Basic math that I knocked out last night:
$820 per month for rent (apartments in Austin can be found as low as $665) + $290 per month for groceries (the average american spends $287 on groceries) + $120 per month for bus (assuming that the bus is being taken 4 times a day - twice there and twice back) = $1230 per month for living expenses. Currently on minimum wage: $7.75 x 40 = $310 per week $280 x 4 = $1240 per month (Assuming no bonuses, raises, or overtime.) Is money tight? Yes. Is it difficult? Yes. But it is possible to live on current minimum wage. Thank you.You can tell somebody still relies on someone else to pay their bills. Let’s do a little bit more math.
Above wage/month =/=$1240 first of all. There’s this little thing called taxes that the government likes to get; drop that $1240 to $906 (about 27% which goes to social security, unemployment, federal and local taxes).
Your awesome apartment probably covers water and garbage, but they don’t likely cover electricity. There’s another approximately $80/month. Do you need a way for your employer to get in touch with you? A basic cell plan is about $50, if you drop all the texting, etc.
We’re already underwater here, but let’s figure a few other things. Even getting all your clothes from thrifting, you’re going to need a few dollars a month for sundries: cleaning supplies (and you can’t forget the cost of laundry itself, another $10/month assuming you do a load a week in a laundromat in your building), hygiene supplies, specialized uniform maybe (things like steel-toed boots can set you back $150 alone).
God forbid you get sick; even if your minimum-wage job includes insurance you’ve probably got a $25/visit copayment. If it doesn’t, which most don’t, it’ll be a $90 ZoomCare visit or in the upper hundreds for the ER, if you wait too long.
tl;dr - don’t do bullshit math until you have *all* the numbers down, son.
Not to mention most people on minimum wage aren’t getting 40 hours a week from one job. Most places bar people from working over 30 hours because a whole tier of benefits kick in if you’re considered full time.
Oh, and do you have kids who are under 5? Because people don’t watch kids under 5 for free, so unless you’re lucky enough to have a relative who also doesn’t have to work and is willing to watch your kids every day for free, you’re looking at, oh, at least another $200 a week gone right there. And if your kids are over 5 but not old enough to look after themselves and you don’t work school hours, welcome to paying for after care! Not as expensive as full daycare, but still $$$.
America!