Tips for Living on an AmeriCorps Budget

Last week after professional development, I joined some fellow Literacy AmeriCorps members for dinner and drinks. We got on the subject of the AmeriCorps stipend and began trading money-saving tips and stories of frugality. Now in the throws of my third year as an AmeriCorps member, I have plenty of experience living on a strict budget, and I believe that I may have some wisdom to share. So, I give you some of my best tips for stretching your AmeriCorps stipend.

• Check out Craigslist, garage sales, or thrift stores for free or low priced furniture and other household goods. Sure, the couch I ended up with was a little fuzzy and stained, but it was free and it's previous owner even dropped it off at my apartment. After some heavy vacuuming and a slip cover, it is now the perfect spot to nap after teaching English all day.
• Go (almost) anywhere with free food. Whole Foods and Central Market have tons of samples on the weekends that make the perfect morning snack. When else will I get to eat incredibly expensive cheese anyways?
• Trade and barter. I have a few friends whose only vehicles are bikes, so when we need to go somewhere relatively far away, I drive. They're living on a fixed income, too, so instead of asking for gas money, I just tell them to invite me over for dinner sometime. My Zumba instructor also offered to give me some free classes if I help her set up and take down her equipment.
• Get your haircut by a friend or at a cosmetology school. Worst case, you leave with an incredibly sore neck after tilting your head for 2 hours, as the student stylist tried to make sure that every strand of hair was exactly the same length. Best case, you get an awesome, professional looking haircut for $4. 
• Keep your eyes and ears open for deals. Sure, you might have to sacrifice some convenience, but saving a few dollars here and there really adds up! When I flew back to Chicago for Christmas I got a voucher for giving up my seat (hello free flight home for a friend's wedding). Today I got a 2 for 1 deal for tickets to a comedy show at Esther's Follies, and I saved a few cents on my coffee by using my Go Local Austin card.