I've pretty much been poor for my entire adult life. I observe that being poor is a major source of stress for many people, whereas I'm fairly satisfied with my life, so I thought I'd share some tips.
I'd love to hear the tips of others.
1. Do what you love.
This is the foundation of my general sense of satisfaction. Many if not most of us are dissuaded from pursuing our passions due to the materialistic leanings of our culture. We learn to overvalue careers that bring high remuneration and undervalue careers that bring happiness. Get to know yourself and what makes you happy. That's what you should be doing, with as much of your day as you can reasonably get away with.
2. Be flexible.
Be on the lookout for any opportunity to a) make a bit of extra money to help make ends meet, and b) reduce your cost of living. This might mean a part time job waiting tables, or it might mean starting a vegetable garden on your balcony. If you're going to be poor (hopefully because you're doing what you love), the cost of housing will be the biggest problem in your life. Learn to be comfortable with a wide variety of living arrangements. Room-mates, small apartments, sleeping in the back of a van, etc.
3. Learn to let go.
Let go of the hope that things are going to get better and better. They're not. Every generation has had it a little worse than the last ever since the unholy trinity of Reagan-Thatcher-Mulroney forever redistributed the bulk of our society's shared wealth to flow ever upwards. Your parents university education meant more than yours, their jobs were more secure than yours, their pensions will sustain them while yours will not, etc. We are at a turning point in human history due to climate change, peak oil, over-population and our resulting global credit over-extension. So, from now on, things will get ever-so-slightly worse every year, for just about everyone. Learn to be delighted that it's only
slightly worse, rather than SUBSTANTIALLY worse (For example, civil war or famine).
That's all I've got for the moment, but I'd like to hear your ideas. Even a few of you who are no longer poor were poor at one point, and it would be interesting to hear where you found your little delights at the time.