Nowadays, $400.00 a month would make for a pretty spartan thru-hike. Twenty years ago, when it was generally acknowledged that you could thru-hike on roughly a dollar per mile, well maybe back then you could bring in a six-month hike on thirteen dollars a day, but I sure wouldn't want to try this now. Food, gear, lodging, you name it, it all costs a great deal more than it did even a few years ago; most folks planning a six-month trek on the A.T. will spend between $3500.00 and $5000.00 while en route, and this does NOT count getting to and from the trail nor does it count your equipment/gear costs. While it is certainly feasible to hike on less money, especially if you're really disciplined with the amount of time and money you spend in town, most people could not make it on $2400.00 for the whole trip. Please re-evaluate your trip, and either plan on hiking less than the entire Trail, or maybe wait awhile until you've save up more money. Getting off the Trail cuz you're out money is a really lousy way to end a hike.