captbuzz, will you have some type of health insurance? After I logged off last night I thought of a very dear relative of mine who lives on about $20K/yr. She has a little trailer in the country which is paid off, and she would have a reasonably comfortable life if it weren't for the high cost of health care. This has drained her financially because she didn't have health coverage until she turned 65 and was eligible for Medicaid.

Your health problems will not get better with age, so please be mindful of this issue.

To many variables to answer this question. What is your lifestyle now, are you willing to give-up convenience, what type of climate are you looking for - do you care if it snows for example? - you don't want rural, but what about a small town that's a hour or two away from medical care and/or decent shopping? Do you care what part of the country you're in? Would you consider a foreign country? How much of your monthly income are you budgeting for rent/house payment, utilities, food, insurance (auto, health, etc), transportation costs (car pay't, maintenance, gas)? Sorry if I got to analytical (is that the right word?), but if those answers were on here someone just might know the perfect place for you.

It's all a matter of how you define comfortable. I should think you could do it in Oklahoma. I lived in LA in 2001 on $19,000 after taxes and did ok (of course I racked up loads of CC debt).

Thank you guys for some of the ideas.
But,truly no trailer park.
Health insurance is taken care of.
No medical problems.
Would like to be able to travel (train,boat)a bit.
Oklahoma is not in the cards.
Winters are a big no no.

Starting teacher's salary in Montana is just barely above $20,000. Many people live on that amount of money.

This isn't the place to ask this question, captbuzz. Especially not with the tone of your response, the way I read it. You just don't give enough information, and the audience may also be the wrong audience for this question.

You'd do better at looking at stats. govdoc or other googles will give you demographics on nearly everyplace that's habitable on this earth.

You are asking people who are above "average" disposable income, a question that is so relative that I won't even go there. You can tell just by their reactions to the $20,000 that they don't consider that amount on any kind of a comfortable efficiency scale. People describe themselves as middle class with average income about 90% of the time, even when they definitely are not. It's a self concept not based in reality dollars or Euros or whatever.

Many people, and people I KNOW live on $20,000 a year, guys. And some of those same people have income of $50,000 plus and GIVE the rest away. No, they seldom, if ever travel more than as far as their bike can take them.

It all depends on HOW you want to live. You need to ask yourself that question first and describe the WAY you want to live.

It isn't just comforts. Do you cook for yourself, or do you need service? Could you grow your own food? Could you heat with wood, or live with only your own generated electricity and well?

Don't expect people to give you answers without logical information.

Since you want to live alone, that let's out about 200 ways I know to live throughout the world, as many here and whereever do so in community, and almost always in community.

You sound young. I hope so. Because there may not be a lot of things you haven't considered, health insurance being maybe the least of the package.

I'm not being sarcastic to you or other Fodorites, please believe that- but you have to know that I do see families that live on $24,000 a year for 4 or 5 with 2 or 3 being kids, and I see them in two states. It is certainly not impossible, and some of them have extremely good, healthy and peaceful lives. Many of them live rurally, it is much harder to live in a city for that level of income, but I know urban as well that live "in group" with this level of income, not singlely.

No, that do not travel much, and it isn't because of lack of "priorities". Most of the people I know who live at these income levels do get some extra
(food, clothes, free medical) and much more through Soc. Services and their community Food Pantries etc. Also some do fine without using any of those.

My daughter's MIL has lived on a lake in Arkansas for years on less than $20,000 a year. Her house is extremely comfortable, but she had equity to purchase it for $30,000 and the taxes are tiny.

Many cities, you would need to rent a hovel, because you would be detered completely by property, sales tax levels to aspire to ownership, with that level of income.

So if you are leaving out trailers or rural, you will probaby need to share or look outside of higher income average urban centers, or possibly in countries with low average incomes per person. S.America is not entirely in this category at all.

captbuzz, are you factoring in the support of the two teens you plan on leaving behind? Or are you one of the teens posting under the screen name?

You see, I'm more focused on the "running away" part of your post than the fact that you have $20,000 a year to live on.

You don't have to answer me, it's none of my business. Just something to think about.

Stephanie, don't forget the south's exorbitant electric bills - summer almost year round in most places.

You don't need any money to run away. Get some ideas from TWBOG. Just ask random strangers to pay for all your travel and expenses. If you tell them you are writing a book it might help.

A word of caution...be careful that apocalyptic gunmen don't find you.

You have 20,000 a year? Or 20,000 that has to last for a few years?

Comfortable and 20k seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum living anywhere. There's rent, food, utilities - can you live on $1,500 a month? Do you have a car?

And by the sound of your question, you might incur some legal fees too...

to "seetheworld"
IF YOU HAVE NOTHING CONSTRUCTIVE TO ADD THEN LEAVE IT ALONE.
To JJ5.
This is not a deep dicourse on social woes of people living on low wages.
Its a thought that i am trying to expend upon.
Thanks everyone for the comments.
I think I should post this question on European forum or South American

captbuzz, I told you that you DIDN'T have to respond. But your response says a lot nonetheless.

What is it with all these cryptic threads lately? Is captbuzz also TWBOG?

Make sure to send your family a postcard when you desert them...it cheers them up during the holidays.

If you are planning on deserting your wife and two teenage children don't come here for help.

(For the curious, see the OP's question about "cheap food in London" for a family of four with two teens.)

Oh jeez.... what is up with this forum lately? Have the crazies taken over the asylum?

michelle,

Apparently.

My sister and her boyfriend do it. They live in St. Louis. They have a small apartment in a charming, but "questionable" neighborhood in St. Louis. No car - public transportation only. Eat out only rarely. No new clothes. Don't buy Christmas or birthday gifts for anyone. Don't get professional haircuts.

If you're serious, post on the Latin America board - I think there are quite a few people from the US living a pretty decent life for little money in Costa Rica.

Between "Mr. Goodwill" and "The Abandoner" I'm starting to really wonder!?!?

Hoping to run away

Why?