Luckily, the 33-year-old Nashville, Tenn., native has had practice at living well on less. He and Childs met while he was in the Peace Corps from 2004 to 2006 in Guinea. "I would say we are both living quite frugally," he said. "Our Peace Corps experience helps us with that. We end up doing a lot of make-your-own fun." That includes hitting free outdoor music festivals, taking a picnic to the drive-in theater and biking to Gates Pass to watch the sunset. "We still go out and have fun, but our dates are cheaper dates," Fleisher said. "We certainly do less than we otherwise might have done. We've cut back — we do more eating at home, we have drinks with friends, but we're more likely to have people over." Fleisher said that his parents taught him to manage money well, and it's a skill that has become more useful. "Living in Africa taught me the value of both money and of the basic things in life," he said. "I lived in a mud hut with a grass roof with no electricity and no running water.
Guinea RPCV Jesse Fleisher has had practice at living well on less
There's lots to do in Tucson that won't empty your pockets
By Valerie Vinyard
vvinyard@azstarnet.com
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.14.2009
Photo: 089/365 Money...What Money by stuartpilbrow Flickr Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
Just because we're spending less these days doesn't mean there's less desire to, well, have a life.
Some folks are making the most out of ferreting out free or nearly free things to do.
We're not talking cheapskates, but people focused on thoughtful spending and living well on less.
Think of it as the difference between living off the dollar menu to save a few bucks and inviting friends over for salsa tastings.
The people we've talked to say that Tucson has so much to offer — from art openings, live music, sports, drinks, food and music lessons — it almost seems silly to pay.
Call it c'est la free.
[Excerpt]
Jesse Fleisher moved to Tucson from Vermont about two months ago to be with his girlfriend, Athena Childs.
He'd love to work for a nature organization or the parks service. But for now, he and Childs are living off savings and from her grad school stipend while he looks for a job.
"It's frustrating at the moment," said Fleisher, who holds a master's in natural resources management from the University of Vermont in Burlington. "It seems like a lot of people are in a holding pattern in terms of hiring, plus there's a larger pool of people looking for jobs."
Luckily, the 33-year-old Nashville, Tenn., native has had practice at living well on less. He and Childs met while he was in the Peace Corps from 2004 to 2006 in Guinea.
"I would say we are both living quite frugally," he said. "Our Peace Corps experience helps us with that. We end up doing a lot of make-your-own fun."
That includes hitting free outdoor music festivals, taking a picnic to the drive-in theater and biking to Gates Pass to watch the sunset.
"We still go out and have fun, but our dates are cheaper dates," Fleisher said. "We certainly do less than we otherwise might have done. We've cut back — we do more eating at home, we have drinks with friends, but we're more likely to have people over."
Fleisher said that his parents taught him to manage money well, and it's a skill that has become more useful.
"Living in Africa taught me the value of both money and of the basic things in life," he said. "I lived in a mud hut with a grass roof with no electricity and no running water.
"Even living frugally in the United States, I feel very wealthy."
