5 Euro Life

 


Several organizations have calculated the poverty threshold. Poverty, of course, is a highly subjective concept. In these cases, they mainly calculated how much money a person needs to avoid starvation.

Let's look at some numbers:

  • Oxfam, extreme poverty threshold: $2.15
  • World Bank, moderate poverty threshold: $6.85

I’ll just leave these numbers here for now, but we’ll revisit them in a later post.

I have been living on a budget of 5 euros per day for about a year now, which I consider a mid-term period. Aside from food, the only thing I spend money on is an internet subscription, though there were times when I even saved on that. The truth is, I have never lived healthier than during this period. An important side note: my carbon footprint has also been reduced to a fraction of what it used to be—practically, the only emissions from my existence come from my metabolic processes.

How Do I Live?

Very modestly. I am not complaining—I chose this lifestyle, and I enjoy it.

I live in a camper van, so I have no rent or mortgage to pay. Solar panels generate the electricity I need, which is enough to charge my phone, laptop, electric scooter, vacuum cleaner, and blender. I don’t own any other electrical devices. I cook using a gas cylinder, which costs about 16 euros and only needs to be replaced twice a year at most. I collect water from public taps in plastic canisters that have been reused hundreds of times.

Some people think this is not a real life, while others romanticize it and dream of something similar but don’t dare to take the leap.

What Do You Think?

Am I just a washed-up homeless nobody, or am I the luckiest person in the world?

Since most of my expenses go toward food, here’s what I usually eat.

My Daily Meals

On this budget, eating meat is not an option, so I have become vegetarian. I used to eat a lot of meat, and I won’t lie—sometimes I crave a juicy burger—but I manage just fine without it.

I eat three times a day:

  1. Breakfast: Oatmeal mixed with water and milk, with a little honey.
  2. Lunch: Homemade flatbreads made from whole wheat flour and yeast. This is a time-consuming process, but I have plenty of time—now I do. With the flatbreads, I eat three eggs, 125g of yogurt, and a small portion of fresh vegetables.
  3. Dinner: A one-pot meal based on lentils or chickpeas. I usually buy a 1kg frozen vegetable mix (containing 5-6 different vegetables), divide it into three portions, and eat it after cooking. I often add potatoes, pasta, or a little rice to the dish and drizzle some cold-pressed olive oil on top.

Between meals, I eat 2-3 fruits, usually apples, but sometimes oranges, mandarins, pears, plums, or bananas. I also snack on a handful of walnuts or other nuts every day.

That’s What Fits into 5 Euros

I would love to eat fresh salad or fish, but that doesn’t fit within my budget. My diet provides about 2,200–2,500 calories and 100g of protein, which is just enough to maintain my weight alongside regular exercise.

What Do You Think of This Menu?

Is it a meaningful way to live, or is it just survival?

Would you try this lifestyle? If so, what would be the hardest part for you?

Do you think it’s possible to live like this long-term in a modern society?

Have you ever experienced a period in your life where you lived similarly? What did you learn from it?

____________

If you can, please support my work with the price of a coffee. This amount covers my daily living expenses. This is what I live on—€5 a day.

Thank you 🙏

buymeacoffee



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