Woman saved $44K after living on gas station free food staples, intense budgeting for 6 years

A woman so poor she lived off free food samples from a local gas station and only used candlelight — revealed the three things she’s done to turn her finances around and save $44K in three-and-a-half years.

Reyjka Elle, 32, grew up in poverty and fell into even harder times when she had to begin providing for herself at age 18 while living in Florida, Georgia.

For the following six years, she budgeted to the extreme — selling all of her furniture as well as switching off her electricity and living by candlelight.

She secured a job as a therapist assistant by “pure luck” and has since met her husband, graduated with a degree in psychology, and is working as a content creator and writer, earning $4k per month.

Despite being financially stable now, Reyjka says her previous years in poverty “still affect” her, and she “feels guilt” when she buys things.

She says saving is “multi-faceted” and the three things she does to help her budget are keeping a track of her income and expenses, investing in high-yield accounts, and working from home to avoid having to live in city centres in favour of quieter neighbourhoods with lower rent.

Through investing her money, as well as side hustles, Reyjka and her husband have been able to save $45,300.

Reyjka, a content creator now living in Mandel, Norway, said: “Growing up in poverty, I always had a budget mindset.

“It really kicked in once I was on my own and had to provide for myself.

“I had to think strategically in every aspect.

“In the USA, you get paid roughly $50 to donate blood.

“I was having to donate blood constantly just to get a meal or two.

“I almost joined the military for a place to sleep and earn money — I didn’t have an apartment at the time.

“Once I had 50 cents left in my account and did not get paid for another week.

“I had to live on free food samples at the gas station.

“Now things are so much better.

“My husband and I started investing, and that’s where our money started to multiply.

“To this day, it definitely still affects me. I’m afraid to spend on things.”

Reyjka was 18 when she began sleeping on friends’ couches as she couldn’t afford an apartment of her own, even living in her car for a short period.

After getting a job at Target at age 23, she began renting a room in a house with friends in Florida, Georgia.

She said: “I was working, but with my co-workers, when there was a pizza party, I would have to eat the leftovers because I didn’t have food at home.

“My electricity was turned off all the time, so I would have to use candles.

“I would buy clothes and keep the tags on them and wear them, and return them because I couldn’t afford to keep them.

“This was like from age 18 to 26 — that entire time period where I was doing these crazy things to save money and get things for free.”

At 26, Reyjka got a higher-paying job as a therapist assistant, hitting it off with the hiring manager who gave her “a chance.”

She met her husband in 2019 and was able to get more schooling with his support, graduating with a degree in psychology from an online university in 2021.

Reyjka said, “We moved to Norway two years ago.

“We have a child, age three now.

“It was the best decision.”

Reyjka still budgets and is careful with her money.

She said, “I have guilt when I buy things.

“I don’t do anything in terms of cosmetic application like hair, nails, or make-up.

“To me, I think it looks beautiful, but to me, it feels like wasted money.

“Going out to eat is not a thing more than once or twice a year, max.

“I always think ‘I can cook it at home’.

“I still use coupons even if I have enough money in my account; I use coupons to get the best price.”

Reyjka makes a detailed spreadsheet every payday of her income and expenses.

She said: “Our monthly income on average is $7,000 to $7,500 before taxes.

“We pay our bills first and allow ourselves to have $400 to $500 of ‘fun’ money — like eating out or taking a trip.

“The rest immediately goes into savings.

“Before, my monthly income was less than $1,000 per month.

“I just wanted people to know that if you’re born into a hard situation like me, and it can take years to get out of, but you can resolve this.

“You don’t have to feel less than because you’re struggling with money.

“There’s no shame in it.”