I started from nothing 2 ½ years ago. Actually, that’s not true, I started out with less than that because I owed money and had past due bills …. thousands. My driver’s license was suspended (due to an error on Florida’s part and I didn’t have the money to hire a lawyer to fight it), I had a dead end job with a dead end company and was in a dead end relationship.
– Classic me –

I started all of this by starting to save then creating a savings plan, a life plan, and then I sold off most of what I owned.
Then I took that money and paid off everything I owed, minus about $1,000. That left me with a net worth of +$3200 in my pocket.
So at that point I didn’t own anything, but I also didn’t owe anything. Not a bad deal. That’s around May of 2016.
 
Then … well then …. Then my girlfriend fell off the wagon after a personal tragedy and had quite the heroin problem. It had been going on for at least a year. I had an idea but no proof and by the time I did have the proof, I was broke. I had made poor decisions concerning her, my ultimatums were not working, was being stolen from and lied to daily and I was stupid. I had no experience with heroin or heroin people, so by the time enough-was-enough and I kicked her out, I was in fact dead broke and almost jobless due to my poor performance due to the ongoing saga. That’s January 2017.
 
So I borrowed some money, paid rent, changed employers, got back on my feet, started to save again like a madman until they had layoffs for Christmas 2018. Ho Ho Nooo.

“YOU FIND OUT THAT LIFE IS JUST A GAME OF INCHES. .. BECAUSE IN … LIFE … THE MARGIN FOR ERROR IS SO SMALL. I MEAN ONE HALF STEP TOO LATE OR TO EARLY YOU DON’T QUITE MAKE IT. ONE HALF SECOND TOO SLOW OR TOO FAST AND YOU DON’T QUITE …”

There is a movie Any Given Sunday (nsfw) where Al Pacino is giving a halftime pep talk to the team and he’s talking about Football and Life being a game of inches. It’s true. Inches, pennies, it’s all the same. This part of the movie has stuck with me, and as I’ve gotten older resembles my life even more.

This is a game of inches, a game of pennies, a game of life, where the world around you will try to keep you from those inches, and take those pennies from you in order to keep them for themselves. It’s up to you.
 
Truth.
 
 

So lets get to it shall we?

How I

Identify Expenses
Control Expenses
Open separate savings account for The Boat
Buy things Three Ways
Using your employment for some things other than money
Sizing down
Sell what you can NOW while it’s worth more
Barter / Trade

Identify Expenses

Track your money from birth to death. Every penny for one month

Spend just as you normally would, just record it down

Make a list of everything that you use that costs you money. Mortgage/Rent all the way down to the q-tip

Don’t lie to yourself on this, otherwise it’s completely useless

This, other than the desire, is first and foremost the most important thing. You HAVE to know where your money is going. Sure you can sit there and go, “rent, food, car”, but that’s not enough. This IS a game of inches, a game of pennies. So keep some paper and a pen with you at all times for one month, and write-it-down. If you aren’t surprised at the end of that month, then I guess you can just stop reading this. Fudging it will make the data worthless and if you aren’t in this to win this, then why bother at all. No really, why the fuck bother at all?

Control Expenses

Create a budget from what you learned in the 1st step

Pay all of your bills on time

Cut back on everything

Avoid Recurring Bills

Buy Generics

Buy in Bulk

Cook at Home

Car

Goodwill

Vices

Suffer

Create a budget from what you learned the month you recorded your expenses, make sure you can actually stick to it, otherwise don’t be afraid to adjust it.

Pay all of your bills on time
No damn late fees. $5/ month is $60 a year, which would pay this month’s electric bill. Don’t give companies free money, you need it.

Cut back on everything
Self denial is at the heart of this one. I know, I know. It’s not in our nature, but neither is living on water.
 
It means not shit shopping, no restaurants, no dinners, no shows. It also means having a colder house in winter, a warmer house in summer, turning off and unplugging electronic items not in use, turning off lights and turning off the cable box and not just the TV.
 
Does your hot-water heater need to be running 24/7/365? How many freaking showers are you taking? If you turn the hot-water heater off at the fuse/switch box, it will only take about 30 minutes to warm up enough for a bath or quick shower.
 
Is your Fridge turned down to -100F? Does it need to be?
Denim jeans taken out of the washer and hung over night will only take a fraction if the time to dry fully in the dryer, with all the dryer benefits (soft and not crispy, fits better/shrunk a little, etc).
 
In Fatty Goodlander’s Book Buy, Outfit, Sail: How To Inexpensively and Safely Buy, Outfit, and Sail a Small Vessel Around the World He says to keep a small token or charm in your pocket at all times. Something that will remind you of what you are doing, and do ward off the evil spirit(s) of Distraction & Expenses. I carried a little tiny anchor with me for a long time.

I’ve been out to ‘the bar’ 5 times in 2 ½ years, and I miss my friends and getting loose. BUT
I’m trading my happiness now, in the gamble that it will pay off in the end with way more fun for a longer period than what I had to put myself through to get there. It’s my happiness and no one else is going to take care of it or mend it for me. So …

“LIFE’S A GAMBLE, BE LUCKY” – Jimmy Carr

Avoid and Get Rid of Recurring Bills, check the ones you already have.
Everyone has their hands out wanting money from you each month.
Don’t fall for it.
Hulu? Netflix? Spotify? Di.fm? YouTube Red? Cable TV?, some other stuff?
Cancel all that crap.
You aren’t going to have that stuff onboard anyhow, so might as well start getting used to it now.

Check your plans. I had the same cell phone service for years. One day I walked into the store and asked the guy what was what and if I was on a good plan and what they had available. For $6 more, my plan went from 2gig of 4G data to unlimited. This worked out perfectly for my employment since I would need to travel and tether my laptop. Now that I have been laid off I went back in to see about reducing my plan. In the end I would have gone from unlimited 4G data to 4gigs and after taxes would only be saving $12/month.

The services you do keep, don’t be afraid to call the service provider and ask for a discount or what specials they are running.
I got tired of playing the billing game with Comcast. I had services added I didn’t request, bundled specials for 6 months, the works. Finally I had had enough. All I want is 5mb+ internet service, that’s it. So I called customer service, asked for customer retention, and stated my case plainly. What I got out of it was a flat plan 25mb 1TB data cap, on a one year contract, that includes the cable modem, for $51 all inclusive. I rent the modem because I live in an old building and if you rent it they have to troubleshoot to the modem, not just the buildings box. So that’s $9.99 a month insurance for service and gear as I see it.
This saved me at the minimum $30 a month.

Buy Generics
Unless you have a compelling reason not to, buy the generic of an item. You on average get 50% more than name brands for the same price. Cereal, medicines, canned items, sodas & juices, bottled water.
I buy name brand catfood, Rum, and toothpaste and when I drink a cola, I prefer Coke A Cola way more than generic cola. Other than that store brand pop is just fine. If it tastes a little ‘off’, a squirt of some citrus into it and all is fine.

I will admit at 1st I felt funny about it, like the people around me would look into my cart and think less of me. The truth is, who cares? They have normal everyday pedestrian lives and if the brand of bread & jam I use makes them think less of me, good for me.
I’m going to Sea anyways, where people who care what other people buy can’t survive.

Buying in Bulk / Buy what’s on sale
When buying food, drink, pet Items, soaps, dry goods, coffee, toiletries, etc, I try to buy from a bulk foods store.
If you are going to smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, don’t be chump and by them by the pack. Same goes for everything you use (possibly) a lot of. But if you are smoking, you should quit. Just sayin’.
If you always need some of ‘something’ in your life, then going to the corner grocer is killing your bottom line.

Cook at Home
If you are not cooking your own meals, you need to start immediately.
On average, for an average family restaurant, whatever you order could be had at home for ½ the price. Let that sink in. HALF the price. Fast food rubbish doesn’t count as food.
It’s healthier, cheaper, and more fun. You’re going to have to do this on the boat, so you might as well get to it now.

Eating a banana before each meal. I’ve been doing this steadily for the last 10 months. Two bananas (around $0.20 each) and a glass of milk fills me until lunch time. Total cost, under a $1.

Eating on $4 a day is a FREE e-book / book by Leanne Brown https://cookbooks.leannebrown.com/good-and-cheap.pdf.
She wrote this in response to the average budget of an US citizen receiving food assistance (Food Stamps or SNAP) has A DAY to eat off of. $4. It works well for us too.

Drink Water. Just stop with all the other crap.

Make and take your own lunch to work with you, stop buying it. That’s at least $5 a pop saved. Drinks included. Why pay $2 from the machine when it would have cost you $1 had you put forth some effort? If it was generic soda that would have been around $0.25.

Car / No Car
I live in Seattle and public transportation is almost everyplace and works well.
On average to park in the city is $180/month for your apartment, and at my employer’s in 2016 it was $240/month. Then figure in petrol, parking fines, preventative maintenance, all of that adds up.
Not to mention the traffic. Holy moley, the traffic is wretched.

Now the down side to that is that it takes me on average twice as long to get someplace as it would have to driven to it. Then there are also the few places I can’t get to on PT because they don’t service it, such as one of the marines I frequent, and the place next to it that the Coho Ho Ho holds their presentations & courses. So that means a 30 minute walk, one way, in the rain & cold at the end of the line. That’s after taking PT home from work too.

So like everything else in life and the universe there is a balance.
I don’t pay for parking, look for parking, think about parking. I don’t pay motor insurance, upkeep, or ever ever worry about a ding-a-ling slamming into me. Zero gas pumps and I never get pulled over to boot.

But I stand waiting in the rain, miss connections and wait and wait. It takes me a good deal longer to accomplish the same amount of things outside of the house in a day as it would if I had the shittiest of cars.

So I try to use that time I don’t have to pay attention to my advantage. Boat searching, article reading, LEARNING. I can shit surf all morning long on the way into work, but once I am at work, and once I leave work, I don’t shit surf. I always try to do something that will contribute (even if it’s only the tiniest of ways) to the cause.

In the end, I save better than $1000 a year, and that’s an extremely conservative number.

Goodwill / Salvation Army / Local Second Hand / Craigslist Free
If it isn’t food or lube, then you’re shopping here from now on. Most of my clothes come from these places, all of my towels, my bedding, hell my bed, all. In fact most of the stuff I got for free, or for pennies on the dollar. There is no good reason to spend anything near retail on most of your life, and especially your sailing life.

Vices
Let’s face it, this is everyone’s favorite subject. Buttttttt.
Let’s also face it, the booze, the smokes, the weed, all aren’t doing you that much good.
If you can’t face these now, face yourself now, how do you expect to be able to face yourself when you’re 30 days out to sea on a crossing and you only have yourself for company?

Man the fuck up and whatever it is and cut these costs. I moved to vaping after smoking cigarettes for 3 decades. Two days of cigarettes (2 packs) = 2+ weeks of vaping. You cough less, smell better, and … duh…. Save some ‘extra’ money. I’ve been mixing mine down in nicotine levels slowly to become vape free as well. I’m at 1.5mg now.
As far as being an alcoholic, a junky, or a fiend, you’re going to have to control that shit. It’s just that simple.

Suffer
If you are doing all the above correctly, you should be suffering a little bit. Just remember when you get down, you can stop doing any and/or all of this any time you want.
But it gets to be like exercising, you know your muscles hurt because good was done to them.
Same idea here.

Open separate savings account for The Boat.

This is the most important thing I did other than show up to work.
I would have my cheque direct deposited in my regular account, then I would withdraw the cash from an ATM, and walk it the 2.5 blocks over to the other bank and deposit it in the savings account. That way;
1) The money is ‘real’ to me. I’ve touched, I’ve seen it, it’s actually mine.
2) The ATM card only works at ATMs, it does not have Visa or Mastercard capabilities at all. This account is also not linked in any way to my other account(s). I had to specifically request this kind of card/account.
3) The savings account is at a credit union and I am earning (a tiny amount) of interest but most importantly I am not paying ANY fees.

Buy things Three Ways

For Life (it’s or your’s)

Food

Temporary

Buying for Life
If I am spending my hard earned freedom chips (money) on gear, I don’t want to have to re-spend that money – ever. Sometimes that’s not easy or possible depending on what it is you are shopping for and where and you have to make due. Otherwise I expect to die with it, or use it until it is obsolete. Usually the difference between a noname ‘vice grip’ and Vice Grips, at least in the pawn shops, is usually less than 15-20% more. Yeah, that’s a butt load, but is it? Wallstore brand Chinesium tools will die a quick death aboard. But that extra couple of bucks you spent on that Craftsmen, or Snap-On tool already paid for itself. Lifetime Guarantee. As long as you don’t let it rust out or go overboard, at least while you’re in the states, you’re covered.
A good rule of thumb is, if it’s a part, piece, or tool that HAS to last, then buy something name brand. If the company is not willing to put it’s name on the product, then what ARE the willing to do for you? More like to you. So don’t be cheap, be frugal.
Also when I say Buying for Life I mean it’s also going on the boat with me. I’ve never in my life ever owned a large screen TV. I know I can get a used 42” for $150, but it can’t fit on a small sailboat, so it’s not for life, it’s not for me.
Pets & Children also fall within this category. If you’re willing to ditch either to sail, then you are no friend of mine. Ever.

Buying for Food
For the sake of keeping it clean and simple, Food includes food, drink, medication, underwear, socks & shoes, and sex stuff.
I’m sure you would agree any of these items bought used would be ……
Listen, if you can’t figure out why I always buy these items new, then you are too stupid to sail a boat.

Buy for Temporary
Everything that does not fall into the 1st two categories falls into this one. Literally.
My dressers, bed and mattress, couch, coffee table, desks and chairs are ALL getting pitched. I’ll 1st try to sell them for $10 on Craigslist, but if need be, they can all be hauled to the dumpster, smashed into recycling and/or donated to whatever charity may pick them up. Same goes for 98% of my dishes and kitchenware.
There’s just no reason to invest into anything that’s ‘Lubber Life Only’ is there?

Using your employment for things other than working

Always take your breaks, always use them

Drink & Eat at work

Get paid to poop

Mind the rubbish & recycling bins

Always take your breaks, always use them.
I would bring my own lunch and then walk around the area outside while on lunch and read my Kindle. Fatty Goodlander’s books were always my favorite. Then once I was on the clock again, I would eat my lunch at my desk. This was my routine for over a year.

Drink & eat at work, don’t spend your money.
Moonbucks is a ripoff IMHO. If you have a job where you can eat for free, then do it. I waited tables for a long time in my youth and most places offered something. One place was baked potatoes and bread, another place was soup & salad, another small Italian place would cook up a big meal for the staff .
Many offices have some sort of food coming through every once in a while or offer free items. Keep your ears open, don’t be shy, eat.

Mind the rubbish & recycling bins.
If you read my Gear List post, I can’t tell you how much of the technology items were rescued from the donation/trash pile. All the laptops salvaged were required to leave the hard drives behind, but spending $100 for a “new” (to you) laptop is a freaking bargain. Or if you like me had salvaged hard drives from other junkers, then they are free, which they were. Also any other items such as supplies which are partially used and thrown out can be used as well. If you don’t have a notebook already to keep track of your lists, I have to ask why TF not?!?! Get on it!
I also have a nicely made laptop bag that is now the ‘Ship’s Papers’ bag. I keep all my financial, health, voting and ID stuff in there as well.
If you save $5, then you’ve saved $5.
Then there comes to reselling. In the last 6 years I’ve probably made around $2000 just selling things that were tossed at work. Make sure you get permission IN WRITING before you start though. Ebay, Craigslist, OfferUp, LetGo, all are excellent places to sell used stuff. And like I’ve said, $5 is $5.

Get paid to poop.
Seriously, why would you not? This is where the game of inches analogy gets pretty funny. If someone is going to pay you to poop, you would be a fool not to take them up on it. Make sure you take all of your breaks that are afforded to you by law or employment. Use it to read something about *all* of this

Sizing down
This was by far the hardest for me. It has taken me all of 2.75 years to get to where I am today, owning almost nothing. I’m used to the regular way men live life on land in America, rat holing anything we think is useful to take care of our households or lives. This isn’t going to change living on a small sailboat, but the amount you can keep and what you want to keep will VASTLY change.
Remember that most things made for lubber living will disintegrate under marine conditions. My leather jacket that my Mom bought me before she passed will break my heart to get rid of. My concert tickets from being a kid will turn to mush, or worse. And these are just two out of a lifetime of things. If you can’t take it, if it wont keep, and it’s worth money, then try your best to let it go and sell it.

Sell what you can NOW while it’s worth more
Unless you own antiques, baseball cards, coins etc, nothing you own right now will be worth as much a year from now as it is Right Now. Sell it sell it sell it.
If it can’t fit on a small sailboat it has to go anyways, so sell it now, not later. Maximize your efforts to size down and move abroad buy sizing down now.
I’ve sold off everything I can that I don’t use everyday. Such as my media center and my 5.1 speakers. Music is life. But eventually they will have to go as well because the massive subwoofer would need it’s own seat, and I can’t have a 23” glossy screen on a sailboat either.
But as I sit here now 30 or so months after starting all of this, I have no desktop computers, no servers, no NAS, no TV, NOTHING. I’m all laptops or throw away.
If you have outstanding debts, use this money to pay them off. You can’t have too many recurring bills once you ship off and a new goal in your life is to avoid them.

Barter / Trade
Whatever skill(s) you have, someone like you needs it. Find those people.
Facebook has several market places that are extremely active. Craigslist also is a great place.
Most public laundry places and most marinas have a pinboard in it with offers and what not, don’t overlook those.
Craigslist and the local free papers usually have Handyman ads in them. These gentlemen are a wealth of local knowledge and usually be able to point you in ‘some’ direction.
If you are selling off your stuff like you should be doing, why not trade it for something you are going to need aboard?
Now I’m not talking about tools or ground tackle or the like. Since you don’t have a boat yet, and you don’t know what’s going to come with the boat when you do, save this money and effort for later in the journey when you know what you have to work with. Duplication of effort costs time and money.

In Conclusion
There are no shortcuts, but there are corners to be cut.
I and others can tell you how we did it, but we can’t do it for you, and honestly you wouldn’t want us too.
The feeling of accomplishment and the added confidence isn’t something you can buy or borrow.

Granted I do not own a boat yet, but I am actively shopping for one as we speak.
I’m looking for a Bayfield 29small sailboat, because I know a sunset from the cockpit of a 29′ boat is the same one that everyone else gets.
 
Its a strange and wonderful feeling that you aren’t just looking, you are LOOKING Looking. As Fatty Goodlander says, “You can’t be beaten if you don’t quit.”

All you have to do is claw your inches and pennies from the world around you and I PROMISE YOU they do add up.

Life is pretty sweet.

Peace & Love,
– Shrub