U.S.News & World Report Tumblelog

If you’re still looking for the perfect summer getaway, here are eight strategies to consider.

Jon Hamm, the actor who plays a 1960s-era advertising executive on AMC’s Mad Men, got a lesson in 21st century marketing when he called Kim Kardashian an idiot last week. Hamm, who’s in the midst of promoting Mad Men’s fifth season, told a British magazine, “Whether it’s Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian or whoever, stupidity is certainly celebrated…. Being a [f—-ing] idiot is a valuable commodity in this culture because you’re rewarded significantly.”

Kardashian, who has more than 14 million followers on her Twitter account, quickly Tweeted, “Calling someone who runs their own businesses, is a part of a successful TV show, produces, writes, designs, and creates, ‘stupid,’ is in my opinion careless.”

Frenzied buying almost never leads to smart shopping. One-day sales, midnight madness, and other sales techniques that spur quick decision-making tend to be disorienting and lead to over spending, says Kit Yarrow, consumer psychologist and author of coauthor of Gen BuY: How Tweens, Teens, and Twenty-Somethings Are Revolutionizing Retail. “They’re training [consumers] to purchase even though they may not be ready,” she says. “If people are buying for fear or anxiety that it won’t be available, then they’re less likely to make good purchasing decisions.”

Glenn Morrissette, 42, wrote in to say that he lives on just $11,000 a year, and he does it by living full-time in an RV. As a result, he pays no rent, needs no car, and can live wherever he wants. Unlike Joseph Fonseca, the writer we profiled in our “Living Well on $20,000 a Year” article, Morrissette has health insurance. A professional musician, he can work by computer from any location. He might not have a family support, as the teacher living on $40,000 a year does, but we thought Morrissette’s story was interesting enough to share. We spoke with Morrissette, who is currently in New Jersey, about his lifestyle, which he also describes on his blog, To Simplify.

Last week, we ran a story on living well on $40,000 a year, featuring a special education teacher who supports his family of four on that relatively modest salary. Fifty people commented on the article, many of whom argued that living on $40,000 a year was hardly an impressive feat.

“I could live like a king on $40,000 a year. Try living on $22,000 a year and see how that goes for you. And I have a family of three,” said Joyce of Maine.

Connie from Texas expressed a similar sentiment: “I would feel really rich if I made that kind of money… Why don’t you have an article on how to live on $17,000 or $20,000 a year?”

To do just that, we tracked down Joseph Fonseca, a writer currently living in Seattle who supports himself on $20,000 a year. Fonseca, 28, authored a first-person piece in the Washington Post over the weekend describing his “10 cities, 10 years” project, in which he moves every year and starts over in a new town. An aspiring novelist, he plans to eventually write a book about his quest. We spoke with him by phone to get more details about just how he makes ends meet.

“I think the biggest thing I have learned is if broke people are making fun of you and laughing at your ways, then you are doing something right. It was difficult to get mocked when Tracy was working and we chose to live off one salary while others were spending like there was no tomorrow. Many people told me to get off my wallet and spend money.

“Pride is sometimes a hard thing to swallow, but I knew that many of these people were not making smart financial decisions and these decisions would eventually come back and hurt them. I don’t know if it is unusual advice but, when making financial decisions, you have to do what is right for you and not be influenced by the many temptations that surround us.”

That’s why the National Endowment for Financial Education suggests putting together all of your important documents, along with cash and credit cards, so you can easily grab them and go if you need to quickly leave your home. Banks and ATMs can shut down during emergencies, so it’s a good idea to have cash on hand in advance. The nonprofit also recommends keeping your insurance company’s contact information handy in case you need to call them on the go and get information about reimbursements and coverage.

Now is also a good time to check up on just what your homeowners insurance or rental insurance covers. According to the MetLife Auto & Home Insurance Literacy Survey, many homeowners don’t know just what their policy covers and sometimes end up paying for repairs that would have been covered by their policies.

Apply game theory: Presh Talwalkar, the blogger behind the game theory site Mind Your Decisions, suggests limiting the menu to a few reasonably priced items, collecting money in advance, and letting everyone know about these plans ahead of time. This strategy takes some a little work, but it’s a great way to make the group dining experience more enjoyable (and equitable). If you have a large enough group, the restaurant might even be willing to work with you to design a special prix fixe menu for your gathering.

Give to vetted organizations. The organization Charity Navigator has posted a list of charities, including Action Against Hunger and Doctors Without Borders, that are currently contributing to relief efforts. Charity Navigator, which rates charities for donors, recommends giving to groups with proven track records instead of start-ups and to donate directly through organizations’ websites. If you get solicited by a telemarketer, the organization suggests hanging up, because it’s impossible to verify the identity of the caller.