Can A Person Really Survive On Minimum Wage? - Comments

And to add we are not bums, there are just not many jobs for youth these days where I live. I've been looking for over eight months for work and no dice.

I live off of the 70 dollars a week social services gives me. My neighbor lives off of the 90 dollars a MONTH, that underage welfare gives her. Its not easy, but we manage to keep our bellies full and our minds at ease by using community services like the food bank and the soup kitchens.

survive, yes. But the article askes if a person can live in a clean, healthy enviroment on minimum wage. To survive, there are a lot of health and hygiene things a person can skip out on and still live.

Although people can't live a life of wasteful luxury on a minimum wage, they can survive.

people can live in poverty. compared to living on under a dollar a day, minimum wage is pretty damn good.

Maybe people would live on minimum wage better if all the stores and government and what have you , weren't so fucking greedy and kept cutting the value of a dollar. >.>
:/ maybe people should learn how to cut costs more, and in society now, that's getting harder and harder since not only do prices keep going up, but we think we NEED [i] everything [/i].

Great article, 10/10. :D

NJ's minimum wage is $7.25 an hr. I'd take $8 an hr happily.

Where you live also factors in. Many places have garbage pickup built into their taxes, rather than having a "garbage bill."

Most people don't go through that many bottles of cleaner in a month, especially for a 1-bedroom or studio appartment. Laundry detergent and dish soap tend to be the two that people go through quickly, but bleach and windex go a lot further, since they come in fairly large containers and are used in small amounts.

Also, soda (as well as alcohol) includes a can or bottle deposit. Not everyone "needs" lunch meat or soda. The "essentials" vary from person to person. Most women also don't go through makeup monthly. I wear powdered foundation daily, and it takes me almost a year to go through one cake of foundation.

Also, minimum wage varies by state. The federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour, but, in some places, small employers can pay less. Also, for tipped employees (like waiters/waitresses), the minimum wage is lower in some places. The average amount of tips per hour is subtracted from the state's minimum wage, so the company pays less, using tips as the compensation.

There's also roommates to consider. Many people ease the cost of living by sharing living quarters.

The prices you listed seem rather high. Depending on where you shop, if you shop sales, what sizes you buy, and what brands you buy (store or value brands vs. name brands), the prices will vary significantly. Compare your $6 soda with a $3 pack of the same thing that's a value brand.

You can also redeem the bottle deposit on soda and beer bottles and cans in some states.

to answer the one question as to if "a person" {which i figure to be one person on their own} , can survive on minimum wage, my answer would be no. my 'not enough' reasons {XD} are below.

taxes are roughly a third of what you earn. and bills and a safety cushion take up the second third and then some {especially these days}. then what's left after that is what you have to work with. and it isn't much. you're supposed to set aside money for yourself {savings} in case of emergency. but we live in the 'we want it, and we're going to get it even if it's not within my budget" age. and everything is expensive now. even the free clinic isn't free. and since most people can't afford insurance or can't get any due to ridiulous {IMO} reasons they end up paying more than people that are lucky enough to have insurance. the only way you can survive on minimum wage is if it's with others. you're going to have to sacrifice the living on your own notion for a while if you're just starting out. people that don't have much money to work with always end up paying more than people that can manage. minimum wage is such a dead end road you don't want to be stuck on but there isn't much of a choice.

but putting yourself in debt in hopes of getting a better paying job is always up for grabs you know XD. having some college on the side doesn't always work for everyone.

I know the feeling. In VA, minimum wage is $7.25

I get $7.35, and am lucky to even get my 40 hours. I was almost forced to get another job. And it's not working out, scheduling-wise.