Can you live off minimum wage in Los angeles? Let's see.. (San Jose: rental, buy)

[yoyoma02]

Transportation is what really kills you in LA. Gas, insurence, and maintainance with all the traffic makes it horrible. My car and rent expenses are the only REAL significant increases I've had since moving out of the midwest.

You can find rent for under $600 under, mostly with roomates. I haven't seen a studio anywhere for that low (although I haven't really been looking either). When I first moved to LA, I lived in a small guest house with 3 guys and paid $525/month + utilities + internet.

Gas is more like $3.75 - $4.00 gallon now, only 30 cents more than it is in the midwest.

Food on $150/week (per person) sounds about right.

[Ennea4]

Thanks for posting that!
Hmm, I should recalculate it with $800 on rent (b/c when I stayed there I was subleasing for that amount or under) and with a dollar above minimum wage and see if that works out...

And you're right, I didn't (when I lived there previously) and won't (when I move back) be using a car. I used the bus.

[jackie100]

Originally Posted by ragnarkar

You can rent a room in a house for $600 and under.. there's countless # of them in the San Gabriel Valley.

Yep, you can rent tons of room for under $500 in OC too, $500 is for a huge master bedroom with your own entrance and bath etc. Mainly through the Asian newspapers in OC; I'm sure its the same in SGV. You can find rooms for $400 too that are decent and not bad at all.

[greggd1]

Originally Posted by Ennea4

Thanks for posting that!
Hmm, I should recalculate it with $800 on rent (b/c when I stayed there I was subleasing for that amount or under) and with a dollar above minimum wage and see if that works out...

And you're right, I didn't (when I lived there previously) and won't (when I move back) be using a car. I used the bus.

A little scooter can get you around pretty quick if you dont mind 2 wheels.
Saves a lot of time when you dont have to wait for a bus and they get great mpg.

[sll3454]

Originally Posted by ganto_2010

when i was renting
a one bed was 975 a two bed was 1275
lights were between 350-550
gas 10 bucks
phone 40
net 60
cell 40
food 100 a week
car ins 250 a month
car pmyt 1000 a month
satellite 85 a month
a total at worst 4010 a month

The above is certainly not a minimum-wage lifestyle.

[MathieuL]

minimum wage in LA is $6,75 only?

It's about to hit $10 in Montreal (Quebec)

Where do you get rent at $650 in LA?

[ragnarkar]

Originally Posted by MathieuL

minimum wage in LA is $6,75 only?

It's about to hit $10 in Montreal (Quebec)

Where do you get rent at $650 in LA?

Here.

Also, California minimum wage is $8 USD/hr.

[MathieuL]

Originally Posted by ragnarkar

Here.

Also, California minimum wage is $8 USD/hr.

Thanks!

Why did he say $6,75? was this an old thread unless I didn't see properly?

$8 is still relatively low considering how expensive it is in LA (from what I hear)

but I guess it's livable at a certain extent...

[yoyoma02]

Originally Posted by MathieuL

Thanks!

Why did he say $6,75? was this an old thread unless I didn't see properly?

$8 is still relatively low considering how expensive it is in LA (from what I hear)

but I guess it's livable at a certain extent...

This is an old thread, started years ago.

It's pretty pointless, as you would hope one would want to make more than minimium wage over the scope of their life.

[ooostaciooo]

Originally Posted by Need_affordable_home

You cant live on $100 a month in food. When I was in college, I was spending $100 a week in food and I didnt eat out either. $100 a month is basically living on rice, bread and water everyday! $100 a week comes out to about $5000 a year. Lets say $14 a day for $5k a year. You need 3 meals for $14. Breakfast you may have two eggs, 4 slices of bread, 3 bowls of cereal, a pint of milk and a glass of OJ, three pancakes with syrup, an apple, an orange, a peach, two plums. For lunch you may want four chicken quarters, a side dish of brown rice, corn, beans. Youll want fruits and veggies of your choice. Dont forget your grains and bread. Repeat for dinner. That is gonna cost easily $14 if not more. I dont eat enough and therfore am skinny. I should be eating more than that.

The electricity is going to be more than $30 a month unless you like living by candlelight and never turning the a/c on. My dad pays like $400+ a month! Dont forget water bill too! Driving insurance is probably more than $80 a month. You forgot other expenses such as cloth, shoes and brushing, shaving, soap, shampoo, etc. What about entertainment? Your life would be so boring if all you do is go to work and stare at the wall when you come home to your $650/month studio in a crime/gang invested neighboorhood.

It might be possible to live on min wage but its a very simple, boring and depressing life not to mention a dangerous one in a crime/gang invested neighboorhood. I think you should do something about it if you only made min wage. Perhaps get your GED, find a better job, relocate, etc.

You're right about the electricity and everything else, but the food part... You can easily live on $100 a month for food. My mother and I live together (long story) and we both live off of about$40 a month for food. Now we're not extreme cuponers or anything but we are smart shoppers. We would have so much extra food leftover if we spent $100 a month on food. And we both have pretty good appetites.