Man saves 77% of income by living frugally: ‘I have no TV and one plate’

By Emma Dunn

A man saved 77% of his annual income by living frugally - and only has one plate, no TV and has used the same towels for 11 years.

Bradley Alagna, 32, started making sacrifices after being left in $130,000 worth of student loans debt and he was only earning $ 12 an hour.

He managed to scrape together his monthly $860 repayments by not using his heating, not buying clothes and not eating out.

Now his debt still stands at $147,000 due to interest - despite Bradley paying off $75,000 over the last 11 years.

And despite being able to save $250,000 by working eight jobs - earning him $115,430 last year - he is still living within his means.

Bradley, a financial coach, from New England, said: "I don't see living frugally as a negative.

"The way I live today is the way I was living when I was making less than $30,000 a year.

"I'm very content.

"I chose to be grateful for what I have."

Bradley took out student loans to put himself through culinary school - not understanding the impacts of this.

He was told when he was about to graduate in 2014 that his repayments would be a huge $860-a-month.

Bradley said: "That moment I sat down in the finance office I was like 'it's over'.

"There's no way I'm going to have a future or any quality of life.

"I had no idea the entire time I was in school I was creating this whole mess."

Bradley was also disheartened that most graduate jobs as a baker were only paying $12 to $13 an hour.

His only option was to live as frugally as he could.

He said: "I was in a situation that felt so out of control.

"What I am in control of is how I spend my money.

"I never thought the debt would go away - but I thought if I just make sacrifices maybe I'll just be OK."

Bradley stopped eating out, never put his heating on and stopped buying himself any new clothes so that he could make his payments in full.

He said: "I didn't buy snow boots when living in New York.

"I had high tips with a hole in the sole. I remember walking into the subway in the snow in them."

But by the time the next month rolled around his loan would have accumulated the money he'd paid off because of 8% interest and daily compound interest.

Despite paying off around $75,000 he now owes $147,000.

Bradley said: "I felt punished for wanting a better education."

After six years of struggling through the government paused repayments and the interest on federal student loans during the pandemic - which lasted for three-and-a-half years.

This gave Bradley a chance to finally start saving more and he started side hustling alongside his non-for profit work he was doing at the time.

He said: "I didn't owe $900-a-month so I was able to pocket that.

"I've been living like this for so long I was just going to try and build up savings and build up security.

"That took 11 years - living completely bare boned."

Now he works around eight roles and 70 hours a week and earned $115,430 in 2024 - and saved $89,134 of it.

He is a financial coach, content creator, Only Fans creator, dog sitter, crisis hotline responder, dancer, cleaner, and landscaper.

Bradley said: "It's stuff I love to do."

In total over 11 years he has been able to save $250,000 and he could now afford to pay off his loans in full but he's chosen not to.

He discovered his loan, which is in his mother's name, will be forgiven in 18 months under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Programme.

But Bradley still continues to live as frugally as he can. His student loan repayments are now $915 and he spends $750 on rent, $52 on his electric bill, and budgets just $47 on social activities.

He said: "I'm not contributing to waste."

He saves by hardly eating out - or if he does he choses the cheaper options. He has the same wardrobe since he was studying, uses just one plate and still lives in his 450 square foot studio flat.

Bradley said: "I don't replace something just because it has a minor imperfection.

"My work clothes are the same ones I have had since college.

"I do try to be mindful to keep my electric bill low.

"I try to avoid running the heat at all costs and I avoid running the AC - I like the heat.

"I don't give into any subscriptions - I relax with YouTube.

"If my friends go to a restaurant I go for the cheapest things - appetizers and sides.

"I have friends that understand what I have been through."

When Bradley's debt is wiped he still plans to live frugally.

He said: "I live my frugal lifestyle because I had no choice.

"My financial situation was extreme.

"Consider how your life could be if you change the way you think about spending.

"I'm trying to show people I'm making this choice to build the life I want for myself.

"People think I'm missing out on life and it's not a quality life.

"I'm just content living this way."

Bradley is considering buying a tiny home in the future.

He said: "I couldn't be happier with a simple, calm life.

"I have got my happy ending."

Bradley's monthly budget:

• Student loan repayments - now at $915
• Rent - $750
• Food shop - $183
• Car insurance - $84
• Fuel - $59
• Electric - $52
• Fun - $47
• Internet - $46
• Gym - $10

Ways Bradley saves money:

• No shopping
• Hardly eats out or goes for cheap options
• No health insurance
• No TV
• No subscriptions (e.g. Netflix)