Frugal Fiona

OK - so I live in a “hood,”or a pseudo-hood anyway.

My friends think I am a bit nuts. After all, I can afford to up my standard of living and live in a nicer neighborhood, but instead I’ve chosen to stay in my semi-ghetto.

And right about now I love it. OK, I should say “like it.”

Why?

First and foremost, my rent is cheap. Really cheap, for my city anyway. I pay $680 for an apartment in Los Angeles. Certainly this amount of money might seem like a lot in other cities (say, Pittsburgh or Detroit for example) but in Los Angeles this is dirt cheap.

And with the economy in shambles, I am quite happy to stay in my ‘lil ghetto apartment for now.

My cheap rent gives me a sense of security. Sure the neighborhood isn’t the greatest, and my apartment building looks like a beaten-up motel, but there’s something very comforting about the fact that my rent is so cheap. I feel a great sense of security knowing that I am clearly living within my means.

The other things I like about my neighborhood are:

- a sense of community. I know my neighbors and feel a sense of community. Love this!

- the fact that my neighborhood has character. Yes, sometimes I don’t like the shady stuff that goes down in my neighborhood (like the occasional drug deals on the street a block away from me, or the police helicopters overhead)…but overall the character of the area is a positive thing. For example: my ‘lil hood has a bunch of theater companies and artists. No cookie-cutter stuff here; 100% unique and creative.

- the “moving forward” vibe. My neighborhood is improving, and I enjoy seeing things get better and better. There’s a sense of hope and growth in my area, and this is really cool.

- the diversity. Los Angeles as a whole is incredibly diverse, and the country as a whole is becoming more and more diverse, and my neighborhood really reflects this increasing diversity. I think its quite boring and fake to live in a place where everybody is the same, and luckily this is not the case with my neighborhood.

I’m sure I’ll think of more reasons why I like my little ‘hood, but the basic point of all of this is:

Living within my means, or even below my means, gives me a sense of financial security in a time when financial security is difficult to come by.

Anybody else in a similar situation? What do you think of the choice to live below my means?