Living in Boston on minimum wage. (apartment, for rent, eyeglasses)

[isthispossible]

Seems like it can be done.. if one makes 9.00/hr and works say 45 hours a week, that leaves them with about 1,800/mo or 1,500/mo after taxes.

With an apartment at 500/mo with utilities paid for, can this relatively comfortably be done, or are my budgets off somewhere..?

1,500/mo - 500 rent =
1000/mo - 300 food-100 toiletries =
600/mo - 300 internet and cellphone and T-pass =
300/mo - 100 having any form of a life

That leaves 200/mo. Seems plausible to me.. I must be missing something.

[xS☺B☺s]

The only way you can do that is with roomates. Not sure how many roomates will welcome a minimum wage earner. Stigma. The closest apt I could find >600 was in Pawtuket RI. No listing less than 800 in Boston.

Originally Posted by isthispossible

Seems like it can be done.. if one makes 9.00/hr and works say 45 hours a week, that leaves them with about 1,800/mo or 1,500/mo after taxes.

With an apartment at 500/mo with utilities paid for, can this relatively comfortably be done, or are my budgets off somewhere..?

1,500/mo - 500 rent =
1000/mo - 300 food-100 toiletries =
600/mo - 300 internet and cellphone and T-pass =
300/mo - 100 having any form of a life

That leaves 200/mo. Seems plausible to me.. I must be missing something.

[isthispossible]

Yes I was assuming having roommates. With a 4br, and some 3br, it's not too hard getting to 500/mo.

[xS☺B☺s]

Originally Posted by isthispossible

Yes I was assuming having roommates. With a 4br, and some 3br, it's not too hard getting to 500/mo.

I may be wrong, but I always assumed most of the roommate crowd is college students. Assuming that's true if you are any degree older, you may face some age discrimination.

[mmyk72]

How about health insurance, any sort of drugs / medical expenses, dental work, eyeglasses - perhaps these are inclusive in the toiletries category.

I guess the minimal type of living works for awhile in theory - assuming the 500 all inclusive rent can be had.

However I doubt anyone wants to live that way for a lifetime - no ability to budget for anything beyond the basics, take care of unexpected costs, save for retirement, support a family, etc.

[isthispossible]

I know some roommates, and how to keep my teeth clean. I'm young and active so I don't expect to be spending much on my health. I just wanted to make sure there was nothing big I was leaving out - it's good to know this can be done.

[mmyk72]

If you're young and can do the roommate route, sounds possible. Once people get older, being with a bunch of roomies who are probably of the younger crowd may not feel as ok anymore.

Health insurance, if not covered by employer, will need to be purchased out of pocket. It's mandatory in MA. Don't know the ballpark cost but may be low given you're young.

[Verseau]

If you are under 26 and you have parents with health insurance, you can be covered by their plan.

[eevee]

Originally Posted by xS☺Be

I may be wrong, but I always assumed most of the roommate crowd is college students. Assuming that's true if you are any degree older, you may face some age discrimination.

I've had roommates as old as 37 (divorcee who lost his house to the ex). It's not that uncommon in the Boston area and probably is more common in this day and age. Certainly not ideal of course.

The biggest issue w/ this budget is the rent. $500 with all utilities included seems impossibly low. Sure, it can be had in places like Pawtucket or places in MA close to Rhode Island, but any rent savings will be eaten up by the cost of a commuter rail pass needed to get into the city. The cheapest rent I ever paid was $300 to rent a living room in an apartment in Mattapan. There were 7 of us in a 3 bedroom, 1 bath apartment and the apartment was so drafty that we would end up paying as much as $200/person just to keep the place heated. In the end, I probably spent closer to $600/month for rent, heat, electricity (which, in the summer, could spike up to over $200 due to AC), and internet.

On the other hand, $300 for internet, cellphone, and a T pass seems too high, unless you've got an iPhone and a pricey data plan. If so, I'd dump and pocket the extra cash for emergencies

one thing you're missing from that list is clothing. That can be quite expensive, especially if you're female

[Verseau]

Originally Posted by eevee

The biggest issue w/ this budget is the rent. $500 with all utilities included seems impossibly low.

It's definitely low, but I've seen rents like that (not super far from the city, either)... mostly in Dorchester, Roxbury, and East Boston. I consider myself lucky to live in a 3br with two roommates right near JFK/UMass, and only pay $400 plus utilities (about $50 a month). But it just goes to show that it's possible. My T pass is $59/month.

I do think that $550 is probably a more realistic minimum, though, unless you get lucky.