500 Euros a month on food?  Good god.

That's over 700 US dollars.

I don't spend more then $100 a month on food.  (70 euros)

And that's for two people.

And, actually, looking through the thread, you've completely changed your stance, you've gone from "here in Belgium the unemployed get paid a lot" to "900 Euros isn't enough"

So, which one is it?

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It's a shame, because the original article was so much more interesting than what this thread turned into.

This was a good article. I am glad that I read it.

There's just something particularly nice about British grammar, but I don't mean that, I mean the content of it.

People who are on the "dop"(that's the term we use for people that have an unemployement wage) can pay for the basics, but with a wage like that you can't afford too much luxury.
If you want luxury then you better find a job because you sure as hell won't be able to live in luxury with an unemployment wage.

I don't think the minimum wage is too low. It's around 1000-1100 euros a month(if you have a job) if I remember correctly from my boring economy lessons.

Ps: You also need to have a home before you are entitled to an unemployment wage. Homeless people don't get a thing if that's what you think.

It's a good read, but there is little to debate.

Outside of the fact that faith healing exists in england too and the same thing could of happened there.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/782299.stm

Not enough to have some luxury in your life.

@Kas: We're with 4 people and we spend a lot on food because we can afford to do so. My parents also go to a restaurant sometimes and for 2 people only something like that can easily cost up to 180 euros...

Well, I'm glad somebody read it... I was worried my horrendous OP would put people off of it (evidently, it did).

The thing that really struck me in the article was the differences in how people tried to sell houses, and how they try and make the house look unlived in. I find this particularly strange, because I'm moving house in a few weeks - and the reason why my parents chose the house was that it had history and character.

It's sort of like in the states you buy a house to live in, but in the UK, you buy into a lifestyle. It's sort of like, the way the house has been designed, the people who lived in it before, represent a way of life that you want, and that's partly the reason that you buy the house.

180 euros at a restruant.

That would be $252 USD.

That's ridiculious.  Belgium is expensive as hell.

Or my family just spends a lot? :P

I guess a normal family here in Belgium would spend less lol. I don't know... It's not very polite to ask someone how much they spend each month :)

@Kasz Eh, sometimes when my family goes out for dinner (fam of 5), it can cost around the £150-£180 mark (and I'm not entirely sure if that includes alcoholic drinks).