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Well, I earned minimum wage when I was young & living in Texas.
Minimum wage will not support an independent lifestyle anywhere. The difference between low and high COL would be the difference between 1 and 3 roommates.
I am on a military pension of $1480/month [which is very close to flipping burgers]. When I retired we had 5 children at home with us.
A few years after I retired, when we were down to only one child still attending highschool [He has since graduated and entered the Army] we migrated to Maine. Where we own a large new home on 150 acres with 1/4 mile of river frontage.
I retired in 2001 and had a family of 7, it is now 16 years later. Along the way there has been a recession and the economy has changed a bit. I really do not think that living on Minimum-Wage is much different now than it was back in 2001.
The difference between low COL and high COL, is exactly the ability to support a family [without welfare], vs single and roommates.
I am on a military pension of $1480/month [which is very close to flipping burgers]. When I retired we had 5 children at home with us.
A few years after I retired, when we were down to only one child still attending highschool [He has since graduated and entered the Army] we migrated to Maine. Where we own a large new home on 150 acres with 1/4 mile of river frontage.
I retired in 2001 and had a family of 7, it is now 16 years later. Along the way there has been a recession and the economy has changed a bit. I really do not think that living on Minimum-Wage is much different now than it was back in 2001.
The difference between low COL and high COL, is exactly the ability to support a family [without welfare], vs single and roommates.
The spouse would have to work; essentially a roommate.
I think you could do it here, it would be tight, but I think you could. After taxes here a full time min. wage would net you about $1,300/month.
Here is a breakdown:
1 bedroom apartment: $450
Utilities: $100
Car Payment: $200 (This could afford you a $10-$12k car over 60 or 72 months).
Car Insurance: $50
Health Insurance (According to online calculator given the income): $59
Food & Household: $250
Cell Phone: $40
Internet: $40
Car Gas: $50
That's just shy of $1,250/month.
It definitely doesn't leave any wiggle room and you wouldn't have much of a social life, but if you wanted to live completely independently you could do it. I'd also hope most people aren't making min. wage for very long.
In a perfect world. The world for most MW people is not perfect... ie: they probably don't get FT hours every week. I've never actually known a FT job to be minimum wage. Everywhere I ever worked... getting full-time was a promotion which meant it was at least 1 step up from minimum, usually several steps.
Actually the budget you posted there actually comes out to $7.74 an hour for 40 hours a week, over minimum wage. Your minimum wage FT worker would be $40 a month short... that's before taxes. Such an income would never qualify for the 3x income:rent ratio that most property managers ask for. He'd have to go on the section 8 lottery.
The only way he does it is by sharing a 2br apartment - say 650, so his rent is $325 and his utilities $50. Then he makes it...barely... if nothing goes wrong.
In a perfect world. The world for most MW people is not perfect... ie: they probably don't get FT hours every week. I've never actually known a FT job to be minimum wage. Everywhere I ever worked... getting full-time was a promotion which meant it was at least 1 step up from minimum, usually several steps.
Actually the budget you posted there actually comes out to $7.74 an hour for 40 hours a week, over minimum wage. Your minimum wage FT worker would be $40 a month short... that's before taxes. Such an income would never qualify for the 3x income:rent ratio that most property managers ask for. He'd have to go on the section 8 lottery.
The only way he does it is by sharing a 2br apartment - say 650, so his rent is $325 and his utilities $50. Then he makes it...barely... if nothing goes wrong.
The min wage in my state is $8.50/hr. I didn't say that min wage people work full time, just that a full time min wage job could support an independent lifestyle where I am, not that it would.
Your post stated that there isn't anywhere a min wage job could support an independent lifestyle. You didn't stipulate the number of hours.
I am on a military pension of $1480/month [which is very close to flipping burgers]. When I retired we had 5 children at home with us.
A few years after I retired, when we were down to only one child still attending highschool [He has since graduated and entered the Army] we migrated to Maine. Where we own a large new home on 150 acres with 1/4 mile of river frontage.
I retired in 2001 and had a family of 7, it is now 16 years later. Along the way there has been a recession and the economy has changed a bit. I really do not think that living on Minimum-Wage is much different now than it was back in 2001.
The difference between low COL and high COL, is exactly the ability to support a family [without welfare], vs single and roommates.
My husband got $2,300 and some, but then he died. F me.
Lives in our basement.
We pay for health insurance and health care.
We pay for utilities.
She eats our food.
Uses our internet.
She pays for
Car payment and insurance (older - 2006 car)
Cell phone.
eating out once in a while.
Some of her food.
Food and vet bills for her dog.
Some clothing.
Gasoline.
Student loan.
She rarely makes it from one check to the next without help.
Are you trying to say it's impossible for a fast food worker to move? I can't even count the number of times that family members and their friends have moved cross country when they were low income or without jobs. Many times they have just filled up their cars and hit the road. We know one person who didn't have a car and hitchhiked. And if someone is working in fast food, they probably can pre-arrange a new job in their new city at the same chain.
And none of them regret the 2-3 day challenge of moving away from their previous high cost of living area.
Not impossible but difficult. What should the low wage earners in the high COL areas do? So one person moves, that leaves their job open in the high COL area for someone else to take, and not be able to get by.
How is a MW worker supposed to raise the money for deposits? How is he supposed to prove income for an apt?
He will also need at least 1 month's survival money, preferably 2. When I was a MW-type worker it always took me about 6 weeks to land something. MW jobs are not the kind that pay moving expenses, lol!
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