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Can you live on Minimum Wage

Can you live on Minimum Wage

  • Total voters
    63
I could survive on minimum wage where I live if I did not have the liabilities I have incurred as a result of not being on minimum wage. I probably couldn't in some place like NYC.
 
Manc Skipper said:
Assuming you are capable of aquiring said skills and training, how do you fit it in and pay for it while working 3 minimum wage jobs to get by?
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You can, because as someone else pointed out and broke it down, it is possible with a 40hr work week. Of course, minimum wage jobs are rarely if ever 40 hr a week jobs, of course, minimum wage jobs are fairly rare also, except maybe fast food and restaurants (waitress here generally get below minimum wage, as tips are considered part of their salary). Walmart, whose pay has been dragged through the media, doesn't even start out at minimum wage. So you take two 30hr a week jobs. You work 60 hrs a week, 60 x $7.25 = $435, approximately $1740 a month. So now you average 8.6 hrs a day working and, if you manage as the other poster laid it out, you have around $740 or more a month above needs, more if you split some of the essentials like rent and utilities with a roommate. That still leaves you with plenty of time to attend vocational training classes. If your work is in the evening and weekends, you can even attend regular college. There is financial assistance available for going to school.

Is it hard? No doubt. But this kind of system works great for weeding out the chaff from the wheat. It takes hardwork, discipline and dedication, all of which employers of skilled labor like to see. The only thing that stops normal, healthy individuals from rising above minimum/near minimum wage jobs is the individual themselves. As a tempering and weeding out process, I think it works great and I like it.

Because, like I just pointed out, it is entirely up to the individual whether they stay at that pay scale, I have no sympathy for them at all if they stay there. If you want benefits. If you want better pay. Then by God, go out and work for it and show that you deserve it. Otherwise, STFU, quit chatting with your friends, finish checking out my purchases and damn it, smile and be friendly while doing it.
 
YES !
For a time, my wife and I were living on NO INCOME.......
But should we ?
IMO, I'd love to see the Mitt Romneys of our nation FORCED to live on a mininum wage...
 
RDS said:
Instead of complaining about minimum wages equip yourself with the skills and training to find some skilled job which pays higher than the minimum wage.
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And when you are facing bias and prejudice, intolerance and hatred....then what ????
 
lpast said:
Can you live on minimum wage or even up to 50% more than the minimum wage, before you decide read this article and look the map.
I am looking for another easier to read graph that shows apt costs in every state which in turn shows that at minimum wage FULL time workers cant pay for an apt
Also keep in mind most Minimum wage and low wage earners are part timers <walmarts>


Rent Affordability on Minimum Wage - NYTimes.com
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Other than when I was very young, living with my parents, I could never have lived on minimum wage. And living with my parents wasn't supporting myself anyway.

Minimum-wage jobs are not meant to support anybody.
 
earthworm said:
And when you are facing bias and prejudice, intolerance and hatred....then what ????
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Sorry, but us white heterosexual males are just going to have to live with that for awhile. Don't see much sympathy or help coming our way any time soon. Maybe you could pretend that you are homosexual, that might help you out some.
 
earthworm said:
And when you are facing bias and prejudice, intolerance and hatred....then what ????
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What I have found is that a good work ethic, and a good attitude are rare enough to be respected regardless of someones outward appearance.
At the entry level, just little things like always showing up for work on time and sober,
can make a person stand out.
I always told my students , when interviewing for job, convey three thoughts.
I like you, I like me, and I can do this job.
When you have the job, those same three thoughts can keep you moving forward.
 
Manc Skipper said:
Assuming you are capable of aquiring said skills and training, how do you fit it in and pay for it while working 3 minimum wage jobs to get by?
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I make about 3x minimum wage including overtime and mileage reimbursement, and I still qualify for state and federal financial aid for school. And as I've already demonstrated, 40 hours a week is enough to sustain somebody where I live. I work 50-60 hours a week most weeks and still manage to take classes. I COULD take classes full-time, but my FA isn't enough to cover the tuition after the most recent hike. Somebody making less than me would qualify for more aid, though.
 
molten_dragon said:
Yes, you can live on minimum wage. Thousands (if not millions) of people across the country do it. You just can't live well on minimum wage.
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How can a person live independantly on 7.25 per hour? Not startng something just asking.( just short of 11k per year before tax)
 
wolfman24 said:
Minimum wage is 7.25 per hour. Its a national standard. It may have gone up recently but not doubled.
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Spud lives in Australia. And he's right. In Australian dollars, the minimum wage is $15.
 
tessaesque said:
That map is skewed because it references pricing for a 2-bedroom apartment and uses "market rent" which is almost always higher than the actual amount one pays (it's how apartments trick you into thinking you're getting a deal).

Here's a nice complex near my office:
Dana Point Apartments in Dallas, TX | Apartments.com

If I'm single with part-time income from two jobs totaling 40 hours a week, I have no need for anything larger than the 1-bedroom unit.

So here's the total:
$468/month for rent
$45/month for a no-contract cell phone
$40/month for internet (no cable..but why? I can watch TV online for free!)
$90/month for electricity
$150/month for food and toiletries

Total: $793

Now...I could walk to work from that apartment if I were working at many of the local fast food places (about the only places that pay minimum wage), but let's assume I have to take public transit to work. The monthly pass is $80 and gives me access to both the bus and the rail system that covers most of the metroplex.

So that takes me to $873 a month. We'll add another $20 for water/trash and we're at $893.

So minimum wage is $7.25 in Texas. At 40 hours a week, that would come to $290.00/week, or $1256.67 a month [($290 *52)/12]. Or about $1,005.34 a month after taxes.

I'd be left with $112.34 a month to spend on other needs.

Starbucks (about 3 blocks from the apartment) starts you off at around $8.59. If I do that 40 hours a week, I'm at $343.60/week, or $1,488.93 a month ($1,191.15 after taxes). That leaves me with $298.15 a month for other needs.

Wal-Mart starts you off at around $8.50.
Target starts overnight stockers at around $9.50.
The average Olive Garden waitstaff makes between $18k and $23k a year, depending on whether they're part time or full-time.

So yeah...I could survive here on minimum wage, and most of the local stores and restaurants will actually net you more.
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Good post I like this. Very clear
 
RabidAlpaca said:
You can do it, but you really, really won't like it. You'll be eating a lot of ramen and have zero elbow space.

You can get a crappy 1 bedroom apartment in Texas for about 300-400. So you ride your bike to work, buy ramen, and keep the non-necessities low. Meaning 160 hours a month x $7 / hour = ~$1,120.

Buy your clothes at good will, go to garage sales, etc.
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Many areas of the country you cant afford just rent to keep a roof..forget about everything else...I would submit there are very few places in america you could pay rent buy food and pay utilities and just buy necessities on min wage
 
Zyphlin said:
Living off one person working a minimum wage job on their own, with no other form of assistance what so ever, and trying to live on ones own?

In some places, yes, but it'd be difficult and it'd be basically at bare necessities. In others, no.

Which is as it should be.
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Then if thats the way it should be, then everyone else needs to pay more to the govt to help them ones that cant. Whats the alternative ?
 
longview said:
You could do it, but your entire frame of reference would have to change.
You would need to share an apartment or rent a room from someone.
You diet would be very limited. You would learn all about real economy.
No cell phone, no cable TV, can't afford to run the AC.
Sort of like life in the 50's!
You get excited if they open a day old bread store within walking distance.
People live among us who struggle with this every day, it is only a temporary station.
This is the beauty of the USA, we are not assigned to a place in life for life.
We can, through hard work, and commitment get promoted and get rises.

As a young man I lived this life, it is hard, but it makes you appreciate the little things.
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No you will never get anything through hard work and kissing ass. Only thing that really matters is a CONTRACT and striking to get it.

And a cell phone is a MUST HAVE today, most employers require it. $15 for the phone, $35 month unlimited plan. So yes a cell phone is affordable.
And my AC in PHOENIX only cost (at my last place) $35 month (AC only). so agian wrong.

But no you cant live on it, you have to have special no market, low cost bills and housing.
 
lpast said:
Then if thats the way it should be, then everyone else needs to pay more to the govt to help them ones that cant. Whats the alternative ?
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Which was really the reason you made this thread to begin with.
 
TheGirlNextDoor said:
Define "live".

I'd say one could survive on minimum wage - barely. Taking into consideration if a person had no children, pets or anyone else they had to care for. And if perhaps, a person had a person who was independent and could split expenses... then maybe. Highly doubtful.

I make more than minimum wage and I'm barely 'living', and I work hella hours. I can't imagine a person having to live off of a lot less.
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In very few areas of the country can even a single person live on minimum wage. Minimum wage is 7.25 an hr most min wage workers are part time very few are full time. Employers dont want the costs for hiring full time so they hire for less than 30 hrs.
Lets assume all work 40 hrs that comes to gross 290.00 less social security, fed tax and unemployment insurance...lets for argument sake say they bring him 240.00 a week...you can rent a furnished room in most of the state of NY and NJ, Conn and Id bet all of California and many other states...then buy food pay a bill or two and pay for transportation and an occaisional hair cut..
You cant live on min wage, you cant live on social security...the average ss check is starting in 2012 is 1232.00 per month...you cant rent an apt in the northeast for that..and pay utils.
 
I think most here know the economic perils of raising minumum wage so I wont go into it.

I guess faced with such an existance why would anyone chose NOT to better theirseves and earn higher ?
 
lpast said:
In very few areas of the country can even a single person live on minimum wage. Minimum wage is 7.25 an hr most min wage workers are part time very few are full time. Employers dont want the costs for hiring full time so they hire for less than 30 hrs.
Lets assume all work 40 hrs that comes to gross 290.00 less social security, fed tax and unemployment insurance...lets for argument sake say they bring him 240.00 a week...you can rent a furnished room in most of the state of NY and NJ, Conn and Id bet all of California and many other states...then buy food pay a bill or two and pay for transportation and an occaisional hair cut..
You cant live on min wage, you cant live on social security...the average ss check is starting in 2012 is 1232.00 per month...you cant rent an apt in the northeast for that..and pay utils.
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As I said later in this thread - I've done it working two jobs. Thing is, I'm smart enough not to live on either coast - so my COL isn't outrageous. It still isn't. I have a 2200 sq ft, 4 bed, 3 bath, double car garage for way less than your less than your $1232/mo stated above.
 
lpast said:
Then if thats the way it should be, then everyone else needs to pay more to the govt to help them ones that cant. Whats the alternative ?
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Wrong. I got what I have by busting my ass and working hard. I don't get nor take handouts.
 
tessaesque said:
That map is skewed because it references pricing for a 2-bedroom apartment and uses "market rent" which is almost always higher than the actual amount one pays (it's how apartments trick you into thinking you're getting a deal).

Here's a nice complex near my office:
Dana Point Apartments in Dallas, TX | Apartments.com

If I'm single with part-time income from two jobs totaling 40 hours a week, I have no need for anything larger than the 1-bedroom unit.

So here's the total:
$468/month for rent
$45/month for a no-contract cell phone
$40/month for internet (no cable..but why? I can watch TV online for free!)
$90/month for electricity
$150/month for food and toiletries

Total: $793

Now...I could walk to work from that apartment if I were working at many of the local fast food places (about the only places that pay minimum wage), but let's assume I have to take public transit to work. The monthly pass is $80 and gives me access to both the bus and the rail system that covers most of the metroplex.

So that takes me to $873 a month. We'll add another $20 for water/trash and we're at $893.

So minimum wage is $7.25 in Texas. At 40 hours a week, that would come to $290.00/week, or $1256.67 a month [($290 *52)/12]. Or about $1,005.34 a month after taxes.

I'd be left with $112.34 a month to spend on other needs.

Starbucks (about 3 blocks from the apartment) starts you off at around $8.59. If I do that 40 hours a week, I'm at $343.60/week, or $1,488.93 a month ($1,191.15 after taxes). That leaves me with $298.15 a month for other needs.

Wal-Mart starts you off at around $8.50.
Target starts overnight stockers at around $9.50.
The average Olive Garden waitstaff makes between $18k and $23k a year, depending on whether they're part time or full-time.

So yeah...I could survive here on minimum wage, and most of the local stores and restaurants will actually net you more.
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You left out alot tess...toothepaste, toilet paper, cleaning supplies...washing your clothes at the laundramat getting a haircut...getting to and from work, buying shoes when you need them, buying clothes when you need them..what if the person needs eyeglass's there are som any things you have left out of LIVING...cant be done in most of the areas of the country...certainly not in the northeast...you cant rent a furnished room for that price in jersey or NY or conn, lets not forget most min wage earners do not work 40 hrs either..
 
Could I now? No, I have a family, minimum wage was never intended to be enough to provide for a family. Back when I was living with my parents and they were covering most of my expenses, I did just fine on minimum wage. That's what it's for, providing a job to learn work skills and a work ethic before you move up. Anyone who has a family and tries to live on it is a moron.
 
MaggieD said:
Other than when I was very young, living with my parents, I could never have lived on minimum wage. And living with my parents wasn't supporting myself anyway.

Minimum-wage jobs are not meant to support anybody.
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True maggie but thats all too many americans can get now..
 
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