Best place to be poor in LA? (Los Angeles, Long Beach: apartment, health insurance)

[PDF]

If you're willing to get a roommate, you can get by. I mean, that's what I'm going to do. I don't think it's right to say this is poor people, there's so many people out there who only make 9 or 10 bucks an hour.

[marilyn220]

Originally Posted by smokingGun

The cost of housing in LA is much higher than in Boston. Plus public transportation is 2nd rate at best. Most importantly living wage jobs are hard to come by since you're competing against illegal immigrant laborers, legal non-english speaking immigrants, college kiddies & wanna-be aspiring actors, singers, models etc. The job market at the lower end of the scale is really really tough. Unless you have outside financial support you could wind up homeless living out of your car. Think long & hard before you make the move.

This post is the TRUTH.

Might I suggest getting a job (even retail) in your current city FIRST, then after a couple of months transferring over to their LA office or store.

[marilyn220]

Originally Posted by PDF

If you're willing to get a roommate, you can get by. I mean, that's what I'm going to do. I don't think it's right to say this is poor people, there's so many people out there who only make 9 or 10 bucks an hour.

$9 to $10 an hour in an expensive city like LA or NY is "poor". It might be middle class for Idaho or Kentucky, but not for LA.

I've said this in other threads, but 70% of the people living in LA are probably eligible for food stamps, but are too "proud" to realize it.

[moonsparkle]

You'd think someone who speaks perfect English, citizen, and college degree would be above so many in LA to get a job.

[BarcelonaFan]

How in the hell is making ten bucks an hour a "middle class" salary? In any city?

Americans are so proud they don't want to admit that they're poor. I mean the national optimism is turning into a form of delusional denial.

If you cannot retire on your salary, don't think you have good job security, can't afford health care or could be devastated by the loss of two paychecks, then you're poor. It's that simple. Going to the movies, able to buy the latest I phone and making payments on a p.o.s car doesn't make you middle class.

[marilyn220]

Originally Posted by BarcelonaFan

How in the hell is making ten bucks an hour a "middle class" salary? In any city?

I don't know, but the poster I was responding to seemed to take offense to the word "poor" as if there are different degrees of it. Making $10 an hour is upper middle class for third world countries.

Americans are so proud they don't want to admit that they're poor. I mean the national optimism is turning into a form of delusional denial.

Yes, it is.

If you cannot retire on your salary, don't think you have good job security, can't afford health care or could be devastated by the loss of two paychecks, then you're poor. It's that simple. Going to the movies, able to buy the latest I phone and making payments on a p.o.s car doesn't make you middle class.

Exactly. California always has cities that make the top ten broke list in some way (i.e., unemployment, homelessness, foreclosures, etc.). They never talk about the hundreds of thousands who get evicted from their apartments everyday due to economic circumstances.

If I would have been able to secure a decent paying job in LA, I would still be living there. I stayed there for close to 7 years struggling "wishing and hoping" that something would come in and it never did.

Not that I was rich in NYC, but I never knew struggle like that before in my entire life. People working for years and years at traditionally low paying jobs like Rite Aid and the supermarkets like these are "career" jobs. Yes, they might be union, but the pay is still incredibly low to start and it would probably take ten years to make $13 an hour (IF that).

[french paris]

Originally Posted by marilyn220

I don't know, but the poster I was responding to seemed to take offense to the word "poor" as if there are different degrees of it. Making $10 an hour is upper middle class for third world countries.



Yes, it is.



Exactly. California always has cities that make the top ten broke list in some way (i.e., unemployment, homelessness, foreclosures, etc.). They never talk about the hundreds of thousands who get evicted from their apartments everyday due to economic circumstances.

If I would have been able to secure a decent paying job in LA, I would still be living there. I stayed there for close to 7 years struggling "wishing and hoping" that something would come in and it never did.

Not that I was rich in NYC, but I never knew struggle like that before in my entire life. People working for years and years at traditionally low paying jobs like Rite Aid and the supermarkets like these are "career" jobs. Yes, they might be union, but the pay is still incredibly low to start and it would probably take ten years to make $13 an hour (IF that).

Unfortunately the pay will give the same money..adjusted to inflation and maybe less

[Lilly1224]

Originally Posted by BarcelonaFan

The one bedroom I have now is still too small. For 950 and some change I can live like a king in Houston. If I got a roommate and we both had to split the rent 50/50 at 950, we would have a sweet ass two stort townhome brand new with garage, all right next to midtown where the action's at, hardwoord floors, new kitchen, the works. And even then people would think I was a stupid idiot for paying that much for pad!

True, but you'd be in Houston.

[Lilly1224]

Originally Posted by marilyn220

$9 to $10 an hour in an expensive city like LA or NY is "poor". It might be middle class for Idaho or Kentucky, but not for LA.

I've said this in other threads, but 70% of the people living in LA are probably eligible for food stamps, but are too "proud" to realize it.

Even in places like Idaho and Kentucky, if a person makes 9 or 10 bucks an hour they are still poor. But they are able to fool themselves into believing otherwise, because the cost of living is more "affordable" than in high cost areas like NYC, SF, DC, Boston, LA [insert other expensive cities].

Also, I'm shocked by the number of people who have to live w/ room-mates just to get by. Sorry, but if these people are working but still require room-mates to survive they are poor.

It amazes me that so many poor people consider themselves middle class, when in fact, they are really part of the working poor.

[Curmudgeon]

Jail! A roof over your head and three hots and a cot!