How do people survive on minimum wage?

[hvactec]

---(They don't they just exist after 3 years they become zombies)----

Article> One of my clients recently reported getting a job at a fast-food restaurant. Since she's been unemployed and desperately looking for work for nearly a year, I was thrilled for her. She was very excited that she'll be making $7.50 an hour -– a whole quarter more than minimum wage.



After she left my office, I got out a calculator. I've never worked for minimum wage, so I didn't know exactly how much -- or how little -- money that is.



Assuming 80 hours per pay period, my client will be bringing home around $462 every two weeks. That's with no health insurance or retirement contributions.



If I brought home $924 a month, would I even be able to survive? I decided to find out.

read more How do people survive on minimum wage?- MSN Money

 

[Againsheila]

They don't, they can't, I've been saying that for years, more than 75% of those working for minimum wage are adults and minimum wage currently has the lowest spending power in history. In the richest country in the world, the poorest worker should make a living wage.

 

[California Girl]

They don't, they can't, I've been saying that for years, more than 75% of those working for minimum wage are adults and minimum wage currently has the lowest spending power in history. In the richest country in the world, the poorest worker should make a living wage.

What is a 'living wage'? Given that if a business increases what it pays its workers, it generally has to increase the price to its customers... therefore the cost of living goes up, which means the 'living wage' is no longer a 'living wage' which means it needs to be increased... which leads to increased prices to customers, which leads to an increase in the cost of living, which leads to an increase in the 'living wage', which leads to.... I think you get where I'm going with this. There is no simple answer... and people really should recognize that and stop expecting simple answers.

 

[The T]

The question should be is WHY anyone would tolerate Government picking winnders and losers.

WHY is thier a minimumwage? Because it Gives UNIONS room to jack UP thier prices for thier money laundering with politicians.

Certain Statists ARE correct on these boards...'Free Market' Doesn't exist...because we have Politicians making sure it doesn't.

YOU get paid for what you're worth.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

This is what you get when you have a society where the price is everything.
Like I have said 1000 times...we live in a country where the nations largest company is a retail giant whose company motto is "lowest possible price".

 

[The Rabbi]

---(They don't they just exist after 3 years they become zombies)----

Article> One of my clients recently reported getting a job at a fast-food restaurant. Since she's been unemployed and desperately looking for work for nearly a year, I was thrilled for her. She was very excited that she'll be making $7.50 an hour -– a whole quarter more than minimum wage.



After she left my office, I got out a calculator. I've never worked for minimum wage, so I didn't know exactly how much -- or how little -- money that is.



Assuming 80 hours per pay period, my client will be bringing home around $462 every two weeks. That's with no health insurance or retirement contributions.



If I brought home $924 a month, would I even be able to survive? I decided to find out.

read more How do people survive on minimum wage?- MSN Money

There's the first problem right there. People getting by on minwage jobs do not work 80 hours every 2 weeks. They work 80hrs every week. Minimum. I knew a guy, a Thai immigrant, who worked a day job, a night job, and a weekend job. So double that to over $1800/mo. Yeah, you can get by on that.
Second, the number of heads of households who work min wage jobs is miniscule. Holders of such jobs are typically married women returning to the workforce, teenagers, people living with others who are earning money.
Finally, very few people stay at min wage. As they develop skills and experience they increase their pay scales dramatically.
Of course if you increase the min wage you do away with jobs like that, and make it harder for people to get on the ladder. This is why black teen unemployment is over 40%.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

They don't, they can't, I've been saying that for years, more than 75% of those working for minimum wage are adults and minimum wage currently has the lowest spending power in history. In the richest country in the world, the poorest worker should make a living wage.

Funny. I know lots of people who make minimum wage, every single one of them is alive.

 

[asaratis]

There are also jobs for which minimum wage does not apply. I think the going rate for table waiters here in Atlanta is $2.13/hr. They are expected to make up the difference by hustling for tips...giving good service, etc. A decent bartender makes $5.00/hr.

I tip rather heavily wherever I eat and drink because I know these people don't make shit compared to my salary...and they're just tryin' to make a livin'...put some bread on the table for those grubby little crumb snatchers crawlin' around the home place.

I feel a bit of guilt every time I treat myself to a new thousand dollar pistol...happened again just yesterday.

 

[The Rabbi]

There are also jobs for which minimum wage does not apply. I think the going rate for table waiters here in Atlanta is $2.13/hr. They are expected to make up the difference by hustling for tips...giving good service, etc. A decent bartender makes $5.00/hr.

I tip rather heavily wherever I eat and drink because I know these people don't make shit compared to my salary...and they're just tryin' to make a livin'...put some bread on the table for those grubby little crumb snatchers crawlin' around the home place.

I feel a bit of guilt every time I treat myself to a new thousand dollar pistol...happened again just yesterday.

You can send your pistol to me to assuage your guilt.

Of course I have no use for a $1k pistol. But whatever.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

Minimum wage isn't designed to be lived on... it's at best a bare minimum, entry level wage.

 

[hvactec]

They don't, they can't, I've been saying that for years, more than 75% of those working for minimum wage are adults and minimum wage currently has the lowest spending power in history. In the richest country in the world, the poorest worker should make a living wage.

Funny. I know lots of people who make minimum wage, every single one of them is alive.

yup it is funny when your young u can fall down and get right back up. when you've been working out here for 30 plus years and have to go back to that, and start all over its rough.
just do it right the first time right..

I Thought the recession was bad when carter was in then Regen came in office and thing's were better in a Farley short period of time.
but now 30 plus years later & 30+ years older and here we go again the Bush/ Obama Great depression.
words of wisdom never give up, keep moving

 

[Wry Catcher]

They don't, they can't, I've been saying that for years, more than 75% of those working for minimum wage are adults and minimum wage currently has the lowest spending power in history. In the richest country in the world, the poorest worker should make a living wage.

What is a 'living wage'? Given that if a business increases what it pays its workers, it generally has to increase the price to its customers... therefore the cost of living goes up, which means the 'living wage' is no longer a 'living wage' which means it needs to be increased... which leads to increased prices to customers, which leads to an increase in the cost of living, which leads to an increase in the 'living wage', which leads to.... I think you get where I'm going with this. There is no simple answer... and people really should recognize that and stop expecting simple answers.

So, what is the complex answer?

The callous conservative answer is, "it's all about personal responsibility"; and that CG is a simple answer and a simple solution solved by saying or thinking, "I got mine, screw the rest of them".

 

[Moonglow]

The question should be is WHY anyone would tolerate Government picking winnders and losers.

WHY is thier a minimumwage? Because it Gives UNIONS room to jack UP thier prices for thier money laundering with politicians.

Certain Statists ARE correct on these boards...'Free Market' Doesn't exist...because we have Politicians making sure it doesn't.

YOU get paid for what you're worth.

You couldn't be more wrong

 

[OODA_Loop]

The callous conservative answer is, "it's all about personal responsibility"

It is the callous LIFE answer.

 

[The T]

The question should be is WHY anyone would tolerate Government picking winnders and losers.

WHY is thier a minimumwage? Because it Gives UNIONS room to jack UP thier prices for thier money laundering with politicians.

Certain Statists ARE correct on these boards...'Free Market' Doesn't exist...because we have Politicians making sure it doesn't.

YOU get paid for what you're worth.

You couldn't be more wrong

Illustrate or shut up.

 

[PoliticalChic]

---(They don't they just exist after 3 years they become zombies)----

Article> One of my clients recently reported getting a job at a fast-food restaurant. Since she's been unemployed and desperately looking for work for nearly a year, I was thrilled for her. She was very excited that she'll be making $7.50 an hour -– a whole quarter more than minimum wage.



After she left my office, I got out a calculator. I've never worked for minimum wage, so I didn't know exactly how much -- or how little -- money that is.



Assuming 80 hours per pay period, my client will be bringing home around $462 every two weeks. That's with no health insurance or retirement contributions.



If I brought home $924 a month, would I even be able to survive? I decided to find out.

read more How do people survive on minimum wage?- MSN Money

So...how much are you giving her?


You're not going to say that the extent of your concern was this OP, are you?


'Cause that would make you.....what.....a Liberal?

 

[Listening]

I didn't take the time to read the entire article and study it.

Simply put, many people work more than one job.

Next...they get roomates.

If you are talking about married people, I have to question who gets married or who marries someone who can't do better than minimum wage ?

There are ways to stretch your dollar.

I don't like that some people have to do it, but that is what the market has to offer.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

I worked for less than minimum wage as a young man. Then I went to school, learned a trade and MADE MY OWN LIFE BETTER.

 

[The T]

I worked for less than minimum wage as a young man. Then I went to school, learned a trade and MADE MY OWN LIFE BETTER.

^The way it ought to be.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

They don't, they can't, I've been saying that for years, more than 75% of those working for minimum wage are adults and minimum wage currently has the lowest spending power in history. In the richest country in the world, the poorest worker should make a living wage.

What is a 'living wage'? Given that if a business increases what it pays its workers, it generally has to increase the price to its customers... therefore the cost of living goes up, which means the 'living wage' is no longer a 'living wage' which means it needs to be increased... which leads to increased prices to customers, which leads to an increase in the cost of living, which leads to an increase in the 'living wage', which leads to.... I think you get where I'm going with this. There is no simple answer... and people really should recognize that and stop expecting simple answers.

So, what is the complex answer?

The callous conservative answer is, "it's all about personal responsibility"; and that CG is a simple answer and a simple solution solved by saying or thinking, "I got mine, screw the rest of them".

The progressive response is to force the ants that planned ahead to provide for the grasshopper. You should spend more time reading Aesop and less time reading Marx.

The Ants and the Grasshopper