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Old 11-27-2017, 10:05 PM
 
395 posts, read 488,137 times
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Was there anywhere in the Pittsburgh Metro Area where you could've gotten by on $600 a month in 1999? I'm bored watching the first season of Family guy and it's the episode where Peter gets a welfare check that he thought was for $150 a week until Brian pointed out to him that it was for $150,000 and that got me to wondering if someone in Pittsburgh could've gotten by on that little in 1999. Yes, I'm that bored, LOL.
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Old 11-27-2017, 10:29 PM
 
255 posts, read 284,639 times
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Not without welfare, supplemental social security or assistance from your family.
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Old 11-28-2017, 06:38 AM
 
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I'm going to say maybe. $150/week at 52 weeks a year is $650 a month (let's assume net, not gross, since Peter got a check for that amount). With a $500 apartment, a roommate, no debt, no car, and a lot of frugality/luck...it is conceivable.
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Old 11-28-2017, 07:22 AM
 
Location: Pittsburgh's North Side
1,701 posts, read 1,598,432 times
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There was a 1br/1ba apartment near us on the Northside that rented for $350/month recently. I'm sure $150/week isn't easy, but it's not impossible. Not sure if a family with two parents and three kids like the Griffins could do it, though.
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Old 11-28-2017, 07:27 AM
 
8,090 posts, read 6,956,215 times
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With SNAP, yes.
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Old 11-28-2017, 08:51 AM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
1,491 posts, read 1,459,219 times
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with a housing voucher and snap, one could do so even today.
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Old 11-28-2017, 02:21 PM
 
3,595 posts, read 3,389,850 times
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For the people who say it can't be done have never been poor, I could figure a way to do it now without any help.
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Old 11-28-2017, 05:06 PM
 
6,357 posts, read 5,051,508 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by guy2073 View Post
For the people who say it can't be done have never been poor, I could figure a way to do it now without any help.
i agree...but would you be happy? I would not be - at that economic level, some will become resentful, stressed, bitter....
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Old 11-28-2017, 05:36 PM
 
3,595 posts, read 3,389,850 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by szug-bot View Post
i agree...but would you be happy? I would not be - at that economic level, some will become resentful, stressed, bitter....
Not necessarily, I was dirt poor like that at one point like that, I was not unhappy, I can tell you life was a lot less stressful when I was poor.
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Old 11-28-2017, 08:42 PM
 
146 posts, read 133,682 times
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As others have pointed out, there are a lot of programs out there. Poor people aren't just handed a small check and sent on their way. In reality, Peter Griffin would have received that welfare check along with food stamps for his family, a Section 8 housing voucher that makes his rent on a 4 BR home $12/mo, free medical insurance for the family, free daycare for Stewie, free public transportation, free college education, and free job training. After all of that the Griffins could then go to private charities and get food from the local food bank, free donated clothes, free christmas toys for the kids, and often a free beater car. So, no, a person could not have survived off of $600/mo back in the 90s in Pittsburgh but with all of the other programs available they'd be ok. Many people choose this life as their only other option is working multiple part-time, minimum wage jobs.
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