If You Had To Live on $2000 USD Per Month, How Would You Do It?

While living on $2,000 per month seems infeasible, particularly in a large metropolitan area, this one is something I'm already trying to implement. To be fair, I haven't gone so far as to cancel my Hulu, Netflix, or Amazon subscriptions, but I've tried to significantly reduce the time I spend on each platform. This has freed up time for me to read new books, learn new skills, get outside, and do other things more beneficial to my overall health than binge watching shows. Let me be the first to get off my high horse and say that I still regularly binge-watch. (Yes, I did spend 2 hours glued to the TV watching the Stranger Things finale)

In the meantime, use public transportation or get a bike. Full disclosure, your chances of public humiliation will increase significantly if you choose the latter. I had a bike in college and have yet to hear the end of it. (Maybe they're upset because they never learned to ride a bike)

Planning meals prior to going to the grocery store will reduce the likelihood of buying excess food/snacks that typically go to waste in your fridge/pantry. This doesn't have to mean skipping Saturday brunch with friends! Eat before and take advantage of any free apps/leftovers

Similar to #1 , this will end up having positive long-term effects on your life. I haven't actually done the math, but I have to assume that on a typical weekend, at least 50% of my money spent is on drinks alone (hopefully this is a generalization and not a sign I need rehab - that certainly won't fit the $2,000 budget!). If you don't feel like getting off the wagon just yet, this is a great chance to work on your sweet talking skills to get others to buy you drinks (maybe this would be a good follow-up list?).

If you're feeling super frisky, in addition to #4 above, you can also cut out caffeine! Personally, I'm not ready to let go of caffeine yet, so I've been using the free coffee/tea in my office. I rarely buy coffee/tea anymore.

This is highly dependent upon your individual lifestyle, but a few examples of monthly expenses I could cut out are getting my nails done, Starbucks, getting my hair done (if you color your hair like I do, this part could be tricky), etc.

I personally use an online workout app for at-home workouts. It's much cheaper than an Equinox membership. However, I understand that 1) finding motivation to work out right next to your inviting bed can be difficult, and 2) it's hard to recreate the experience of a group workout while you're home alone. In that case, use Class Pass!

Sharing clothes among friends is a free way to change up your wardrobe without spending money on new clothes. You can also declutter and sell clothes you no longer wear on Poshmark or ThreadUp, but unless you want to completely empty your closet, this can't be done monthly.

Amazon allows you to buy many products using a subscription which allows for a small discount. Sometimes it's only 5%, but hey, cut what you can. Examples include toilet paper, toothpaste, skincare items, etc.