SpokenTruth said:
I'm starting to believe your online impression of the US is starkly contrasting with the actual US. Especially the poor and the left. But let's do this. Say you make $10 per hour and work full time. That's $1,600 per month before taxes which if you are single means you take home closer to $1,400. Now let's look at costs for a single person living in an average cost city. 1 bd apartment - $900 per month Well hell. $150 left for everything else. No car, no big TV.... But let's imagine this person can somehow save enough money to move to an even cheaper part of the country. Now, if they can find a job, they'll get paid minimum wage ($7.25 per hour) and rent may cost just $600 per month. After taxes, you're bringing home ~$1,000 per month. 1 bd apartment - $600 per month Well hell. That's even worse. Now you're left with $50 per month for everything else. That minimum someone needs to live you were talking about isn't happening. This is why people are living with their parents or working 2 to 3 jobs and demanding changes to wages to reach that minimum. And look at that, just to live (food and all that), these people have to go into debt. But go ahead. Keep blaming it on living in Manhattan and San Fransisco (a combined 1.5% of the US population), new cars, big TVs and (I'm waiting for you to say it) avocado toast. |
So lets see here, during college, I lived in a small town (which follows your low cost of living info from above). I worked at Sams Club (anybody can walk in and instantly get a job there. The qualifications to push carts were virtually zero. They were always hiring because people quit nonstop).
Sam's Club pays $11/hr starting * 160 hrs/month = $1,760/mo. Total state + federal taxes (including social security and medicare) will be approximately $225/mo. Take home pay = $1,535.
My entire time of working at a low wage, I lived with 2-3 other people. In my small college town, a 4 bedroom house can be split among 4 people for approximately $300/mo AFTER utilities.
Health insurance either needs to be offered through the employer at less than 9.5% of pay ($167 per month) or you will qualify for federal subsidies.
Food can be done for $100/month
Gas/Insurance/Car can be done for $250/month (If you aren't in an area where biking year round is an option)
Clothing/Other Essentials can be done for $100/month
Seems to me there is still $718/mo leftover. Perhaps that is why I was able to get through college without any debt while working fulltime. Lets not even mention that you aren't entitled to working only 40 hours per week. It isn't uncommon for people earning a bit less an hour to have 2 different jobs so they can bump their earnings up.
The simple truth is, people think they are entitled to a lot more lavish lifestyle than is necessary, thus spend money on lots of unnecessary things (cell phones, tvs, fancy cars, vacations, etc). They then complain because they aren't able to keep up with the Jones' (This happens at virtually all tiers of society, because even once making lets say $60,000/year, it still feels unfair to them that they can't keep up with their neighbors that make $120,000/year).
On top of all of the above, the trades (think road work, welding, carpentry, etc.) have been low on employees for YEARS, and pay extremely well (Our union company pays a level 1 apprentice approximately $20/hr + health insurance + pension, and the only requirement is a year of night schooling). People don't want to work a hard job to make ends meet though. To continue off the apprentice example, once they reach Journeyman wages (after 5 years), they actually make more than myself as an Accounting Supervisor with a CPA & 5 years of college education.
So long story short...I really don't have time for people saying low income people just don't have the ability to make enough to make ends meet.
Money can't buy happiness. Just video games, which make me happy.
