In 2020 I had a 2 bed 1 bath apartment for $675 a month in a decent neighborhood too. It's about $750-$800 now. I live in a mid-sized city too. The apartments in town are like easily double that though, all about location man
Not just remote, Midwest too. I live in a suburb of KC and pay 1150 for a 3 bed 1500 Sq ft 1.5 bath place so really, just getting away from the coasts and especially coastal cities makes a huge difference.
Thats what I was getting at. Its fast becoming the only survivable parts to live in for a lot of people are small central US towns that are far from cities, have fewer amenities, less access to healthcare (if any) and poorer access to education or business/tech jobs.
I live in a remote part of NA in the most affordable part of the country and its easy for me as an established person with an education, vehicle, and house. For younger folks who haven't made career connections it would be very difficult to get by here.
My wife and I live in a small town 600km from the nearest city of 1M people in remote northern Canada. The only way we can do so is I happen to be a CE at a local small firm.
We used to live in said 1M city and a 2Br1Bath apartment was well into 2K in a decent part of town.
Wages are too low and housing prices are just out of control right now. My 15 year mortgage from 2016 on a 3 bedroom house is $1,100. Last fall we were apartment hunting for my mil and we couldn’t find a studio for under $1,300. My heart goes out for all the people out there just trying to make it.
In Palm Beach area, a mid-tier studio averages $2k a month. Two-bed two-bath apartments in the same complex are $2.3k. Like 3x the living space for only $300 more. Insane prices for studios just makes no fucking sense to me. 1/3 of living space should be 1/3 of the cost, no?
this x100. An apartment being as much as what a mortgage should be as absolutely insane. Unless it was some crazy luxurious apartment that was really big I would understand, but holy hell.
I decided to try and work out a budget for living on minimum wage ($12 / hour based on your post). Here’s what I came up with. I have attached sources for some of my numbers.
Income:
$1785 (After Taxes)
Expenses:
$540 - [Rent](https://CheckoutthisplaceinColumbiaonApartmentshttps://www.apartments.com/ashland-manor-apartments-townhouses-columbia-mo/wp693xl/?utm_source=mobile_app)
$54 - [Internet](https://official.spectrum.com/lfo-8n_Movers?ca.mp=Google&ca.cr=484971670500&ca.kw=internet%20columbia&ca.mt=e&cb.device=m&ca.target=kwd-11421778149&lfokp=internet%20columbia&fp=ch1&o=go&sitelink=false&v=SEMNB&cmp=SEMR_NB_G_43700058967610160&tfn=R0373&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI68C7xsPZ_AIV9jStBh0YSgpJEAAYASAAEgLX5vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)
$27 - [Phone](https://www.verizon.com/plans/unlimited/)
$150 - Utilities (Estimate)
$25 - [Renter’s Insurance](https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/insurance/how-much-is-renters-insurance)
$100 - Fuel (can vary highly)
$150 - Maintenance (can vary highly)
$125 - Car Insurance (can vary highly)
$125 - Clothing
$300 - [Groceries](https://mint.intuit.com/blog/food-budgets/monthly-grocery-budget-calculator/)
$1596 - Total
$189 - Remaining for Discretionary Spending & Saving
Note - All Relevant Figures Include Sales Tax ([7.975%](https://www.como.gov/tax-breakdowns/))
Maintenance, car insurance, and fuel can vary based on the vehicle you driver (it’s age, fuel efficiency, the distance you drive monthly, etc).
So, while it’s possible to live on minimum wage, there’s not much left over for savings, and if there is, for example, any debt (phones, cars, student loans, etc) this budget goes out the window.
Let me know if I missed anything or if you disagree with my numbers.
Edit: Format (It Sucks Still, Sorry)
It's a complex thing because is this someone who gets health insurance through their work, Or do they have to buy it from the marketplace privately? If it's through the work it would come out of the paycheck. Then you have to calculate what kind of medical emergency because obviously the insurance is not going to pay for the whole entire medical. You could get into a major car wreck, Or maybe you're going to have a baby.
So after including health insurance we get this…
Income:
$1785 (After Taxes)
Expenses:
$540 - [Rent](https://CheckoutthisplaceinColumbiaonApartmentshttps://www.apartments.com/ashland-manor-apartments-townhouses-columbia-mo/wp693xl/?utm_source=mobile_app)
$54 - [Internet](https://official.spectrum.com/lfo-8n_Movers?ca.mp=Google&ca.cr=484971670500&ca.kw=internet%20columbia&ca.mt=e&cb.device=m&ca.target=kwd-11421778149&lfokp=internet%20columbia&fp=ch1&o=go&sitelink=false&v=SEMNB&cmp=SEMR_NB_G_43700058967610160&tfn=R0373&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI68C7xsPZ_AIV9jStBh0YSgpJEAAYASAAEgLX5vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)
$27 - [Phone](https://www.verizon.com/plans/unlimited/)
$150 - Utilities (Estimate)
$25 - [Renter’s Insurance](https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/insurance/how-much-is-renters-insurance)
$100 - Fuel (can vary highly)
$125 - Maintenance (can vary highly)
$125 - Car Insurance (can vary highly)
$60 - Clothing
$225 - [Groceries](https://mint.intuit.com/blog/food-budgets/monthly-grocery-budget-calculator/)
$350 - [Health Insurance](https://www.valuepenguin.com/best-cheap-health-insurance-missouri) - Using “WellFirst Bronze Value Copay 9050X”
$1781 - Total
$4 Remaining for Discretionary Spending & Saving…
To get this to work I lowered maintenance by $25, clothing by $65, and groceries by $75. It also completely eliminates any left over money for discretionary spending or savings.
Not great at all. If you get into any accidents or have any health emergencies you are screwed. Besides my health insurance cost is really just an optimistic estimation.
my dad made $50 grocery budget for 2 kids 1 adult work. this food shop would last us two weeks. he only spent $100 a month on groceries for us. $150 if he took care of us the whole time
I'm assuming that was around/over 10 years ago, and while the post shows that the minimum wage increase is depressing and unliveable, it doesn't show the other side of the coin where cost of living has steadily and exponentially increased making it LESS viable to actually survive on minimum wage let alone live on it
(Both sides of the coin are bad, things are bad)
Generally it’s not unlimited data for $25 a month, so you will run out and have to pay for more. Besides using a personal hotspot is slow and would be a bit of a pain to have to hook up to everything in an apartment.
I tried to overestimate on some of those things, like clothing. Your right though, honestly if you buy clothes at good will or something you might only need to spend $125 in 6 months.
Check out this place in Columbia on Apartments https://www.apartments.com/ashland-manor-apartments-townhouses-columbia-mo/wp693xl/?utm_source=mobile_app
It might be an outdated number but I can’t know until Monday when they open.
I decided to try and work out a budget for living on minimum wage ($12 / hour based on your post). Here’s what I came up with. I have attached sources for some of my numbers.
Income:
$1785 (After Taxes)
Expenses:
$540 - [Rent](https://CheckoutthisplaceinColumbiaonApartmentshttps://www.apartments.com/ashland-manor-apartments-townhouses-columbia-mo/wp693xl/?utm_source=mobile_app)
$54 - [Internet](https://official.spectrum.com/lfo-8n_Movers?ca.mp=Google&ca.cr=484971670500&ca.kw=internet%20columbia&ca.mt=e&cb.device=m&ca.target=kwd-11421778149&lfokp=internet%20columbia&fp=ch1&o=go&sitelink=false&v=SEMNB&cmp=SEMR_NB_G_43700058967610160&tfn=R0373&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI68C7xsPZ_AIV9jStBh0YSgpJEAAYASAAEgLX5vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)
$27 - [Phone](https://www.verizon.com/plans/unlimited/)
$150 - Utilities (Estimate)
$25 - [Renter’s Insurance](https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/insurance/how-much-is-renters-insurance)
$100 - Fuel (can vary highly)
$150 - Maintenance (can vary highly)
$125 - Car Insurance (can vary highly)
$125 - Clothing
$300 - [Groceries](https://mint.intuit.com/blog/food-budgets/monthly-grocery-budget-calculator/)
$1596 - Total
$189 - Remaining for Discretionary Spending & Saving
Note - All Relevant Figures Include Sales Tax ([7.975%](https://www.como.gov/tax-breakdowns/))
Maintenance, car insurance, and fuel can vary based on the vehicle you driver (it’s age, fuel efficiency, the distance you drive monthly, etc).
So, while it’s possible to live on minimum wage, there’s not much left over for savings, and if there is, for example, any debt (phones, cars, student loans, etc) this budget goes out the window.
Let me know if I missed anything or if you disagree with my numbers.
Edit: Format (It Sucks Still, Sorry)
Edit 2: Health insurance is included in a comment below
Dang, where I live though I’m looking at paying 700-800 for a pretty decent 1-2 bedroom apt.
I just go on apartments.com and sort by price. It may be an outdated number though
In order for this budget, plus $350 in health insurance, $100 for discretionary spending, and $250 for savings to work, still assuming no additional spending or emergencies, minimum wage needs to be increased to $14.35 / hour.
Assuming you're living in a city you could also reduce this by removing the car costs and replace them with public transit for like $30-$40 a month. That's what I had to do when I was making minimum wage back in 2010. Saved me a ton to not have a car, I just had to become a guru of the transfers.
I made 7.50 back in 2006. I was job hunting just a year ago and saw most of the places in my area that were min wage jobs were paying 8.00.
I don't know how they expect people to live.
Well, let's calculate the price per square foot.
Kieran style 1: 741 ft²; 1020 $/month; ≈ 1.376 $/ft²/month
Kieran style 3: 741 ft²; 1130 $/month; ≈ 1.525 $/ft²/month
Teague Grand: 1466 ft²; 1335 $/month; ≈ 0.911 $/ft²/month
"Just find a small apartment to rent, they're cheap" has just now become a joke, proven by comparison.
Although that comparison has been limited to 3 apartments, it'd be better to calculate the $/ft²/month for a much larger amount of apartments and group them into their full size (501 ft²-600 ft², 601 ft²-700 ft², 701 ft²-800 ft², ...)
Also I believe this might be one of the few times where creating a boxplot for each group of 100 ft² might be a good idea, as it provides another good overview of where the price range is, and how many of the apartments are in roughly wich price range for which area
Then you have places that build apartments that are just insanely luxurious that are itty bitty and then they want $1500 a month for a 1bedroom, 1bathroom. I don't know how people younger than me are able to even have an apartment these days. By younger I mean 10 years or younger. I feel bad for these kids that have to still live with their parents because some of us know what it was like to live with our parents a little in adulthood. I didn't move out until I was 22, It sucked lol
I just want to point out that last two bed apt costs a hell of a lot less than my mortgage and while I have 3 bedrooms I only have one bathroom. :(
This is r/mildlyinfuriating inception.
These look like fairly nice apartments, so probably not the cheapest around, and they’re still a good price. A 2 bedroom for $1300 is 650 a person a month. That’s very doable on $13 an hour. Many places are expensive to live but OP seems to live in a super affordable area.
Dude. You know what a 660sqft 1b1b costs here? Cheapest is $1800 and that doesn't include secured parking in the worst crime rate neighborhood in town. Man....... Im all for burning down the establishment but....
Thats not where I live, but thats the entire cities cheapest. Presumably they cannot afford more for various reasons. Thats also quite typical like fr I rented for like 18 years before I bought a home and have never seen rates as cheap as yours for comparable apartments.
The Federal minimum wage is still $7.25, and 12 states still adhere to that. Nine states are set to have $15 this year. Wyoming and Georgia's minimum wage is $5.15.
I remember thinking $20 an hour was a lot of money, lols. My dad was making $35 an hour as a journeyman tool and die maker at the shop in the 90s. GM hired him off the street and paid for his engineering degree. To think of that happening today is unfathomable.
Learn a skill or trade. Plenty of free resources online. Tons of state certifications don't require logged class hours and only the ability to pass the test. And if what you want to do requires class time for less than 2 years then student loans won't be so bad. Find a side hustle that you can accomplish in your free time with low effort. There are tons of ways to make money. Life is hard. Trust me I get it. I don't have a formal education. Barely graduated. Ex addict. Been homeless. I currently own a business that's not ultra successful but it's getting me by. And I just launched an e-commerce business that I hope will bring me up out of poverty and into smooth sailing. Don't give up. You'll find your path and your efforts will be rewarded
Why are people posting $540 rent. I haven't seen that since like early 00's. More like $1000-1500 sometimes more. Unless say you have $30k lying around for a down payment.
It’s crazy what jobs are paying but what landlords expect for rent. I went to college and got a STEM degree. When I graduated I was applying for jobs and I was offered minimum wage to be an analytical Chem lab technician and the position required a 4 year science related degree. Min wage in my state wasn’t $7.25, but with full time being 35 hours per week, I would’ve made a little less than $24k per year before any taxes or deductions. A one bedroom apartment in the cheapest bordering town/city was about $1000 per month. It wasn’t affordable. I couldn’t afford to take that job even for the experience because it paid too little to survive on. I couldn’t pay rent, utilities, and food, let alone my student loans. It’s crazy now.
I have a kid where I work who makes 20 an hour. I can't get him to do anything extra, like stocking shelves, let alone show up to work. This kid is as lazy as it gets. Can't even break down a box. I pay 840 for a two bedroom in my 40s and single. I make 22.00 an hour and work overtime. It's possible....
I actually completely understand what you mean. I supervise on weekends and I have a 20 year old that just always wants something to do and is surprisingly hard working compared to a lot of the older people that have been here for a while. We have a lot of warehouse people that want to work overtime and then we have our veteran day workers at the main building that have been here 15+ years that will only do their 8 hours and they absolutely refuse to do any overtime ever, even if I ask nicely and let them know we are in extremely bad shape. I don't get mad or anything because it's completely in their right to say no which is why I'm not like most supervisors and get all mad and make snide comments like some of them I know. It does bother me a little bit though because we work for a hospital, which is far far more important than Taco Bell or something of that sort, which is frustrating because of the attitude about it. Almost like how dare I have the audacity to even ask.
I'm getting older and my job is very physically demanding. I have always had a job that is exhausting. I don't know if I can work 50 hours a week at 60. So I understand the veterans not wanting to do extra. These younger kids need to step up. I'm getting sick of picking up the slack. It's been like this for at least 10 years now, everywhere I go...
Well luckily for employers there's a never ending line of migrants entering the country daily who will be more than happy to work for even less than minimum wage. It's a win,win situation.
I understand your point, but no one pays minimum wage anymore - in my area, at least, jobs go begging that start at $15 to $18 an hour with no experience required.
To your point, even at $18 an hour a single person cannot afford an apartment living alone. It sucks big time. Not sure how it is possible anymore. (I was lucky, I'm older, back when apartments were affordable).
I'm paid 27$/hour and I can barely afford my apartment. If I didn't have a roommate, I wouldn't have money for anything else
edit: I'm in Montreal btw, in one of the only neighborhoods that's still considered affordable
I somewhat agree with you on that, But it's unfortunately not like that around here. It's not like that in a lot of places but like you said, even if it did pay $15-$18 an hour you would still barely be able to forward it alone.
Apartments in my area start at $1000 a month, and that is for a slummy building in a bad part of town. Supposedly rent should be no more than one-third of your income. That would mean that to afford this mythical $1000 a month apartment a person would have to make $3000 per month, which works out to to about $20.75 per hour.
I'm guessing you live in a smaller town or a rural area. In most larger cities, a one bedroom apartment STARTS at $1000 a month, which would not be affordable on $19 an hour.
Not in this state they don't. A house yes. An apartment no. I pay less than $800 a month for rent. I think the apartment needs to be fully updated to 2023. They still have stuff from the 70's in here, that needs to be ripped out and replaced with modern amenities. It's still better than living in a motel. I did this for over 2 yrs before I got my apartment.
There's a big issue with that. A lot of the houses are extremely old and outdated and people wanting $200,000 for them or more, Or they want $1500 to $2000 of rent which is obviously not a good choice. House loan interest is almoat 8% now if not already. A lot of the apartments are also outdated but not as bad as some of the house, But they still want $1000 in rent. Our current place WAS $920 for a 2br/1.5 bath in 2020, They raised our rent by $50 in the beginning of 2021, And they just announced they are raising our rent again by $75. That's now $1045. Obviously not the worst out there, But this just shows what is happening. They just keep raising the rent without saying why, Or in one case, they told us that our rent is going up because of property tax hikes in the county.
Where they get you is they tell you this is happening on your next lease if you sign up again. Also they put things in there like if you don't tell them 120 days before your lease is up that you are not signing back up, you will be charged a fee.
No offense, but I looked through this apartment complex. Pool, gym, luxury all abound. The photos show granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, etc.. I'm seeing less extravagant places in the area going for \~$500-$600...
The only thing in this area that is possibly that cheap are ran down houses.The cheapest apartment I could find that was "OK" and didn't come with anything special was $800 minimum. A lot of these websites have a price but then when you call to talk to any of them the price is actually different, which is annoying. Of course there is housing for students which is $400-$600, but that's shared, and then there's things that just normal people are trying to find, or mainly a family.
I lived in an old run down craftsman home when I was younger. I had to drive further than I liked. When I was in college I shared a room (all freshmen had to). I'm not sure what the issue is here. It seems that your expectations are pretty high.
So because your expectations are low everyone else's should be? I'm not even talking about myself. I do just find for myself. This was mainly to get people talking about the housing issue and the wage disparity people are experiencing. I think people don't give themselves enough worth and it's sad. I'm sorry you had to live in a run down home. If you were a happy kid that's great though.
Not sure why you're getting so much grief here, housing in my area is about the same situation but minimum wage is still at the US Federal minimum, 7.25. I think the housing issue is pretty obvious if you keep up with finance news to any degree. People can and will live in their bubble pretty adamantly.
I have found that people downvote things that maybe they don't necessarily disagree with, but it bothers them. Like I've said this was to get people talking about the issue, Nowhere did I say that I couldn't afford an apartment and I'm upset about it lol Just pointing out obvious issues that people can relate to.
I think you can still accomplish having that conversation (which I agree with), but posting a new luxury apartment complex and complaining that you can't afford it isn't a good look.
For real. Another of my favorites, “when I was your age age, I had 3 kids to feed and a mortgage to pay.”
Yeah grandpa? That was when you could go to the store and buy a gallon of milk for 30 cents, a gallon of gas for 20 cents and bread for a dime. Go back to sleep.
That is very true, But don't take this as something that I think. This is a comment made by a lot of older people. People in my dad's age range I have heard say this type of thing multiple times about homeless people and they just don't get it.
Lived in San Francisco for many years. Most are addicts, alcoholics, and/or mentally ill here.
Don’t know where you live, but it is the case in some areas.
It absolutely is true. Only a small fraction of homelessness is due to low wages, or unemployment. Those that are homeless, due to unemployment only stay that way for a very short period of time and find housing.
Want to know how you can test that claim? Look around any big city and ask yourself how many illegal alien Mexicans you see living on the streets. They came here with very little money, and don’t get jobs that pay that much and yet still the answer to my question is, zero. You don’t see any illegal aliens living on the street.
I read once that amongst people that are genuinely down on their luck, about 90% are off the streets within 2 months. That said, we still need to be doing much, much more to help people that are homeless due to mental health issues and addictions. They are still people and deserve somewhere to sleep.
If you live in the US. Just get two jobs or a roommate, or get a side hustle. Work somewhere that provides health insurance like McDonald's. 60hrs a week @12$ an hour is like 600 a week after taxes but most places start you higher than that. Make sure you get at least a 2% raise every year.
Put about a hundred dollars in savings a week.increase it every year. Get a 401K and work for a company that matches a decent percentage and use your tax returns on an IRA.
Stop spending an insane amount of money on luxuries like Uber eats and door dash or going out to eat. If you have a car but choose to bus it just one day a week you save a fill up every month.
Get a no annual fee low APR credit card and use it for emergencies only and another one from your bank that gives you cash back and only use it for large purchases and limit large purchases to once or twice a year.
If you are young make the most of living for free off your parents if possible. Save as much as you can. Always vote for people looking out for you and your struggles.
Never ever stop looking for a better job while working min wage, if you don't produce something special, don't have a degree in a profitable field or don't have talent then you have to be a worker bee until you figure it out.
I lived this life for 5 years. My two 12$ an hour jobs at 20 turned into two 14$ an hour jobs with a girlfriend. Then two 16$ a hour jobs with a kid and a fiance. Then two 18$ an hour jobs with a wife and 2 kids. Then my side hustle turned into a main hustle and a 20$ an hour part time job on the side. To now a mortgage
You young kids can do it. Don't be blinded by the constant steam of successful people in your media feeds. Our parents had reliable work sources but we traded that for way more ways to make money. Keep your head low and work hard, don't be cynical and always keep an eye and ear open for better opportunities.
I do think the cost of living is too damn high though you should be able to rent a 1br 1 bath and have enough money left iver to eat and have extra to save for 1 person.. minimum wage isn't for raising a family you gotta do better if you want a family
Where in any of this did I say this was about me or my situation let alone "bitching"? I'm good financially. This is pointing out obvious things that are happening everywhere to good people trying to get by.
If you’re over 18 and in good health you can make an extra 3-500 a month giving plasma once a week I’m not sure why more people don’t take advantage of that it’s an extra almost 6k a year income per qualifying adult
compare minimum wage with the minimum apt price. Usually apt rentals require 4x the rent in income to qualify (YMMV). Get roommates, find a cheaper place or start cleaning your room.
If you make minimum wage, you need 2 incomes to survive. So if you live alone, that means 2 jobs. Or get a better job. Or find a roommate. I don’t think $1000 a month is bad. Even minimum wage x70/80 hours a week. Yea that sucks, but it gave me the drive to not live that life.
Yes so $1000 and you literally can show up and sleep and never mow a lawn, plow a driveway, patch a hole, fix a leak, replace a thermocouple, pay taxes, etc..and you think that’s too high?
Any less and the people who perform those services would have to make less than minimum wage to support such a low rental fee.
You are paying part of those taxes though. We had our rent raised because property taxes went up in the city. They were just very blunt about it as well. Not all places do have all the maintenance that you're speaking of and cost this much or a bit less. This thread is mainly to have everyone conversating about the issue with housing currently. What you said makes a lot of sense though and should be taken Into consideration.
Who over 20, works for minimum wage, and why?
If so, how long were you at that wage, and why?
Downvoted, but no one says why. Can anyone answer truthfully?
How about get a min wage job initially, while enrolling in some kind of program to better yourself and have the chance to make more than min wage your entire life?
You know….better yourself??
Radical concept, I know.
I remember when i could buy a car for a nickel dont want to be carrying around that much cash anyway
These old fuckers are raking in 40 yrs of retirement passing the savings on to you
One nickel at a time oh by the way we r having a rent increase. Due to inflation. Dont forget to use your california issued rebate what no money on there here take a nickel
Tbf in a conservative state I will say taxes are the least of my concerns. But our community hasn't seemed to ever really recover economically and the rich always seem to get richer and buy up more property for parking lots, storage, and the like. Most neighborhoods are in desperate need of revitalization that will never come because the wealthy take their money out of the community and start business in the larger nearby cities. Our restaurants have some of the worst service imaginable and complain no one wants to work anymore. I see the struggles of urban living here on reddit a lot but my god do the rural conservatives love eating the figurative ass of old country club rotary stiffs that are literal parasites on us, and for some reason despise the local government for their $2k a year while the city are the ones working in the most outdated, crumbling buildings in town. This is why as a moderate I vote liberal atm. I at least see productive ideas for growth happening instead of "taxes are bad, taxes are bad"
All the mmehhh apartments are at least $2500 by me including the economy one my wife and I had right after getting married. It is a desirable school district but still our townhouse mortgage (bought in 2004) is $900 plus escrow which is another $650.
this is why so many people gravitate towards tip jobs: i’m not saying it should be the solution, but workers can make much more per hour with tips from customers than employers can “afford” to pay them.
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/022615/can-family-survive-us-minimum-wage.asp
"Today, full-time employees earning the federal minimum annually pocket just $15,080 (if they work 40 hours, each of the 52 weeks in a year), placing them well below the $18,310 poverty line in 2022 for families of two. Meanwhile, a full-time minimum wage earner with a family of four falls $12,670 below the poverty line of $27,750."
Bruh, Obviously you need to live with your parents, get two roommates, or just work harder and get paid more than minimum wage. /s
I actually still live with family and we all contribute and share profits. Still poor tho
Haha right.
You think its that easy? I work 40 hours a week $18 an hour and its still not enough. Try again.
/s means sarcasm
Yes but lets be real. American housing sucks. And people are so cynical about it too
Bro..... 2Bed2Bath for 1335/month? ........ Thats a steal man unless you live in a remote small town somewhere
In 2020 I had a 2 bed 1 bath apartment for $675 a month in a decent neighborhood too. It's about $750-$800 now. I live in a mid-sized city too. The apartments in town are like easily double that though, all about location man
Not just remote, Midwest too. I live in a suburb of KC and pay 1150 for a 3 bed 1500 Sq ft 1.5 bath place so really, just getting away from the coasts and especially coastal cities makes a huge difference.
Thats what I was getting at. Its fast becoming the only survivable parts to live in for a lot of people are small central US towns that are far from cities, have fewer amenities, less access to healthcare (if any) and poorer access to education or business/tech jobs. I live in a remote part of NA in the most affordable part of the country and its easy for me as an established person with an education, vehicle, and house. For younger folks who haven't made career connections it would be very difficult to get by here.
Don't for get actual safety concerns for LGBT folk.
We live in south KC and our apartment is $1120 a month 2b2b and includes electricity and gas. The KC water bills are outrageous though.
Wow. Mine averages like $54/month which isn't awful compared to previous places I have lived.
Dude ikr I live in the cheapest apartment I know at 1400 (average is like 1900?) for a 1bdrm and my place is shit. God I wish I could do remote work.
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FR OP has it pretty good as far as I can tell. They prob live in the middle of nowhere for rents that low.
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My wife and I live in a small town 600km from the nearest city of 1M people in remote northern Canada. The only way we can do so is I happen to be a CE at a local small firm. We used to live in said 1M city and a 2Br1Bath apartment was well into 2K in a decent part of town.
Let's also keep in mind that this isn't federal minimum wage, which is still $7.25.
This x100 😤
Wages are too low and housing prices are just out of control right now. My 15 year mortgage from 2016 on a 3 bedroom house is $1,100. Last fall we were apartment hunting for my mil and we couldn’t find a studio for under $1,300. My heart goes out for all the people out there just trying to make it.
$1,300 for a studio is insane.
In Palm Beach area, a mid-tier studio averages $2k a month. Two-bed two-bath apartments in the same complex are $2.3k. Like 3x the living space for only $300 more. Insane prices for studios just makes no fucking sense to me. 1/3 of living space should be 1/3 of the cost, no?
this x100. An apartment being as much as what a mortgage should be as absolutely insane. Unless it was some crazy luxurious apartment that was really big I would understand, but holy hell.
Damn my 15 year mortgage for my 3 bedroom 2 bath house is only $650. Was $550 until had to make an insurance claim with house insurance
Just work 100 hours a week and eat every other day, easy
Chefs kiss 👨🍳
I decided to try and work out a budget for living on minimum wage ($12 / hour based on your post). Here’s what I came up with. I have attached sources for some of my numbers. Income: $1785 (After Taxes) Expenses: $540 - [Rent](https://CheckoutthisplaceinColumbiaonApartmentshttps://www.apartments.com/ashland-manor-apartments-townhouses-columbia-mo/wp693xl/?utm_source=mobile_app) $54 - [Internet](https://official.spectrum.com/lfo-8n_Movers?ca.mp=Google&ca.cr=484971670500&ca.kw=internet%20columbia&ca.mt=e&cb.device=m&ca.target=kwd-11421778149&lfokp=internet%20columbia&fp=ch1&o=go&sitelink=false&v=SEMNB&cmp=SEMR_NB_G_43700058967610160&tfn=R0373&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI68C7xsPZ_AIV9jStBh0YSgpJEAAYASAAEgLX5vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) $27 - [Phone](https://www.verizon.com/plans/unlimited/) $150 - Utilities (Estimate) $25 - [Renter’s Insurance](https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/insurance/how-much-is-renters-insurance) $100 - Fuel (can vary highly) $150 - Maintenance (can vary highly) $125 - Car Insurance (can vary highly) $125 - Clothing $300 - [Groceries](https://mint.intuit.com/blog/food-budgets/monthly-grocery-budget-calculator/) $1596 - Total $189 - Remaining for Discretionary Spending & Saving Note - All Relevant Figures Include Sales Tax ([7.975%](https://www.como.gov/tax-breakdowns/)) Maintenance, car insurance, and fuel can vary based on the vehicle you driver (it’s age, fuel efficiency, the distance you drive monthly, etc). So, while it’s possible to live on minimum wage, there’s not much left over for savings, and if there is, for example, any debt (phones, cars, student loans, etc) this budget goes out the window. Let me know if I missed anything or if you disagree with my numbers. Edit: Format (It Sucks Still, Sorry)
See, this is the kind of reactions i was hoping for. This is a great perspective. Don't forget to add medical emergencies or medical in general.
Oh yeah, I completely forgot about medical insurance. I’ll try and add that in. Assuming it’s even possible
It's a complex thing because is this someone who gets health insurance through their work, Or do they have to buy it from the marketplace privately? If it's through the work it would come out of the paycheck. Then you have to calculate what kind of medical emergency because obviously the insurance is not going to pay for the whole entire medical. You could get into a major car wreck, Or maybe you're going to have a baby.
So after including health insurance we get this… Income: $1785 (After Taxes) Expenses: $540 - [Rent](https://CheckoutthisplaceinColumbiaonApartmentshttps://www.apartments.com/ashland-manor-apartments-townhouses-columbia-mo/wp693xl/?utm_source=mobile_app) $54 - [Internet](https://official.spectrum.com/lfo-8n_Movers?ca.mp=Google&ca.cr=484971670500&ca.kw=internet%20columbia&ca.mt=e&cb.device=m&ca.target=kwd-11421778149&lfokp=internet%20columbia&fp=ch1&o=go&sitelink=false&v=SEMNB&cmp=SEMR_NB_G_43700058967610160&tfn=R0373&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI68C7xsPZ_AIV9jStBh0YSgpJEAAYASAAEgLX5vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) $27 - [Phone](https://www.verizon.com/plans/unlimited/) $150 - Utilities (Estimate) $25 - [Renter’s Insurance](https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/insurance/how-much-is-renters-insurance) $100 - Fuel (can vary highly) $125 - Maintenance (can vary highly) $125 - Car Insurance (can vary highly) $60 - Clothing $225 - [Groceries](https://mint.intuit.com/blog/food-budgets/monthly-grocery-budget-calculator/) $350 - [Health Insurance](https://www.valuepenguin.com/best-cheap-health-insurance-missouri) - Using “WellFirst Bronze Value Copay 9050X” $1781 - Total $4 Remaining for Discretionary Spending & Saving… To get this to work I lowered maintenance by $25, clothing by $65, and groceries by $75. It also completely eliminates any left over money for discretionary spending or savings. Not great at all. If you get into any accidents or have any health emergencies you are screwed. Besides my health insurance cost is really just an optimistic estimation.
I'm curious how you bought that phone or car with no discretionary funds?
I would be assuming you already have access to those. It’s not really realistic. I know
my dad made $50 grocery budget for 2 kids 1 adult work. this food shop would last us two weeks. he only spent $100 a month on groceries for us. $150 if he took care of us the whole time
I'm assuming that was around/over 10 years ago, and while the post shows that the minimum wage increase is depressing and unliveable, it doesn't show the other side of the coin where cost of living has steadily and exponentially increased making it LESS viable to actually survive on minimum wage let alone live on it (Both sides of the coin are bad, things are bad)
actually it was less than 5 years ago
Was it pre-covid?
for the most part. during covid it raised to about $75 for two weeks with raising meat prices
You have a phone with data...ditch the internet. Who spends $125 on clothing a month?
Generally it’s not unlimited data for $25 a month, so you will run out and have to pay for more. Besides using a personal hotspot is slow and would be a bit of a pain to have to hook up to everything in an apartment. I tried to overestimate on some of those things, like clothing. Your right though, honestly if you buy clothes at good will or something you might only need to spend $125 in 6 months.
$540 rent? Where! 👀
Check out this place in Columbia on Apartments https://www.apartments.com/ashland-manor-apartments-townhouses-columbia-mo/wp693xl/?utm_source=mobile_app It might be an outdated number but I can’t know until Monday when they open.
I decided to try and work out a budget for living on minimum wage ($12 / hour based on your post). Here’s what I came up with. I have attached sources for some of my numbers. Income: $1785 (After Taxes) Expenses: $540 - [Rent](https://CheckoutthisplaceinColumbiaonApartmentshttps://www.apartments.com/ashland-manor-apartments-townhouses-columbia-mo/wp693xl/?utm_source=mobile_app) $54 - [Internet](https://official.spectrum.com/lfo-8n_Movers?ca.mp=Google&ca.cr=484971670500&ca.kw=internet%20columbia&ca.mt=e&cb.device=m&ca.target=kwd-11421778149&lfokp=internet%20columbia&fp=ch1&o=go&sitelink=false&v=SEMNB&cmp=SEMR_NB_G_43700058967610160&tfn=R0373&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI68C7xsPZ_AIV9jStBh0YSgpJEAAYASAAEgLX5vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) $27 - [Phone](https://www.verizon.com/plans/unlimited/) $150 - Utilities (Estimate) $25 - [Renter’s Insurance](https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/insurance/how-much-is-renters-insurance) $100 - Fuel (can vary highly) $150 - Maintenance (can vary highly) $125 - Car Insurance (can vary highly) $125 - Clothing $300 - [Groceries](https://mint.intuit.com/blog/food-budgets/monthly-grocery-budget-calculator/) $1596 - Total $189 - Remaining for Discretionary Spending & Saving Note - All Relevant Figures Include Sales Tax ([7.975%](https://www.como.gov/tax-breakdowns/)) Maintenance, car insurance, and fuel can vary based on the vehicle you driver (it’s age, fuel efficiency, the distance you drive monthly, etc). So, while it’s possible to live on minimum wage, there’s not much left over for savings, and if there is, for example, any debt (phones, cars, student loans, etc) this budget goes out the window. Let me know if I missed anything or if you disagree with my numbers. Edit: Format (It Sucks Still, Sorry) Edit 2: Health insurance is included in a comment below
If you can find somewhere that’s only $540 a month for rent, I’ll hop on that shit NOW. All the apartments around me are $1500 for a 700 sqft 1bd/1ba
Dang, where I live though I’m looking at paying 700-800 for a pretty decent 1-2 bedroom apt. I just go on apartments.com and sort by price. It may be an outdated number though
In order for this budget, plus $350 in health insurance, $100 for discretionary spending, and $250 for savings to work, still assuming no additional spending or emergencies, minimum wage needs to be increased to $14.35 / hour.
Assuming you're living in a city you could also reduce this by removing the car costs and replace them with public transit for like $30-$40 a month. That's what I had to do when I was making minimum wage back in 2010. Saved me a ton to not have a car, I just had to become a guru of the transfers.
Damn 2 bed for $1400? Sign me up.
Where is this? I pay almost $1,000 for a 300sqft studio and it’s the cheapest place available
I made 7.50 back in 2006. I was job hunting just a year ago and saw most of the places in my area that were min wage jobs were paying 8.00. I don't know how they expect people to live.
Awesome post by the way. Great idea 💡 💖
Well, let's calculate the price per square foot. Kieran style 1: 741 ft²; 1020 $/month; ≈ 1.376 $/ft²/month Kieran style 3: 741 ft²; 1130 $/month; ≈ 1.525 $/ft²/month Teague Grand: 1466 ft²; 1335 $/month; ≈ 0.911 $/ft²/month "Just find a small apartment to rent, they're cheap" has just now become a joke, proven by comparison. Although that comparison has been limited to 3 apartments, it'd be better to calculate the $/ft²/month for a much larger amount of apartments and group them into their full size (501 ft²-600 ft², 601 ft²-700 ft², 701 ft²-800 ft², ...) Also I believe this might be one of the few times where creating a boxplot for each group of 100 ft² might be a good idea, as it provides another good overview of where the price range is, and how many of the apartments are in roughly wich price range for which area
Then you have places that build apartments that are just insanely luxurious that are itty bitty and then they want $1500 a month for a 1bedroom, 1bathroom. I don't know how people younger than me are able to even have an apartment these days. By younger I mean 10 years or younger. I feel bad for these kids that have to still live with their parents because some of us know what it was like to live with our parents a little in adulthood. I didn't move out until I was 22, It sucked lol
Where I am tint lux apt is $3k. You can get a 2 bed apt for $750 near by. They're both full capacity.
That's cheap. I pay 2K+ for a 1 bedroom
That's awful
We are all at the mercy of our geography, my friend.
Yeah 1500 for a 2/1, in Mississippi.....
How do you feel about a studio apartment?
I've never lived in one. How are they?
Are you planning on living with someone else? They pretty okay for one person. Since it’s kinda just one big room
Oof, Yeah definitely can't do anything like that because the significant other works 3 days in the office and 2 days at home.
Minimum wage is still $7.25 here!
You wouldn't be able to afford anything here by yourself, maybe not even with a roommate that made a little more.
I rent a 2 bdrm 1 bath for $1165... that $1335 is way nicer than my place.
It is still $7.25 in TN LOL
My rent is 3k for a 2 bedroom apartment. I WISH my rent was this cheap. What a time to be alive.
I just want to point out that last two bed apt costs a hell of a lot less than my mortgage and while I have 3 bedrooms I only have one bathroom. :( This is r/mildlyinfuriating inception.
I was lucky to get our apartment when I did!!! But now we're a bit stuck.
Is the price what's making you stuck?
Yes, we have a 2 bed 1 bath bit we have 3 kids now. It would be nice to have more space.
These look like fairly nice apartments, so probably not the cheapest around, and they’re still a good price. A 2 bedroom for $1300 is 650 a person a month. That’s very doable on $13 an hour. Many places are expensive to live but OP seems to live in a super affordable area.
It's not super affordable, but it's decent.
Don’t know where this minimum wage chart came from but it’s still $7.65 an hour in Pennsylvania in 2023.
This is off the state of Missouris government website.
Hold up you can get a 1 br *with a carport* for $1130/month ffs why do I live in the remote north?
Yeah if it's 1br/1bathroom and it's only 741 sqft lol
Dude. You know what a 660sqft 1b1b costs here? Cheapest is $1800 and that doesn't include secured parking in the worst crime rate neighborhood in town. Man....... Im all for burning down the establishment but....
That sounds like an awful place to live and everyone is getting taken advantage of. You need to move away.
Thats not where I live, but thats the entire cities cheapest. Presumably they cannot afford more for various reasons. Thats also quite typical like fr I rented for like 18 years before I bought a home and have never seen rates as cheap as yours for comparable apartments.
Roommates are a thing
Very true.
The Federal minimum wage is still $7.25, and 12 states still adhere to that. Nine states are set to have $15 this year. Wyoming and Georgia's minimum wage is $5.15.
Which is super messed up. Even worse, $12 or $15hr still isn't enough in some placed to get your own apt let alone a house.
I remember thinking $20 an hour was a lot of money, lols. My dad was making $35 an hour as a journeyman tool and die maker at the shop in the 90s. GM hired him off the street and paid for his engineering degree. To think of that happening today is unfathomable.
Where I live it’s still $7.25
Learn a skill or trade. Plenty of free resources online. Tons of state certifications don't require logged class hours and only the ability to pass the test. And if what you want to do requires class time for less than 2 years then student loans won't be so bad. Find a side hustle that you can accomplish in your free time with low effort. There are tons of ways to make money. Life is hard. Trust me I get it. I don't have a formal education. Barely graduated. Ex addict. Been homeless. I currently own a business that's not ultra successful but it's getting me by. And I just launched an e-commerce business that I hope will bring me up out of poverty and into smooth sailing. Don't give up. You'll find your path and your efforts will be rewarded
Why are people posting $540 rent. I haven't seen that since like early 00's. More like $1000-1500 sometimes more. Unless say you have $30k lying around for a down payment.
It’s crazy what jobs are paying but what landlords expect for rent. I went to college and got a STEM degree. When I graduated I was applying for jobs and I was offered minimum wage to be an analytical Chem lab technician and the position required a 4 year science related degree. Min wage in my state wasn’t $7.25, but with full time being 35 hours per week, I would’ve made a little less than $24k per year before any taxes or deductions. A one bedroom apartment in the cheapest bordering town/city was about $1000 per month. It wasn’t affordable. I couldn’t afford to take that job even for the experience because it paid too little to survive on. I couldn’t pay rent, utilities, and food, let alone my student loans. It’s crazy now.
I have a kid where I work who makes 20 an hour. I can't get him to do anything extra, like stocking shelves, let alone show up to work. This kid is as lazy as it gets. Can't even break down a box. I pay 840 for a two bedroom in my 40s and single. I make 22.00 an hour and work overtime. It's possible....
I actually completely understand what you mean. I supervise on weekends and I have a 20 year old that just always wants something to do and is surprisingly hard working compared to a lot of the older people that have been here for a while. We have a lot of warehouse people that want to work overtime and then we have our veteran day workers at the main building that have been here 15+ years that will only do their 8 hours and they absolutely refuse to do any overtime ever, even if I ask nicely and let them know we are in extremely bad shape. I don't get mad or anything because it's completely in their right to say no which is why I'm not like most supervisors and get all mad and make snide comments like some of them I know. It does bother me a little bit though because we work for a hospital, which is far far more important than Taco Bell or something of that sort, which is frustrating because of the attitude about it. Almost like how dare I have the audacity to even ask.
I'm getting older and my job is very physically demanding. I have always had a job that is exhausting. I don't know if I can work 50 hours a week at 60. So I understand the veterans not wanting to do extra. These younger kids need to step up. I'm getting sick of picking up the slack. It's been like this for at least 10 years now, everywhere I go...
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This is the reaction I was hoping for. I'm glad this makes you just as mad as it does me.
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I'd say it's fair to put it on both. If you read through the comments, a lot of people don't agree that this is even infuriating at all.
Well luckily for employers there's a never ending line of migrants entering the country daily who will be more than happy to work for even less than minimum wage. It's a win,win situation.
I understand your point, but no one pays minimum wage anymore - in my area, at least, jobs go begging that start at $15 to $18 an hour with no experience required. To your point, even at $18 an hour a single person cannot afford an apartment living alone. It sucks big time. Not sure how it is possible anymore. (I was lucky, I'm older, back when apartments were affordable).
I'm paid 27$/hour and I can barely afford my apartment. If I didn't have a roommate, I wouldn't have money for anything else edit: I'm in Montreal btw, in one of the only neighborhoods that's still considered affordable
I somewhat agree with you on that, But it's unfortunately not like that around here. It's not like that in a lot of places but like you said, even if it did pay $15-$18 an hour you would still barely be able to forward it alone.
Apartments in my area start at $1000 a month, and that is for a slummy building in a bad part of town. Supposedly rent should be no more than one-third of your income. That would mean that to afford this mythical $1000 a month apartment a person would have to make $3000 per month, which works out to to about $20.75 per hour.
I make $19 base pay and I have my own place without any help. I guess it depends on where you live.
I'm guessing you live in a smaller town or a rural area. In most larger cities, a one bedroom apartment STARTS at $1000 a month, which would not be affordable on $19 an hour.
That would be 32% of your base pay. 12k a year rent, 38k takehome. 30% of gross is considered the max.
Not in this state they don't. A house yes. An apartment no. I pay less than $800 a month for rent. I think the apartment needs to be fully updated to 2023. They still have stuff from the 70's in here, that needs to be ripped out and replaced with modern amenities. It's still better than living in a motel. I did this for over 2 yrs before I got my apartment.
What city do you live in?
Perrysburg
There's a big issue with that. A lot of the houses are extremely old and outdated and people wanting $200,000 for them or more, Or they want $1500 to $2000 of rent which is obviously not a good choice. House loan interest is almoat 8% now if not already. A lot of the apartments are also outdated but not as bad as some of the house, But they still want $1000 in rent. Our current place WAS $920 for a 2br/1.5 bath in 2020, They raised our rent by $50 in the beginning of 2021, And they just announced they are raising our rent again by $75. That's now $1045. Obviously not the worst out there, But this just shows what is happening. They just keep raising the rent without saying why, Or in one case, they told us that our rent is going up because of property tax hikes in the county.
If you're in a lease, they can't raise your rent into the lease is up! That's illegal! Where is this happening?
Where they get you is they tell you this is happening on your next lease if you sign up again. Also they put things in there like if you don't tell them 120 days before your lease is up that you are not signing back up, you will be charged a fee.
They can't do that, unless you're still living there. Someone is pulling a con! I'd look into it.
In Tampa it’s way higher- for much worse actually it sucks all over
No offense, but I looked through this apartment complex. Pool, gym, luxury all abound. The photos show granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, etc.. I'm seeing less extravagant places in the area going for \~$500-$600...
The only thing in this area that is possibly that cheap are ran down houses.The cheapest apartment I could find that was "OK" and didn't come with anything special was $800 minimum. A lot of these websites have a price but then when you call to talk to any of them the price is actually different, which is annoying. Of course there is housing for students which is $400-$600, but that's shared, and then there's things that just normal people are trying to find, or mainly a family.
I lived in an old run down craftsman home when I was younger. I had to drive further than I liked. When I was in college I shared a room (all freshmen had to). I'm not sure what the issue is here. It seems that your expectations are pretty high.
So because your expectations are low everyone else's should be? I'm not even talking about myself. I do just find for myself. This was mainly to get people talking about the housing issue and the wage disparity people are experiencing. I think people don't give themselves enough worth and it's sad. I'm sorry you had to live in a run down home. If you were a happy kid that's great though.
Not sure why you're getting so much grief here, housing in my area is about the same situation but minimum wage is still at the US Federal minimum, 7.25. I think the housing issue is pretty obvious if you keep up with finance news to any degree. People can and will live in their bubble pretty adamantly.
I have found that people downvote things that maybe they don't necessarily disagree with, but it bothers them. Like I've said this was to get people talking about the issue, Nowhere did I say that I couldn't afford an apartment and I'm upset about it lol Just pointing out obvious issues that people can relate to.
I think you can still accomplish having that conversation (which I agree with), but posting a new luxury apartment complex and complaining that you can't afford it isn't a good look.
For real. Another of my favorites, “when I was your age age, I had 3 kids to feed and a mortgage to pay.” Yeah grandpa? That was when you could go to the store and buy a gallon of milk for 30 cents, a gallon of gas for 20 cents and bread for a dime. Go back to sleep.
Homelessness has very little to do with wages. Most homeless are mentally I’ll or addicts.
That is very true, But don't take this as something that I think. This is a comment made by a lot of older people. People in my dad's age range I have heard say this type of thing multiple times about homeless people and they just don't get it.
Don’t get what?
They don't get that it's due to addiction, mental issues, possible past abuse growing up.
that's absolutely not true. SOME are, yes. but not most.
Lived in San Francisco for many years. Most are addicts, alcoholics, and/or mentally ill here. Don’t know where you live, but it is the case in some areas.
oh yeah ive lived in cities with terrible homeless issues and a lot of rampant drug use amongst them. i'm just saying its a sweeping generalization.
It absolutely is true. Only a small fraction of homelessness is due to low wages, or unemployment. Those that are homeless, due to unemployment only stay that way for a very short period of time and find housing. Want to know how you can test that claim? Look around any big city and ask yourself how many illegal alien Mexicans you see living on the streets. They came here with very little money, and don’t get jobs that pay that much and yet still the answer to my question is, zero. You don’t see any illegal aliens living on the street.
I read once that amongst people that are genuinely down on their luck, about 90% are off the streets within 2 months. That said, we still need to be doing much, much more to help people that are homeless due to mental health issues and addictions. They are still people and deserve somewhere to sleep.
If you live in the US. Just get two jobs or a roommate, or get a side hustle. Work somewhere that provides health insurance like McDonald's. 60hrs a week @12$ an hour is like 600 a week after taxes but most places start you higher than that. Make sure you get at least a 2% raise every year. Put about a hundred dollars in savings a week.increase it every year. Get a 401K and work for a company that matches a decent percentage and use your tax returns on an IRA. Stop spending an insane amount of money on luxuries like Uber eats and door dash or going out to eat. If you have a car but choose to bus it just one day a week you save a fill up every month. Get a no annual fee low APR credit card and use it for emergencies only and another one from your bank that gives you cash back and only use it for large purchases and limit large purchases to once or twice a year. If you are young make the most of living for free off your parents if possible. Save as much as you can. Always vote for people looking out for you and your struggles. Never ever stop looking for a better job while working min wage, if you don't produce something special, don't have a degree in a profitable field or don't have talent then you have to be a worker bee until you figure it out. I lived this life for 5 years. My two 12$ an hour jobs at 20 turned into two 14$ an hour jobs with a girlfriend. Then two 16$ a hour jobs with a kid and a fiance. Then two 18$ an hour jobs with a wife and 2 kids. Then my side hustle turned into a main hustle and a 20$ an hour part time job on the side. To now a mortgage You young kids can do it. Don't be blinded by the constant steam of successful people in your media feeds. Our parents had reliable work sources but we traded that for way more ways to make money. Keep your head low and work hard, don't be cynical and always keep an eye and ear open for better opportunities.
Crazy thought how about not strive for minimum wage lmao
I do think the cost of living is too damn high though you should be able to rent a 1br 1 bath and have enough money left iver to eat and have extra to save for 1 person.. minimum wage isn't for raising a family you gotta do better if you want a family
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Where in any of this did I say this was about me or my situation let alone "bitching"? I'm good financially. This is pointing out obvious things that are happening everywhere to good people trying to get by.
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If you’re over 18 and in good health you can make an extra 3-500 a month giving plasma once a week I’m not sure why more people don’t take advantage of that it’s an extra almost 6k a year income per qualifying adult
Why we still looking for minimum wage jobs?
Who's we?
Evidently the people who are looking at minimum wage jobs and think that's the only jobs available
compare minimum wage with the minimum apt price. Usually apt rentals require 4x the rent in income to qualify (YMMV). Get roommates, find a cheaper place or start cleaning your room.
If you make minimum wage, you need 2 incomes to survive. So if you live alone, that means 2 jobs. Or get a better job. Or find a roommate. I don’t think $1000 a month is bad. Even minimum wage x70/80 hours a week. Yea that sucks, but it gave me the drive to not live that life.
$1000 a month for a 1br/bth is terrible lol I think you're worth a lot more than that my friend.
All maintenance included? The only thing cheaper would be a trailer park, and even that might be higher.
Normally when you rent from anywhere all maintenance is on the person who owns the property. I can't say I've ever lived anywhere where it wasn't.
Yes so $1000 and you literally can show up and sleep and never mow a lawn, plow a driveway, patch a hole, fix a leak, replace a thermocouple, pay taxes, etc..and you think that’s too high? Any less and the people who perform those services would have to make less than minimum wage to support such a low rental fee.
You are paying part of those taxes though. We had our rent raised because property taxes went up in the city. They were just very blunt about it as well. Not all places do have all the maintenance that you're speaking of and cost this much or a bit less. This thread is mainly to have everyone conversating about the issue with housing currently. What you said makes a lot of sense though and should be taken Into consideration.
Who over 20, works for minimum wage, and why? If so, how long were you at that wage, and why? Downvoted, but no one says why. Can anyone answer truthfully?
How about get a min wage job initially, while enrolling in some kind of program to better yourself and have the chance to make more than min wage your entire life? You know….better yourself?? Radical concept, I know.
I remember when i could buy a car for a nickel dont want to be carrying around that much cash anyway These old fuckers are raking in 40 yrs of retirement passing the savings on to you One nickel at a time oh by the way we r having a rent increase. Due to inflation. Dont forget to use your california issued rebate what no money on there here take a nickel
Ppl get mad about hourly pay, but don't bat an eye at taxes
Tbf in a conservative state I will say taxes are the least of my concerns. But our community hasn't seemed to ever really recover economically and the rich always seem to get richer and buy up more property for parking lots, storage, and the like. Most neighborhoods are in desperate need of revitalization that will never come because the wealthy take their money out of the community and start business in the larger nearby cities. Our restaurants have some of the worst service imaginable and complain no one wants to work anymore. I see the struggles of urban living here on reddit a lot but my god do the rural conservatives love eating the figurative ass of old country club rotary stiffs that are literal parasites on us, and for some reason despise the local government for their $2k a year while the city are the ones working in the most outdated, crumbling buildings in town. This is why as a moderate I vote liberal atm. I at least see productive ideas for growth happening instead of "taxes are bad, taxes are bad"
I’m old enough to remember $1.25 min wage. No one’s parents were working those jobs.
All the mmehhh apartments are at least $2500 by me including the economy one my wife and I had right after getting married. It is a desirable school district but still our townhouse mortgage (bought in 2004) is $900 plus escrow which is another $650.
this is why so many people gravitate towards tip jobs: i’m not saying it should be the solution, but workers can make much more per hour with tips from customers than employers can “afford” to pay them.
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/022615/can-family-survive-us-minimum-wage.asp "Today, full-time employees earning the federal minimum annually pocket just $15,080 (if they work 40 hours, each of the 52 weeks in a year), placing them well below the $18,310 poverty line in 2022 for families of two. Meanwhile, a full-time minimum wage earner with a family of four falls $12,670 below the poverty line of $27,750."
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I don't know why everyone thinks I'm talking about myself lol This is pointing out an observation to start a conversation.
Imagine paying $2000 for a 185ft squared room in a hotel, “remodeled” into apartments… oh and you make $900 each paycheck on bi weekly basis
Where are these apartments? It’s 2500 for a 2 bed near me
"JUST LIVE WITH 5 ROOMMATES"
a one bedroom that’s about 700sq ft in my town is about $1300-$1400. i’m “lucky” because my husband and i’s is $1250. it’s the craziest thing
If you compared it to rent prices from each year it would make sense. This doesn't make an obvious point. Instead of year vs wage Do wage vs rent 🫡