The AGI safety research community faces a significant challenge: limited funding restricts the number of qualified researchers who can focus full-time on critical work. Early-career researchers, in particular, often struggle to sustain themselves financially without traditional employment, which diverts time and energy from research. While frugal living could extend individual runways and allow grantmakers to support more researchers per dollar, existing frugality guides (e.g., from the FIRE community) aren’t tailored to the unique needs of AGI safety researchers—such as balancing cost-cutting with collaboration and networking.

A Tailored Guide for AGI Researchers

One way to address this gap is by creating a comprehensive frugality guide specifically for AGI safety researchers. This resource would combine practical cost-saving strategies—like affordable housing, food, and healthcare—with advice on maintaining professional connections and productivity. For example:

• Case studies from researchers who’ve successfully adopted frugal habits (e.g., former EA Hotel residents).
• Templates for budgeting and grant applications to maximize funding efficiency.
• Tools for remote collaboration and low-cost networking, such as virtual coworking spaces.

The guide could start as a free digital resource (website or PDF) and later expand into interactive tools or a community platform where researchers share tips and support each other.

Aligning Stakeholder Incentives

For researchers, the primary incentive is extending their runway to focus on high-impact work—but concerns about isolation or career stagnation might deter adoption. Grantmakers, on the other hand, want to maximize research output per dollar, while organizations need researchers to stay productive and connected. The guide could bridge these interests by demonstrating how frugality can coexist with networking and career growth, perhaps through:

• Modular advice for different living situations (urban vs. rural, solo vs. family).
• Warnings against over-optimizing for savings at the expense of output.
• Strategies like budget-friendly co-living spaces or conference attendance hacks.

Execution and Testing Assumptions

An MVP could begin by compiling existing resources (e.g., EA Hotel lessons, FIRE principles) and interviewing frugal researchers for case studies. Later phases might add AGI-specific advice, such as cheap cloud computing options, and test the guide with a small group of researchers. Key assumptions to validate include whether researchers will adopt frugal habits, whether frugality harms productivity, and whether grantmakers prefer funding more researchers at lower stipends. Pilot tests and interviews could help refine the approach.

Unlike generic frugality guides or location-bound initiatives like the EA Hotel, this resource would democratize access to tailored strategies, helping the AGI safety community stretch limited funding further without sacrificing collaboration or progress.