time, and have fun together without having to pay through the nose for the privilege.

Picnics

More an idea for the summer (or at least dry months). There is nothing nicer than sitting under the shade of a tree, sipping some wine, eating a sandwich, or two and just enjoying each other’s company in the sunshine.

The great thing about picnics is that you do not have to spend a fortune laying on a massive spread. Make some sandwiches at home with various fillings from your fridge, get some ice cold drinks in a cooling pack, and maybe pack some strawberries, or some other “treat” food to take with you.

All of this can be done with food that you already have in your home, or stuff that can be brought very cheaply from your local grocery store.

If you have a park or open space near to you that has a lake or duck pond even better! I don’t know too many people who don’t get a slightly warm, happy feeling whilst watching ducks playing around on the water, or coming to investigate what you are doing (and eating).

The Beach

Not too dissimilar to a picnic in that you can take your own food and drink with you, and that you need the weather on your side.

However a beach gives many opportunities for cheap fun together as a couple. Having a stroll along the sand is a lovely way to spend time talking, and enjoying each other. It is always good fun to have a small paddle, or to playfully splash each other with the water.

If you don’t mind spending a very modest sum of money, then why not get a fish and chip supper to eat on the beach, or have an ice cream together. Things like that can often bring back fond memories of your childhood which can be pleasant to discuss together.

Often seaside areas have smaller fun fairs which are normally much cheaper than the larger static types These places can be an excellent entertainment option for budget-conscious couples. Just be sure to space out your dinner and your dancing plans.

Free Museum/Galleries

Depending on where you are in the world you are there are often some great museums, or art galleries that are completely free to visit. If you enjoy cultural type activities there can be some excellent events, and exhibitions you can enjoy at no cost.

In fact some of the most spectacular art, and exhibits I have ever seen were at an event that was completely free to enter. Use the Internet to search for events happening near to you. There is often more happening than you would expect.

Local Music Events

Often local musicians and bands will host concerts to showcase their work, and to try and get more of a following. Like the museum example, if you keep your eyes open you can quite often stumble across some great events happening close to you.

Often local bars may host a concert, or comedy evening as a way of filling their venue up. It is not usual for a venue to offer customers their first drink or two free as an incentive for them to turn up. Keep your eyes peeled especially around the summer, and holiday seasons as this is when there is normally an increase in cheap entertainment.

The Perfect Home Date

Who says you have to go out to have a fantastic, yet frugal time together. With a little imagination and pre-planning you can set up an amazing “night in” which can be even more enjoyable, and memorable than the most costly date.

First of all buy in whatever food you need to prepare a meal for you both. It doesn’t have to be anything flash or expensive, just a meal that you know your partner enjoys. If you cannot cook yourself, get a friend to help or even get a local takeaway, whichever you prefer.

Now go on to prepare the room. Get some candles on the go, and play some music in the background. Maybe write a couple of little love notes and leave them around the room for your partner to find.

When your partner arrives, surprise them with your romantic effort, and after dinner why not get a movie that you will both enjoy, and relax on the couch. Maybe even run a bath for your partner. Not only will you score some major brownie points, but this whole effort will be very cheap to recreate.

Often the thought that you have put into the evening will mean much more than just splashing the cash and going out.

A Night Under The Stars

If you have never done this with your partner then you must. Not only is it free but also awe inspiring.

If you have a garden, and live in an area that does not have much light pollution, then great. If you live in the city, or an area where the night sky is very clear then drive out a little bit to an open space where the sky is very clear.

Bring a blanket and a flask and spend an hour or two just looking up at the stars. It is very romantic, and will often lead to some very deep and interesting conversations.

These are just a few ideas of fun and frugal dates for you and your loved one. With a little imagination you can come up with infinite ways to enjoy your time together. The most important thing is to enjoy and make the most of each other’s company. Wherever you are, and whatever you do, as long as you are together any date can be amazing, however much you spend on it.

This article was written by Timothy Ng who is a regular personal finance writer and part of the team at CreditCardComparison.com.au a 100% free Australian credit card comparison and application service. Visit the Credit Card Comparison website for more information.

I’ve been trying to cut back on things recently and really hone in on this whole minimalism thing but just take a look at that tatty t-shirt in the picture on the right. I have plenty of t-shirts and really don’t need to hold onto this anymore…. The problem is it holds sentimental value. As far as I can see sentimentalism is definitely one of the biggest roadblocks getting in my way on my journey to complete minimalism!

Remember Children Can Burn Too!

Yep “Remember Children Can Burn Too”, that is what it says on the shirt. It’s a shirt that I got about 10 years ago now. My best friend at the time was friends with the guitarist from the now disbanded punk band named 3DB’s down. I grabbed this shirt at one of their shows and from that perspective it holds a good memory with my best friend. My best friend Joe passed away a year or two after that.

The shirt is also partly responsible for my current partner and I having an excuse for a quick meeting in London shortly after we had originally met in Montreal. I had met her whilst on vacation in Montreal, Canada and we got along really well. Anyway I ended up sleeping over at her place one evening and I left my blue shirt there. By chance she was passing through Heathrow airport a few months later and managed to grab a 2 hour lunch with her and got the shirt back…. This helped our early relationship blossom.

What do I lose if I throw the shirt away or give it away?

In reality I lose nothing, the shirt is nearly dead and I normally just wear it around the house now. It would free up space in my cupboard (of course collectively with other stuff I need to get rid off) and I should not miss it but…..

Sentiment isn’t reasonable…..

Rationalism is something often positioned in total opposite to emotion. Being sentimental is an emotional response that is pretty devoid of rationalism, so it’s a completely messed up circle that can’t be explained completely, at least not with rational thought!

What do I “ideally” think…

One of the biggest steps to becoming a minimalist is to reduce your belongings down to the bare essentials. Literally looking at each item and deciding if it has a use in your life. Sentimental items need extra will power to disband of and a true minimalist has often found a way to deal with losing such things or limiting to just a few.

I completely believe a minimal lifestyle for reducing stress, improving finances and giving freedom and mobility. I also think it clears the mind and allows you to focus on important tasks bringing a more full life.

Ideally I believe most sentimental items can be discarded (sold, given away, recycled). If really needed it’s not hard to take a photograph, write a journal entry or somehow document the loss of the item.

What do you think I should do with the Shirt?

Of course the shirt is just one shared item here, I have a few more blocking my way. I am interested in how you deal with such things and what you would do with this specific item as well as general sentimental items.

Help me, what should I do…..

For any of you that have been following you will know that I was doing the Insanity Home Workout. Just before I left for Sweden I actually finished the first round of the program but only now (3 weeks later) have I got round to posting the results….. Before I get into the numbers I must say I loved this program and I am gearing up to start round 2 sometime in the next few weeks. I felt significant improvements and the numbers reflect.

If you want to give insanity a try then why not pick up a copy. I am going to use this workout again and again until I can finally keep up with the crazy people in the video’s! Get Insanity Home Workout (<– Affiliate Link).

Ok, now onto my Insanity Week 9, Day 63 Fit Test Results.

As this is the last fit test of this round of Insanity I will only show the first test and last test results.

Switch kicks:

Day 1: 48
Day 63: 66

Power Jacks

Day 1: 59
Day 63: 75

Power Kness

Day 1: 75 (left knee)
Day 63: 105 (left knee)

Power Jumps

Day 1: 28
Day 63: 60

Globe Jumps

Day 1: 10
Day 63: 11

Suicide Jumps

Day 1: 12
Day 63: 14

Push Up Jacks

Day 1: 15
Day 63: 30

Low Plank Oblique

Day 1: 45
Day 63: 65

The proof is in the pudding…

Well as you can see my numbers significantly improved in most areas. I am looking a little fitter too and feeling more stable in my core but I did not follow a strict diet on this round so did not lose much weight (still lost a few pounds).

I was especially suprised in my power jump improvement throughout the program but upper body strength still needs some work. As for my cardio, I managed to run 4 miles without much hassle while in Sweden so I know this is keeping to a reasonable standard…. In short you can’t go wrong with Insanity.

What next?…

As I mentioned I am looking forward to starting another round of Insanity. It’s a damn hard thing to exercise for so long 6 days a week so I need to get my work in check and into a good routine in the next week or so before throwing the daily exercise back in to the mixing pot.

I did not follow much of a diet plan through this last round but I am being fairly strict right now and hope to lose the last 10lbs or so that I think I need to lose to be in a lean shape ready for possible marathon training in a year or so…. I ran a marathon years ago but want to do another eventually. Sadly the Insanity diet plan doesn’t suit me as a Vegetarian too much so I will just have to use it as a guidence and influence rather than a strict plan to follow.

I’ll keep you all updated….

Have you done Insanity, or are you doing it? Please let me know what you think about home workouts, this kind of workout schedule and anything in general.

Try Insanity Today…

^ Affiliate Link^

This is a guest post by Jesse Michelsen from the awesome blog Personal Finance Firewall. I was supposed to publish it while on vacation but did not get the time! Anyway it’s a fantastic post that many of us can truly relate too and I hope you take the time to let Jesse and I know what you think.

Forest is currently on vacation in Sweden. What a beautiful and magical place that is. Yet Forest has been to many wild and exciting places that most people just dream about. He lives in Egypt, he has traveled to some pretty cool places such as Garbage City and he works mostly from home. Forest has a passion for many things and he acts on those passion.

Have you ever met anyone with such a passion for something that their passion just filled the room and swept over everyone in it? Their passion ignites others and just engulfs any doubt against whatever they are talking about? That passion is a massive force and an extremely powerful tool.

Successful entrepreneurs have that passion and it draws other passionate people to them. That passion breeds success. But just like anything else, that passion must be harnessed, controlled and acted upon.

How can you recognize real passion?

Have you ever been involved in a conversation in which the speaker was confident, forceful even, but you knew they were wrong? And you had to wait until they were finished speaking before you voiced your opinion. That waiting time would have been unbearable. You felt like you had to stop the speaker and shout your opinion at the top of your lungs! That is passion! That is one powerful emotion.

Some would describe it as a genuine interest but I have seen passion that would be described as the fire within. I have seen people have a passion for the oddest things, one of them being finance. Most people think finance is boring, but not us. Oh no, we do have a passion for personal finance. We seek out information on finance and value a good conversation on the topic. We just devour information on the subject like nothing else.

But being a seeker and being an actor are two very different things. You can have a passion for a subject for years and never actually act on the knowledge you have acquired.

So you are here, you are obviously interested or better yet, passionate about personal finance but how do you act on that passion? And in finance, acting without understanding the consequences can have disastrous results, so how can you control that passion, in the heat of the moment without ending up making a huge mistake?

How can you harness that passion?

You have to be prepared.

Preparation cannot be stressed enough in any field even something as spontaneous as Improvisation acting or stand-up comedy. Improv is the act of playing off the audience or random thoughts that come to you such as things you see sitting on a table, or even playing off your last statement, joke or mistake for that matter. To successfully connect with an audience and spark an emotional response from them such as laughter or sadness is a powerful thing, and doing it on the spot such as what takes place in an Improv show is even more powerful.

But even in the field of Improvisation, an actor prepares every day! They work out material that they can use in case something brushes on that subject and they practice the act of being spontaneous. This sounds like an oxymoron but it’s completely necessary, even for those with a naturally quick wit and talent for the art!

Personal finance is no different. You need to know how you will likely react when a situation regarding your finances starts to unfold.

You have to have a plan.

Take investing for instance. Investment opportunities are one of those double edge swords and when your first investment opportunity approaches, how will you act? Will you shy away because you are skeptical or afraid? Or will you have a plan in hand to help you analyze the investment and make the best decision. Will you have the funding prepared in advance just in case? These are the sort of things you need to have planned so that you can act on a passion.

Let the passion flood through your entire body so that you feel the enthusiasm of the creator of that passion..the one sharing that new and out of this world idea with you. Let your emotion react to their passion and ignite your thoughts. Then, fall back to your plan you set long ago to evaluate the details of such an idea..passion is easy, the hard part is knowing how far to let it take you and when to stop and process thought rather than let the emotion sweep you away into something you may regret.

This does not mean doubt yourself! Don’t question that passion you felt. The emotion is raw and powerful. You need to use it to get you stated and keep you going but you need to use your rational thoughts to direct that passion into something tangible.

Once you have felt the passion, write down how you feel. Record yourself talking so that you can relive that passion you felt. The worst thing you can do when you feel passion take hold is let that passion die. Relive that passion any chance you get when you feel you have forgot why you did this or what got you where you are.

You have to follow through

Most importantly, follow through. If you felt the passion, analyzed the idea using your plan, the last step is to actually act. Do it! You have followed every step set forth and are at the point when you need to pull the trigger.

Each and every part of your financial life can benefit from having passion injected into it. Passion can keep you going when you are getting mentally tired. It can spur new and unique ideas for you to increase your side income, create a better investment plan or even start a full business no one has ever tried before.

That is how you harness passion. If you can get the right mix of that emotion and clear thought, there is nothing that can stand in the way of fulfilling your financial dreams!

This is a guest post by Jesse Michelsen who writes passionately about personal finance topics such as creative ways to save and invest at Personal Finance Firewall.

<em>Image by <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/featheredtar/”>FeatheredTar</a></em>

I know many of you did not notice but things have been a little quiet in the FZ quarters for the last 3 weeks….. That’s because I was away on holiday in Sweden. I spent a fair amount of cash but not over our final budget and I think I gathered a good amount of ideas for presenting a nice long post about a budget vacation in Sweden.

The lack of internet for most of my vacation worked out a blessing. Once I had succumbed to the fact that I could not do anything about it I started to relax and life without net really isn’t that bad after all….. I now feel quite invigorated and once I get back on track (client work to clear) I have loads of ideas for posts and discussions.

Yakezie Update…

As I have mentioned many times before I am a part of the Yakezie personal finance group. We started out as a group of bloggers with a simple aim to drop our Alexa ranking to below 200k…. Well mine dropped well below that and I currently sit at 118k (originally around 250k)…. The challenge grew immensely and formed a really strog group of varied bloggers all with an amazing array of talents and great ideas.

Sam from Financial Samurai was the guy who started all this and due to success Yakezie is now being developed into a full website which will have an ongoing barrage of information in all areas of saving money and personal finance. The whole group will be involved and I believe this could become the best PF resource on the web….. That makes me extremely excited to be a part of it.

Sam’s latest post goes into more detail so please hurry on over and catch up: An Inside Look At The Yakezie: Stage One Recap!

Anyway just updating to let you all know I am back, I would love to hear how you are, what I missed and I can’t wait to get back into my Yakezie Personal Finance Group shenanigans.

First off sorry I have not been very social in the last week or two. I am off to Sweden tomorrow for two weeks and as always, taking a 2 week break ensures 2 weeks of stress prior. Mostly due to clients suddenly needing jobs completed (I love you all really!) and various other things that just needed to get done.

I was also supposed to be doing the Yakezie carnival this week but due to the last week I have just been too busy . I can’t extend my gratitude enough to Kevin at Invest it Wisely for filling in for me. He did an awesome job and there are some great posts there this week, so check it out: Wisdom Distilled From The Top: A Yakezie Carnival

While I am gone I hope to actually post a few times and I have at least one guest post coming so the blog should be back alive again if all goes well.

Why am I going to Sweden when I have no money?

I don’t have a lot of cash right now and still have not established an emergency fund or any savings. However my partner has been going crazy (harder to be a woman in Egypt) and she just needs a break from Cairo and Egypt…. So she offered to pay for my ticket and I agreed as long as we keep the vacation frugal….. Frugal and Sweden don’t really match up in my mind so it’s going to be interesting.

I’m not totally short of cash though, it’s more cash flow. Shortly after I get back from Sweden the flow will all be coming together as I will be receiving a large bank deposit for my online work and many client jobs will be at the invoicing stage…. I am pretty excited about this as it means I will be filling up my $1k emergency fund and hopefully some extra by the beggining of August.

In some ways I regret going on vacation now but my partner can’t do any other time. Do you think I have made a bad decision?

How I will keep spending low in Sweden

I have to keep spending low whilst away. My last experience of visiting a Scandinavian country was Denmark which is a short bridge away from Sweden. The prices there were ridiculous with beer being around $15 each.

So first off I plan to drink very little alcohol. Also I hear the supermarket prices are reasonable. Luckily we will staying with a friend the whole time, partially in Stockholm and partially in her Summer House in the boonies somewhere! This gives us the opportinity to home cook and take food with us to places to avoid high priced eating out….. To be honest I think this will be our main expense as most museums and art places in Sweden are free (government funded).

We will also be going to the last day of the Peace and Love festival though and the ticket for the day was an astounding $120!!! I have not seen a live music festival for years though so I cannot wait and I don’t even know who is playing! I will try hard to keep costs as low as possible on this day by bringing food and water.

What tips do you have for me?

As always I would love to know what tips you have for me to save some cash and if you have ever been to Sweden?

Thanks.

I am living in Egypt and am having to deal with a visit to Sweden in a few days…. Not a cheap place. So I wanted to take a look at the cheapest countries, 2010 to see where my money would have been better spent….

This exercise is not just to make myself feel sick at the prices in Sweden but also important because I am thinking of moving to a new country next year. Moving to another country in retirement or just because your job is portable (online or by phone, or you are on a grant for research or writing as examples) is a great way to save a ton of cash, be inspired and generally live a better life.

You may also be interested in the article we have on the cheapest cities to live, 2010.

Egypt

I already live in Egypt but not at the cheapest that I can. From my travels it seems that I could live almost as comfortably on under half the price (first need to move from the expat area). It’s possible to find good quality hostel/hotel’s down in Luxor for less than $5 per night. You can also eat for next to nothing per day with a meal in a local restaurant available often for less than $1. Internet is about the same price as USA but if you can find a decent cafe or are staying in a hostel you can normally get reasonable free wifi. Some of the coastal towns like Dahab or even more Egyptian places can give you a life of paradise at dirt cheap prices…. I love Egypt for this.

India

Like Egypt India sounds like it is possible to spend a lot of money but in similar respects if you stay off the beaten path things get cheap very quickly with many travelers reporting living for around $3-$5 per day.

Thailand

I don’t think Thailand is the cheapest these days but it can be luxurious. $20-$30 a day can get you around for the most part and luxury is easy to find at much more affordable prices than USA.

Other places

Now these are some of the popular destinations, all full of tourist attractions but for the quiet life you could find many places in South America, including Brazil and Argentina. Sadly Greece just had a collapse but it may be the best time to get in there quick and also Pakistan, China and maybe even New Zealand are other destinations to consider right now. Also remember Iceland went bankrupt and could be an excellent place to look at…

Forbes, cheapest countries in 2009

Forbes published an article featuring some of the cheapest countries in 2009 to see in the recession. According to their list based on dollar growth the 15 cheapest countries were:

• Zambia
• Fiji
• Czech Republic
• Chili
• Romania
• Iceland
• Jamaica
• Norway (I’m not sure about this one!!! I hear it’s darn expensive in all of Northern Europe)
• Russia
• United Kingdom (Definitely NOT!)
• Brazil
• Columbia
• Poland
• Sweden (Errr, I don’t think so!)
• Hungary

I really think Forbes should have looked at a bit more here but much of their list make sense.

Your experience and further discussion for the cheapest countries, 2010?

I want to know what you know or have heard. Leave a comment and let us know of take a hike over to our forum and start discussing it here: Frugal Zeitgeist Forum, Cheapest Countries, 2010.

Thanks for your time and don’t hesitate to ask any questions.

As I am trying to be a minimalist I am struggling with how long to keep financial records. Ideally I would not keep any but it’s not that easy and sadly you have to keep the records for a number for reasons…. Often no1 being dreaded Tax!

I was always told…. “Keep everything for 5 years”, then I heard “It’s ok to just keep everything for 1 year these days”…. But I am not sure how accurate this hearsay is so I went looking.

This awesome article on Ask Yahoo has some good sense answers.

You can get more details from Yahoo’s article but here are the basics that they advised:

Taxes – Keep them ideally for 7 years.
IRA contributions - Keep them forever
Retirement/Savings plan statements – 1 year or forever.
Bank records – One year to forever
Brokerage statements – during the period of ownership
Bills - 1 year or forever
Credit card receipts and statements – 45 days or 7 years if related to your taxes
Paycheck stubs – Until you receive your w2
House records and receipts – At least 6 years or forever.

What about Paperless financial records?

One thing I could not find was information on how long to keep financial records when you are paperless. My bank and most statements are all online now and I think the institutions only keep the records available to you for 3-5 years on average.

I assume the best thing to do here is print out important records and store them in your filing system. Sadly this defeats the purpose so before doing so I think it is best to check with the company and see if they will be available online for an appropriate amount of time.

Alternatively you could actually download PDF files of your statements once a month and store them digitally at no real cost to space. This way they will be able to be stored forever and you will be able to print them on demand.

Please let me know if you have any different information to this or if you feel I have any of the details wrong.

Today we’re posting a guest article from 21st Century Insurance that explains how to shop for car insurance and put some extra money in your pocket. 21st Century is dedicated to providing superior coverage and service, while saving you money on your auto insurance.

These days, we all could use a little extra cash in our pockets. So it’s only smart to look for ways to tighten your budget. One of the easiest ways to do that is to shop for auto insurance. It’s easy…it doesn’t take a lot of time…there’s no obligation…and you can save hundreds of dollars a year! Just follow these steps.

Step #1: Make sure you’re comparing apples to apples.

If you want to accurately compare auto insurance quotes, you need accurate information. So make sure you have the following information available before you start your quote.

* Your Current Insurance Declarations Page

– By matching your current deductibles and auto coverage limits you can be sure you’re getting the same protection.

* Vehicle Information

– Year make model and VIN

– Annual miles and distance to work

– Value of any custom or after-market equipment

– Type of alarm or theft recovery device

* Driver Information (For each household member old enough to drive)

– Drivers name, occupation, gender, number of years licensed, and Driver’s License number.

– Any accidents or violation in the past 3 years including dates, who was at fault, if someone was injured and the claim amount.

Step #2: Make sure you get more than one auto quote.

Car insurance rates vary by hundreds of dollars from one auto insurance company to the next. So if you’re only getting one quote to compare with your current policy, you may be missing out on a better deal. Get at least three quotes to be sure you’re getting a fair price.

Some website aggregates will give you an opportunity to get several quotes from a limited number of companies. But you’re better off doing it yourself. The service you get shopping is a good indicator of what you can expect if you purchase a policy.

Step #3: Don’t just pick the lowest price.

Price is important but it isn’t everything. Find out what you’re getting, what’s covered and what isn’t before you switch your policy.

– Get your quote in writing and confirm the accuracy of each vehicle and driver you are insuring.

– Make sure your deductibles and coverage limits match your current policy.

– Ask about special features, such as Emergency Roadside Assistance.

– Find out if there are additional membership or broker fees.

– Are repairs guaranteed for as long as you own your car?

– What kind of payment options are available?

So you want to know what are the cheapest cities to live, 2010? There is no clear cut answer to that as there are too many factors depending on your needs, how much money you will be earning (money is relative) and exchange rates and such things.

You may also be interested in our article Cheapest Country 2010.

Things are quite strange right now. At the time of writing Greece has just had a huge crash and the Euro is at it’s lowest against the Dollar ever (if I have my facts right?). This in theory makes USA as a whole more expensive or Europe cheaper, depending on how you look at it?

South America is still relatively cheap compared to USA but many worry about safety and you also have growing economies and cheap costs of living across continents such as India and Africa. Depending on your needs there are many cities across the globe that may well meet your budget and required conditions.

Cheapest cities in USA, 2010

Let’s start with USA. Much of USA is going through problems right now due to climbing out of recession. The stock market is threatening to fully recover but keeps having blips (partly due to Europe’s troubles) and some industries such as the automobile industry are crumbling in a lot of ways. So looking at cities you ought to judge how well the job market is for your profession. If you are retired or have an telemarketing / online income then great, the world is your Oyster and you are literally looking for the lowest costs vs things to do and safety.

Consider Cities in Texas – I have never been to Texas but from much of what I have found out and been told it is one of the best States to get a good bang for your buck vs available amenities and relative safety. The weather is a handful at times but the job market is ok compared to some states and the large cities like Houston are great places to settle. For more information on Texas, see my article Cheapest Places to Live: Texas.

Other US States / Cities – Obviously the bright lights of New York are not a good place to start. If you get a big money job only available to you in NY, NY then theoretically it could be the cheapest city for you but this is unlikely for most of us. New York State does have some cheaper cities such as Buffalo but I don’t rate the city much and places like Plattsburgh, NY are dreadful depressing places. Personally I think it’s better to stick to the mid and Southern states but hunt around the mid sized city that still retain a degree of community and maybe even a college. College towns tend to offer a lot of cheap activities, cheap housing is in abundance and they are normally fairly safe…. Again many Texan cities fit this bill but you can find more info in my articles Cheapest State to Live in and Cheapest Places To Live In America.

What about Europe?

Europe is such a vast space but much of it shares the Euro (Greece may drop it) and it’s not too far off being equal to the Dollar right now making many places affordable for anyone who can telecommute or works online. You may have Visa things to sort out (can’t help too much here!) but you may even be able to land a local job as many countries in Europe have large English Speaking Industries and Multi-National companies.

Berlin – I have personally been looking at Berlin as a possible place to live. It’s a city full of arts and culture but many people cite it as one of the most affordable cities of this caliber in the whole of Europe. Reports say you can live on around $1000 per month (per person) but have a fairly full life.

Let’s talk about Egypt, as I am here….

I live in Cairo and it’s a big dusty, polluted city with everything to offer. Very cheap living is possible here and there are quite a few jobs in International companies available but…. If I was completely free here in Egypt maybe I would not live in Cairo (My partner is attending University in Cairo).

Alexandria – A few hours North of Cairo by train lies Alexandria. It’s at the tip of the Nile Delta on the Mediterranean and is a favorite Tourist destination for Cairennes. The pollution is far less and I am told some very nice and affordable apartments are to be had. Top class sea food restaurants, amazing historical sites and modern wonders like the Great Library make this a pleasant place to be. There are also plenty of bars, restaurants of all sorts and things to do. Egypt isn’t for everyone but it is darn affordable!

The rest of Africa, India and beyond

You can find affordable cities in every region of the world. I hear Auckland in New Zealand is pretty reasonable ($1000 per month should see you good) and obviously many places in India, China and African countries give Western amenities, plenty of history and culture to be marveled at on a budget!

Help us improve the info here…..

There is no better advice than first hand advice so please please contribute to this articles discussion either by commenting below or visiting our forum and giving your 2 cents…. “Cheapest Cities to Live, 2010”

Thanks for reading!