How to Live in Seattle on $15 a Day

Living in Seattle, Washington can be fun and excited. However, no money equals no fun, for most people. The best way to save money is by not going out, but what fun is that? Seattle tends to be dark and gray for half of the year and it's quite therapeutic to spend copious amounts of time outside of the house. Going out usually means spending a lot of money, but a savvy person can spend all day out of the house without spending that much money. Here's how to live off of $15 a day in Seattle without starving.

Remember that sacrifices have to be made when you are on a budget. The most expensive expense is transportation and food and once you can master these expenses, then you are will on your way to living frugally. Of course, the quantity of food that you eat will need to be limited and the quality of food will have to be downgraded as well.

Transportation

The public transportation system in Seattle is above average and most areas have buses that go to the Seattle downtown. $1.75 will take you to most place during the express hours and $1.50 during non-express hours. Express hours vary and you will have to go to the Seattle Metro to figure out your bus route. The Seattle Metro website has a bus planner that will allow you to plan out your bus schedule so that you can seamlessly get around the Seattle metro area. Remember to grab your transfer ticket because they last up to 2 hrs and you will be able to hop onto another bus for free as long as you have this ticket. Remember to bring exact change as the bus drivers do not give out change. The reason why taking the bus is cost effective is not because of the amount of gas that it takes to drive somewhere, but because of the price of parking in the Seattle downtown. Parking in a garage can cost up to $30 per day and street parking can cost $2.50 an hour.

Food

Vietnamese food is extremely cheap and delicious. Viet Hoa is a Vietnamese grocery store that contains a deli that serves sandwiches. Vietnamese sandwiches are loaded with meat, vegetables and served on a hot baguette. These sandwiches are delicious, and very inexpensive. Two large sandwiches will cost you $3.50 and should satiate your appetite for the whole day. Also, Pho restaurants such as Than Brothers serve a large bowl of Pho for under $6.

Where to Hang Out

The best place to loiter is a coffee shop in the Capitol Hill area. A cup of coffee ($2) will allow you to hang out in their coffee shop all day. The owners do not fuss as they are used to people hanging out in their stores all day.

Source(s)

Seattle Metro Editor. "Metro's Online Trip Planner." tripplanner.kingcounty.gov