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Former Ohio Gov. Strickland tried living on Min. Wage- here is his story
Posted on 7/28/14 at 2:32 pm
Posted on 7/28/14 at 2:32 pm
quote:
For all of last week, I worked hard to live on the budget of a minimum wage worker. That meant I had $77 to spend on food, transportation, activities and other personal expenses for the week. I didn’t make it.
Most mornings started with eggs and toast, bought last Sunday during a grocery trip costing more than $15. Lunches were normally leftovers, macaroni and cheese or McDonald’s. There were no big dinners or coffee stops on a whim. But the challenges were beyond food.
Wednesday morning, I had a meeting about a mile from my apartment, but in the opposite direction of my office. I would normally take a cab, but this time, I took off my jacket and walked the mile in 90-degree heat, then walked back almost 2 miles to my office. Walking made me late to my meeting, but a minimum wage budget doesn’t allow for extra transportation costs, making it my only option.
And early in the week when I actually caught a cold, I felt lucky to already have medicine at home that would help with the symptoms. Medicine, along with any other unexpected or additional expenses, often prevents the budget from stretching as far as it needs to stretch. That was a lesson I learned when my budget ran out on Thursday evening.
Thankfully, I did this by myself. For millions of Americans, a minimum wage salary has to cover an entire family. Right now, in America, a minimum wage worker is spending her workday worrying about a decision she is going to have to make when she finally makes it home. Will it be electricity or diapers this week? Medicine or gas?
LINK
I personally love his "I didn't make it" line in the first paragraph. Makes it seem like he almost died.
Posted on 7/28/14 at 2:34 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
What floors me is that people think a minimum wage salary should be able to support a family.
Posted on 7/28/14 at 2:36 pm to Joshjrn
quote:Um... It shouldn't?
What floors me is that people think a minimum wage salary should be able to support a family.
Posted on 7/28/14 at 2:36 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
1. Minimum wage isn't suppose to be a career salary.
2. Minimum wage isn't suppose to be a breadwinner's salary
3. I could live off of $1000/month if really needed.
2. Minimum wage isn't suppose to be a breadwinner's salary
3. I could live off of $1000/month if really needed.
Posted on 7/28/14 at 2:37 pm to GoCrazyAuburn
quote:No you couldn't.
3. I could live off of $1000/month if really needed.
Posted on 7/28/14 at 2:38 pm to FT
quote:
No you couldn't.
Glad you know my spending habits.
Posted on 7/28/14 at 2:38 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
So he did not include potential offsets like food assistance not to mention factoring in tax breaks etc.
Looks like a pretty half-assed experiment.
Looks like a pretty half-assed experiment.
Posted on 7/28/14 at 2:38 pm to GoCrazyAuburn
$33 a day.
No. You can't live on that.
No. You can't live on that.
Posted on 7/28/14 at 2:39 pm to FT
quote:
No you couldn't.
Sure you could. You'd be f'd in the a if any exengencies arose, though.
Posted on 7/28/14 at 2:39 pm to FT
Yes I can. I've spent less than that in a month before, and actually don't average that much more anyways.
Posted on 7/28/14 at 2:40 pm to Navytiger74
quote:
You'd be f'd in the a if any exengencies arose, though.
This is true.
Posted on 7/28/14 at 2:40 pm to GoCrazyAuburn
quote:Oh. You live with your parents.
Yes I can. I've spent less than that in a month before, and actually don't average that much more anyways.
Posted on 7/28/14 at 2:41 pm to FT
quote:
Oh. You live with your parents.
Again, you keep assuming you know my lifestyle.
You keep assuming wrong. You may want to stop while you are behind.
Posted on 7/28/14 at 2:41 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
quote:
Will it be electricity or diapers this week? Medicine or gas?
and somehow the answer is usually cigarettes.
Posted on 7/28/14 at 2:41 pm to FT
quote:
Um... It shouldn't?
I don't see why it would?
This post was edited on 7/28/14 at 2:43 pm
Posted on 7/28/14 at 2:42 pm to FT
quote:
What floors me is that people think a minimum wage salary should be able to support a family.
Um... It shouldn't?
of course not. The minimum wage is for people with no skills (teenagers, college students, high school dropouts) or who are otherwise unemployable (convicted felons, sex offenders, unable to pass a drug test, mentally handicapped, ect) to earn skills and experience.
Those jobs are supposed to be stepping stones not destinations.
Posted on 7/28/14 at 2:43 pm to Joshjrn
quote:
What floors me is that people think a minimum wage salary should be able to support a family.
Yep, if you are making minimum wage you shouldn't be having a family unless you marry a breadwinner. Then the minimum wage income is just extra.
Also, if you have a family and are making minimum wages there are probably some subsidies in there like food stamps. So, is he really living like a family on minimum wage or is this just hyperbole?
Posted on 7/28/14 at 2:43 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
He's flat wrong. Minimum wages won't really go to help 'entire families'
From an article earlier this month.
who really gets the minumum wage
From an article earlier this month.
who really gets the minumum wage
quote:
Minimum wages are ineffective at helping poor families because such a small share of the benefits flow to them.
One might think that low-wage workers and low-income families are the same. But data from the U.S. Census Bureau show that there is only a weak relationship between being a low-wage worker and being poor, for three reasons.
First, many low-wage workers are in higher-income families—workers who are not the primary breadwinners and often contribute a small share of their family's income. Second, some workers in poor families earn higher wages but don't work enough hours. And third, about half of poor families have no workers, in which case a higher minimum wage does no good. This is simple descriptive evidence and is not disputed by economists.
Posted on 7/28/14 at 2:44 pm to kingbob
quote:So while you're trying to improve yourself, it's obvious that you shouldn't be able to feed your family?
Those jobs are supposed to be stepping stones not destinations.
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