How do people afford to survive on minimum wage?

Question

Coming from a wealthy family,I have always wondered this.Also,how do they afford to go to the Doctor if they are sick?

Answer 1

At present only 8% of the population earh minimum wage, (CIA world Fact Book). The vast majority of them are students (Weekly standard) So there are not that many people supporting a family on one minimum wage job. But for the others, they do it by having two jobs, having roomates, or family members who work.
But lets take a single person. 40 hours per week. 4 weeks in a month, that is about eight hundred bucks. After taxes (which they get all back) they are earning about seven hundred. Take an appartment at $550.00 a month, (2 bed rooms, easy to find, I just found many in many different citys). 2 people splitting the room leaves about four hundred after rent is paid. Don't have cable (I don't) don't have a cell phone (I don't) don't turn on the A/C (I don't) don't have a T.V (again I don't). Then you are living off of four hundred dollars a month. A single person can eaisly live off of 200 dollars for food. Another sixty for public transportation. and you are getting at least a hundred dollars plus change to spend each month on other items. If the person gets a second job, or combines money with another then it gets eaiser.
It is not a great living, it is scraping by. But it can be done. If the person is smart, budgets their money, realizes what they need to spend money on vs. what they want to spend money on. They can do it. I live very comfortable and happily spending exactly one thousand dollars per month. that pays off all bills. I earn quite a bit more then that normaly and that all goes into savings because my job is not stable. I am not wise, and not mature, if I can do it, then anybody can do it.
B

Answer 2

The minimum wage should not be raised to a 'fair level' (completely subjective?) because those workers who are not productive enough to justify the set wage would not be able to justify to their employers their employment any longer. What makes you think that you can just improve living standards overnight by just passing a law? Higher living standards can only come through new more efficient innovations which make workers more productive and efficient, the best way to do this is to allow free markets to work, but it won't happen overnight. Reforming bureaucratic gov't regulation will help, also reducing taxes and spending would be a good idea.But seriously, the minimum does exactly the opposite of what it's supposed to. The minimum wage is supported by the bleeding-heart unions to protect their highly skilled workers from competition from lower skilled workers. It's that simple.

Answer 3

They barely do. You can't own a decent car or live in a decent home. They don't go to the doctor. They couldn't afford medicine anyway. If you are poor enough and really sick, medicaid will kick in, but the poverty line is far below realistic poverty. Simply, you don't spend money. On minimum wage you may be able to afford what you need for work and a sh*tty place to live. Food is the cheapest you can find.

That's about it. Hell, I make decent money, but live alone and can barely keep up.

Answer 4

It takes alot of creativity to survive with minimum wage. Sometimes things get put off to pay the more important stuff. As for Medical we usually have to go to the County Hospital or free clinic. It is a stuggle to live this way but I know that me and alot of the people in this world do it and we raise children too. I can tell you that I have never collected any kind of state assistance. I am a single parent of 2. My belief is that all that doesn't kill you makes you stronger!!!!!

Answer 5

I deal with extremely poor people all the time. They can't survive. Most rely on friends and family. Some women drift in and out of relationships. No judgment here, at all, so please don't castigate me. Minimum wage is awful, but i don't know a solution to it. Maybe the Walmart CEOs could take a paycut and administer it to the working class. Wouldn't work in a capitalistic society - do YOU want to give up your glass house existence? no one does. I've worked really hard to get where I have gotten - we didn't have much money either. education is the key. no question.

Answer 6

1st- The Good Ones-Some families, even with 2 working parents, have to owrk 2 jobs to make ends meet. If they are lucky, they have a job that allows them to buy health insurance. if they don't have a job with the option of health insurance, most people don't go to the doctor. They either get better ot get REALLY sick and go the the ER. Since, our country doesn't have healthcare coversga efor everyone, the poor can't pay (obviously) and that's why it costs so much for everyone else.
2nd- The Bad Ones. Stop trying to work. They don't get married and they keep having babies and collect $$ from the gov't.

Answer 7

Well obviously they don't:
survive on minimum wage, which is less than $6 an hour. They can't afford to go to the doctor, so they usually go to a free clinic (taxpayer funded) or they go to the county hospital (also taxpayer funded). Comprehende?

However, even low-wage workers make more than the mininum wage, which is usually $7.00 an hour. The minimum wage is a joke.

Answer 8

They are called the working poor and they cannot afford to go to the doctor, the dentist, or the grocery store. They often work 2 or 3 jobs to get by and barely keep a roof over their heads. But what the heck, who needs social programs?

Answer 9

to survive on minimum wage, one must rent an effeciency apartment, w/ no phone or cable, walk to work everyday, or hitchhike, and eat only store brand foods, once a day. And possibly sell drugs on the side.

besides the drugs part, millions of Americans live this way every day of their lives.

and they do not get to go to the dr at all, so if they were sick, they would just die. It's the American way! lol

Answer 10

Normally they don't survive well. Its even difficult with 2 in the household making minimum wage. Still, there is an amount of apathy that prevents these people from excelling higher than they are.