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It doesn't cost that much to move, and they can find the money, although they might have to stop going to Starsucks 5 days a week and eating out 4-7 times a week,
Another propaganda article that cherry-picks a "victim."
That's her choice. She can move any time she wants, she just doesn't wanna, and we don't crash the economy just because some idiot doesn't want to move.
Her "pain" is 100% self-inflicted.
SNAP benefits are $640/month for a family of four and $192/month for a single person.
I hear your point Mircea,
I posted this example from the article but should gave clarified that the article - to me at least - focuses on the big picture.
It costs a bucketful of money to move. You have to pay for a truck or trailer to bring your stuff. Then you have to pay storage fees until you can find a place to live. You have to pay to live in a motel until you find a job/place to live. You need to come up with first, last, and security for any place you want to move into.
And then there's the people who don't have good references or perfect credit scores, so it's difficult or more expensive for them to get a job or find a place to live.
And to top it off, guess what? That $50,000 a year salary they got in San Jose? Well, try finding a job that pays the same amount of money but the living is cheaper. The cheaper a place is, the fewer jobs there are and the less money they pay.
Seriously, do all you people believe in the mythical town somewhere in America where people will find work for the same salary they left behind, but the cost of living will be a thousand times lower? Well, that place doesn't exist. If it did, everyone would already be living there.
I'm living on $15,000 a year. So this American doesn't need to be told about real poverty.
Life happens. I worked in a bank until they decided to make all the tellers part-time. I went back to college and took a minimum wage job - at 40 years old - so I could have flexible hours. When the college starting charging tuition I couldn't afford, I went back to full time work at $8 an hour and rose up to the max I could get: $10 an hour. Then the rent went up from $450 a month to $800 a month and I used all my savings to move (see the post about how much money it costs to move above) and I then worked my way up to $12 an hour and even bought a house. Boom! Then comes 2008. No job for 3 years. Savings gone. House sold, thank heavens (no real profit on it though).
People don't plan for these things, but they happen anyway.
Yeah, you know, that's just a feel good saying. I heard the same thing when it came to health insurance in my younger years. "You can't afford to NOT have health insurance!" Uh, yes, I can. When there's no money left over at the end of the month after paying rent, utilities, and buying food, then health insurance is not something I can afford. It becomes a luxury, not a necessity.
Telling someone they can't afford NOT to move feels good to say, but that doesn't make money for moving appear magically out of the air.
Mircea, I am a single person making $15,000 a year on SSDI. I get food stamps. I qualify for $15 of food stamps every month. Do you know when I qualified for the full amount of $194 a month? When I was getting $200 a month for state disability.
I'd feel like I was living in riches if I got that $194 now, but it's income based.
Good points. I am sure that life is difficult for you.
A few notes: there are no "mythical places", but there are places where housing is really cheap. (In my own area, somebody can get a decent one-bedroom apartment with all expenses included for about $500 a month. That comes out to $6,000 a year for housing.) As previously noted, there are many apartment complexes which operate on a sliding scale, as they are subsidized by various government programs. I have a client right now who is living in a decent unit for $10 a month, due to her low income and the fact that she has a child. If someone is scraping by but is not dependent on a job for income, it might behoove them to save up a few hundred dollars for a UHaul, then relocate to a different part of the state or country where housing is much cheaper, since housing can make up a big portion of one's expenses.
I hope you are able to access social services. From free phones, to reduced bus and subway fares, to food boxes, to free clothing, to heating oil assistance, to medication discount cards, to free dental clinics, to community dinners, to Meals on Wheels, and other things............there is quite a bit out there to help.
Medical is a big cost. Are you on any kind of free or reduced insurance program? If not, hospitals and clinics are obligated to offer a sliding fee scale, and also charity care. The allowances for these programs are quite generous. I have seen a $5,000 medical bill turn into a $500 one (or less).
It costs a bucketful of money to move. You have to pay for a truck or trailer to bring your stuff. Then you have to pay storage fees until you can find a place to live. You have to pay to live in a motel until you find a job/place to live. You need to come up with first, last, and security for any place you want to move into.
And then there's the people who don't have good references or perfect credit scores, so it's difficult or more expensive for them to get a job or find a place to live.
And to top it off, guess what? That $50,000 a year salary they got in San Jose? Well, try finding a job that pays the same amount of money but the living is cheaper. The cheaper a place is, the fewer jobs there are and the less money they pay.
Seriously, do all you people believe in the mythical town somewhere in America where people will find work for the same salary they left behind, but the cost of living will be a thousand times lower? Well, that place doesn't exist. If it did, everyone would already be living there.
I'm living on $15,000 a year. So this American doesn't need to be told about real poverty.
Life happens. I worked in a bank until they decided to make all the tellers part-time. I went back to college and took a minimum wage job - at 40 years old - so I could have flexible hours. When the college starting charging tuition I couldn't afford, I went back to full time work at $8 an hour and rose up to the max I could get: $10 an hour. Then the rent went up from $450 a month to $800 a month and I used all my savings to move (see the post about how much money it costs to move above) and I then worked my way up to $12 an hour and even bought a house. Boom! Then comes 2008. No job for 3 years. Savings gone. House sold, thank heavens (no real profit on it though).
People don't plan for these things, but they happen anyway.
Yeah, you know, that's just a feel good saying. I heard the same thing when it came to health insurance in my younger years. "You can't afford to NOT have health insurance!" Uh, yes, I can. When there's no money left over at the end of the month after paying rent, utilities, and buying food, then health insurance is not something I can afford. It becomes a luxury, not a necessity.
Telling someone they can't afford NOT to move feels good to say, but that doesn't make money for moving appear magically out of the air.
Mircea, I am a single person making $15,000 a year on SSDI. I get food stamps. I qualify for $15 of food stamps every month. Do you know when I qualified for the full amount of $194 a month? When I was getting $200 a month for state disability.
I'd feel like I was living in riches if I got that $194 now, but it's income based.
And to top it off, guess what? That $50,000 a year salary they got in San Jose? Well, try finding a job that pays the same amount of money but the living is cheaper. The cheaper a place is, the fewer jobs there are and the less money they pay.
Seriously, do all you people believe in the mythical town somewhere in America where people will find work for the same salary they left behind, but the cost of living will be a thousand times lower? Well, that place doesn't exist. If it did, everyone would already be living there.
That place does exist. It's called flyover country, the midwest or the south, for instance. Most people already live here, very happily.
You're exaggerating with the "thousand times lower", but besides that, yes, it is very possible to move to a lower cost of living area and make the same or even more. My whole family has left the west coast and are earning more and paying less in other states.
You get free medical with SSI. SSDI is work related disability so it pays a little more.
Unfortunately, likely, that little more often or usually eliminates the opportunity to qualify for medicaid.
Good points. I am sure that life is difficult for you.
A few notes: there are no "mythical places", but there are places where housing is really cheap. (In my own area, somebody can get a decent one-bedroom apartment with all expenses included for about $500 a month. That comes out to $6,000 a year for housing.) As previously noted, there are many apartment complexes which operate on a sliding scale, as they are subsidized by various government programs. I have a client right now who is living in a decent unit for $10 a month, due to her low income and the fact that she has a child. If someone is scraping by but is not dependent on a job for income, it might behoove them to save up a few hundred dollars for a UHaul, then relocate to a different part of the state or country where housing is much cheaper, since housing can make up a big portion of one's expenses.
I hope you are able to access social services. From free phones, to reduced bus and subway fares, to food boxes, to free clothing, to heating oil assistance, to medication discount cards, to free dental clinics, to community dinners, to Meals on Wheels, and other things............there is quite a bit out there to help.
Medical is a big cost. Are you on any kind of free or reduced insurance program? If not, hospitals and clinics are obligated to offer a sliding fee scale, and also charity care. The allowances for these programs are quite generous. I have seen a $5,000 medical bill turn into a $500 one (or less).
Thanks, but to be honest, I'm doing much better now than I was even a year ago. I have my own pay-as-you-go phone and I usually use that to receive calls on. Since I have a computer, I have Skype and I make all my outgoing calls on that.
I have a car, so that gets me where I need to go. Other than that, the only things I have as benefits are the $15 a month for food stamps I get and subsidized housing which I plan to move out of next March or April. I do a lot of cooking and follow the sales, so I can get by fine on about $170 a month for food.
Um, that few hundred for a U-Haul? I only moved two states away and rented a U-Haul with a trailer so I could tow my car. It was over $1000 for the truck with the mileage, so much for the trailer, my own gas, and insurance. I think it was over $1500 altogether. And that was in 2001.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jasperhobbs
Don't you get free medical with SSDI?
I get Medicare and I pay the Medicare premiums. I have a Part D for prescriptions and end up paying about $5 to $8 a month for those. I have Part A with a $1400 deductible and a Part B with a $180 deductible. No dental or eye care included.
Normally I'd get gap coverage, but since I'm under 65, in my state there are only 3 gap plans that are available to me. The cheapest one costs almost $200 a month, so I'm going without gap coverage right now.
I just had two TIA episodes over the last couple of days and went to the ER by ambulance last night. So I guess I'll find out real soon how much of that Medicare covers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KaraG
That place does exist. It's called flyover country, the midwest or the south, for instance. Most people already live here, very happily.
You're exaggerating with the "thousand times lower", but besides that, yes, it is very possible to move to a lower cost of living area and make the same or even more. My whole family has left the west coast and are earning more and paying less in other states.
People have different reasons for living where they live. Most seniors (including me) like to be near large cities for their medical needs. Others simply can't handle winter weather and the snow. I personally hate the heat and the humidity. I've had heat exhaustion and I get sick in high heat. Where in the US does that leave me to live? My cousin had a problem with her eyes and needed to live where there was moisture so her eyes wouldn't dry out. Some people have allergies.
Some want more choices than are offered in small towns. Some people need to rely on family members for child care or money or a place to crash in an emergency. Some people like to have their children have more choices in their lives in terms of jobs, schooling, or activities.
Straight white people can settle just about anywhere. If you're Muslim, African American, Native American, Hispanic, or gay, sure, you can go where it's cheaper to live. But will you be welcome there?
My parents went to live in a small town outside Dubuque, Iowa once. If you shut your curtains at night, people thought you had something to hide. They said they'd serve African Americans, but then throw out the dishes and silverware afterwards. The local school taught no languages. My brothers were the only two kids in the higher math class. When my dad's appendix burst, he had to suffer through a 40 mile ambulance ride over curvy roads to the nearest hospital.
Cheaper living, yes. But sometimes there's other things you pay that can't be measured in cost when you move into an area with a lower cost of living.
Thanks, but to be honest, I'm doing much better now than I was even a year ago. I have my own pay-as-you-go phone and I usually use that to receive calls on. Since I have a computer, I have Skype and I make all my outgoing calls on that.
I have a car, so that gets me where I need to go. Other than that, the only things I have as benefits are the $15 a month for food stamps I get and subsidized housing which I plan to move out of next March or April. I do a lot of cooking and follow the sales, so I can get by fine on about $170 a month for food.
Um, that few hundred for a U-Haul? I only moved two states away and rented a U-Haul with a trailer so I could tow my car. It was over $1000 for the truck with the mileage, so much for the trailer, my own gas, and insurance. I think it was over $1500 altogether. And that was in 2001.
I get Medicare and I pay the Medicare premiums. I have a Part D for prescriptions and end up paying about $5 to $8 a month for those. I have Part A with a $1400 deductible and a Part B with a $180 deductible. No dental or eye care included.
Normally I'd get gap coverage, but since I'm under 65, in my state there are only 3 gap plans that are available to me. The cheapest one costs almost $200 a month, so I'm going without gap coverage right now.
I just had two TIA episodes over the last couple of days and went to the ER by ambulance last night. So I guess I'll find out real soon how much of that Medicare covers.
People have different reasons for living where they live. Most seniors (including me) like to be near large cities for their medical needs. Others simply can't handle winter weather and the snow. I personally hate the heat and the humidity. I've had heat exhaustion and I get sick in high heat. Where in the US does that leave me to live? My cousin had a problem with her eyes and needed to live where there was moisture so her eyes wouldn't dry out. Some people have allergies.
Some want more choices than are offered in small towns. Some people need to rely on family members for child care or money or a place to crash in an emergency. Some people like to have their children have more choices in their lives in terms of jobs, schooling, or activities.
Straight white people can settle just about anywhere. If you're Muslim, African American, Native American, Hispanic, or gay, sure, you can go where it's cheaper to live. But will you be welcome there?
My parents went to live in a small town outside Dubuque, Iowa once. If you shut your curtains at night, people thought you had something to hide. They said they'd serve African Americans, but then throw out the dishes and silverware afterwards. The local school taught no languages. My brothers were the only two kids in the higher math class. When my dad's appendix burst, he had to suffer through a 40 mile ambulance ride over curvy roads to the nearest hospital.
Cheaper living, yes. But sometimes there's other things you pay that can't be measured in cost when you move into an area with a lower cost of living.
How long ago did your parents live in Dubuque? I am very familiar with town and there is a lot of exaggeration on what you posted.
You qualify for Medicare, but it takes two years. That is not particularly helpful if you are not working now.
People on SSDI don’t necessarily make much more than then do on SSI. If you are disabled young and/or have a shorter work history you might actually make less if you qualify off of a low-income job with just over 40 quarters of work history.
I think some no Medicaid expansion states might not even give people on SSI Medicaid. Before the expansion it was something like 14-17 states.
i'm surprised it's even that high. the jobs i'm seeing all over the place are paying about $30,000 for a full time job. $15,000 part time. no wonder more people are living in vans and cars. sound like a "great" economy to you?
That place does exist. It's called flyover country, the midwest or the south, for instance. Most people already live here, very happily.
You're exaggerating with the "thousand times lower", but besides that, yes, it is very possible to move to a lower cost of living area and make the same or even more. My whole family has left the west coast and are earning more and paying less in other states.
Yup. I’m pretty well educated, so What I make might not be very generalizable, but my wife is 33, has an associates degree and makes over $50k/yr in the Midwest/South area in a low cost of living city. She’d probably make similar if she could even get a job in the DC or Boston area (2 cities we’ve considered moving to). My discussions would’ve yielded me about 15-20% more, which wouldn’t have even covered the cost of living adjustment.
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