Can anyone actually survive on the minimum wage in America? how do minimum wagers get by?

Answer 1

In short. First question--hell no.

Second question--we beg, borrow and steal until it drives us half-insane from despair. We beg from churches and neighbors and family until we end up losing all our friends. We borrow bad debts after good ones, falling further behind on payments until loan sharks run us out of having *checking accounts* because the alternative is going to jail on "bad check laws".

And some of us steal, we shoplift from stores, raid dumpsters, cheat when it comes time to report wages to a welfare and/or Social Security system out to drive us into the damn gutter anyway, and generally feel lousy about it all....

And this assumes that we try to be mostly law-abiding about it all and *not* do drugs or attack people (mugging them). Some of us find that sort of thing easier than dealing with being a wage-slave on that Wal-Mart Plantation, mind you.

Basically, the minimum wage is *not* fit for man nor beast to live on. It is engineered to keep people in *fear* of the rich man, pure and simple, and to keep the middle-classes in particular in fear of the poor.

And before some smartass quips "Only teenagers make blahblahblah....", no, ANYONE whose work gets OUTSOURCED can end up stuck at $5.15 an hour *scrambling* to get by, having to choose between rent and food for a month, living paycheck to paycheck.....and a lot of us have *kids* to raise on that kind of "money". Anybody. It is called Globalization, a.k.a. The Chase to the Bottom, or driving wages and standards of living down to 3rd World levels.

Really. This is the kind of money people were living on in New Orleans before Katrina hit, and folks wondered from the smug safety of their picket-fence homes and SUVs why they couldn't just "drive away" when told to.

Gee, do you think maybe people can't afford to have a *car that WORKS* on that wage? I dunno, it's a hard one to figure out. **slaps hand to forehead, over your usual pampered rightwad idiocy** O_O

I am throwing down a *Punk Card* on this one. I CHALLENGE any right-wing Media Pundit, be it Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Hyman, whoever....give up your day job. Get a name change, and make yourself live on *just* a minimum wage job over at Wal-Mart or Taco Bell. Try to survive for a year without ruining your life.

You cannot do it. It isn't humanly possible. Really.

Answer 2

I am not sure if you've ever seen the award-winning documentary "super size me", but the man who made that documentary has a show on FX now.called 30 days. In one of his recent airings, he shows what it is like to live off of minimum wage and how hard it is. It is a huge struggle. Of course, there is always welfare assistance and income-based housing provided by the government to supplement the families with enough money to cover food and rent. However, life on minimum wage will never be glamorous nor will it ever be carefree.

But the misconception I've seen is that people who are poor, are automatically thought to be depressed and sad. This is not always true. Poor people who are religious or who love eachother have very enriched lives and sustain themselves through spending time together and loving eachother and not through spending money on trips or material things. This is something that does not come with money, it comes with character.
Rich and middle class people suffer from depression and sadness also, just not usually about money. Crappy marriage etc can happen to any class of people. Unfortunately though it does seem the less you make, the more LIKELY you are to be depressed. It doesn't mean you have to be though. Life is what you make it. Look at our grandparents and forefathers, they loved eachother even through the depression and hard times. If we followed that example, we would not whine about not being able to afford trivialities that are not necessities in the first place. We would be grateful for what we have.



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Answer 3

Yes you can, but not in most areas. And some areas have higher minimum wage then others.

The average Living Wage in the US (the wage level you can actually survive on your own at) is around $7.75 an hour. Some Economists go as high as $9 on that figure. just depends on what you consider a luxury and what' essential.

Answer 4

most minimum wagers are like me young just getting my first job but for adult to make minimum wage i dont see how its even possible almsot all adults get more then minimum when starting a new job and if the go to college and get an education they can get a very good job and make a decent living

Answer 5

People were never intended to raise a family and make a career on the minimum wage. Minimum wage was intended to be the untrained/entry-level wage for businesses. People are supposed to work their way up in whatever job they have, no one is supposed to seriously stay at the entry-level job wage their entire life.

Answer 6

certain you could, yet not in maximum parts. and some parts have larger minimum salary then others. the favored residing salary interior the U. S. (the salary element you could somewhat survive on your human being at) is round $7.seventy 5 an hour. some Economists bypass as extreme as $9 on that ensure. only relies upon on what you concentrate on a luxury and what' needed.

Answer 7

They don't! That is why it is so important to get an education...college or vocational school. Work to get some kind of training to be able to have a skilled job. It is not easy, but it can be done...many people do it. Minimun wage is not meant to support mature people or those with families. It is for young people starting out who have not yet gotten training for a skilled job.

Answer 8

We borrow and borrow and borrow until we can't borrow anymore and then we kill ourselves. suicide rates are higher among minimum wage employees.

Answer 9

I know this one, they live in packed trailer parks, ugly apartments and with family.......they do not do it well......i wonder why they do not like to work and prefer crime?.......hmmm could there be a correlation?......probably not according to most americans,,,

Answer 10

I don't get by