Welcome back Broke-Asses!  Hang onto your hookahs, this week’s column will seem TL;DR, but these 1,500 words are critically important to your future well being (and, ability to afford a private nurse to change your poopy Depends™ far in the future).  That’s right!  We’re segueing from talking about faking boyfriends

  Even though we all claim to be broke-asses, most of us keep the small amount of money we do have in the bank (unless you are my friend Gabe who doesn’t believe in banks).  But, as most of us have realized by now, banks are pretty sneaky. They say

As 2024 winds down, we’re reflecting on another incredible year of sharing the stories, art, culture, and nightlife that make the Bay Area so unique. BrokeAssStuart.com wouldn’t be what it is without you—our community of readers, supporters, and believers in independent media. This year, instead of asking you to join Patreon

Grocery Outlet is like the Robin Hood of supermarkets; it steals what the rich aren’t using and gives it back to the less fortunate at outrageously low prices (and it looks fabulous in tights).  What could possibly epitomize the lifestyle of a broke-ass better than shopping at Gross-Out?  With generic

As someone whose main livelihood revolves around holidays, and not in the, “what’s my tablescape going to be this year?”-kind of way,  I’ve learned a lot about the shopping habits of my fellow Americans. Our culture embraces a lot of corporate-created holidays for the sake of selling shit, but that

“Coach Sizzle, I haven’t done my taxes, do you have any suggestions for last minute tax prep?” – SC

Woohoo tax time! For those of you who get money back.. I’m sure you are super stoked! Get it done! If you owe money, get it done, rip off the band aid. I know it is painful especially if you have not saved for your taxes.

Sometimes this can feel stressful when you don’t feel like you have the funds to buy gifts, or the friend expecting the baby has registered for many expensive baby things. Also, you may feel resistant to buying something from a large store that feels impersonal. After hearing from friends that they received 5 times as much stuff as they needed for the first 6 months of their child’s life, it is motivating to think of other things that would be helpful and meaningful.

You may need to dramatically decrease your living expenses if you are facing job loss, unexpected expenses, or overwhelming debt, etc. On the other hand you may be in a situation where you feel like you would like to significantly ramp up your savings capacity in the short term, through lowering your living expenses. If you find yourself in any of these situations, here is what I recommend you consider: