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I remember about 15 years ago. You could move out the most midwestern cities, get a minimum wage job, and just be able to live a somewhat decent lifestyle off that. Afford a small apartment, a car, food, and maybe even save a hundred or two hundred a month.
Well I know those days are gone for most places in the US. But is there anywhere like this still?
I'm living in a foreign country now. Been living here for a long time. I'm thinking about making to plunge back to the US in a couple more years and i'd like to relocate to a nice cheap place where I can live a decent lifestyle even though i'm not rich.
I lived in Colorado a few years ago and it was shockingly expensive.
I think there absolutely are. It just depends how you want to live. Let's take where I live (Pittsburgh). If you work a minimum wage job ($7.25/hr) for 40 hours/week, 50 weeks/year, that is $14,500/year. I used to rent an apartment for $270/mo, plus utilities (it was a crappy, crappy place and I had a few roommates, but they can be found). So lets say $270/mo plus $150/mo for utilities, that is $5,040/year to live. Now you need to get around, a bus pass is $90/mo, or $1,080/year. You also need to eat, let's say $250/mo, or $3,000/year. Again - these are real numbers from my personal budget.
To recap:
Gross yearly salary: $14,500
Rent (yearly): $3,240
Utilities (yearly): $1,800 Food (yearly): $3,000
Money left over: $5,380
This budget leaves $448/mo left over after covering bare necessities. Would life be fun? Not at all, but you CAN live on minimum wage in many areas. The problem is what people define as a 'necessity'. When I was living like this a cell phone/cable/internet/eating out/a car/etc. were all luxuries. Food on the table, a roof over your head and a bus/train/subway to/from work is what you need.
There are lots of places where you can live pretty well if you go the roommates + transit/bike route. It's still possible in some places to have a vehicle OR a place of your own. Course there's always the option of living in a van - does that have any appeal??
HNSQ
You left a lot of things out of that budget:
1) taxes-federal and state income taxes
2) clothing/shoes
3) personal care items- shampoos, razors, shaving cream, soap etc
4) doctor/dental visits
There are lots of places where you can live pretty well if you go the roommates + transit/bike route. It's still possible in some places to have a vehicle OR a place of your own. Course there's always the option of living in a van - does that have any appeal??
Yup. It does have a appeal.
When I move back to the US I plan on buying some raw land in a remote area, a van, and just making a go at it.
I have lost my desire to enter the uphill battle of renting, working full time, etc. I'm sill considering it. But since I am poor I feel like i've been exiled out of the American dream and i'd better just focus on survival. I tried to climb up that ladder for 10 years and it brought me nothing but frustration and pain.
As for doing the bike/transit and roomates thing. I don't mind doing that. But it just doesn't lead anywhere. I just kinda get stuck there.
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