In my area right now you cannot rent an apartment unless you show proof you have income 3x rent. So that 1200 apartment wouldn’t be possible because they make less than 3600
Minimum wage isn't survivable anymore
Submitted 4 hours ago by sanitation@lemmy.today to workreform@lemmy.world
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Comments
Gongin@sh.itjust.works 1 hour ago
BillyClark@piefed.social 1 hour ago
Even if they had an extra $500 per month somehow, it’s not enough to just survive. For one thing, if you’re human, you need to at least entertain the possibility of vacations.
Why can’t we expect people to survive AND to have a decent quality of life?
Soup@lemmy.world 57 minutes ago
And we need to be clear that “vacations” does not mean travelling. People will do basic tourist crap in Italy and call themselves worldly, whatever. But people do need money to just exist in their own space without working for a week(longer, obviously). People can’t even be tourists in their own cities and towns.
crystalmerchant@lemmy.world 38 minutes ago
Answer: it’s not sustainable
ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.zip 41 minutes ago
When I was living in Seattle I figured about $100k would be a reasonable minimum there. That’s just enough to not constantly stress about money, do things like going to the doctor and dentist, you can have some joys in life, and save towards long term goals. It can’t get you anything fancy you still need to live modestly but you can actually live not just survive
BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
Are these prices from 1999? Where in the US can you get anywhere close to these rates? Certainly not near any major city.
Deconceptualist@leminal.space 1 hour ago
Great Lakes rust belt. Okay well maybe rent is actually $2200 and utilities are $450, but the others aren’t too far off if you put in the work to find deals. That only leaves you what, $600 in debt each month? Not so bad for one of the most affordable major urbanized regions, right? /s
scytale@piefed.zip 2 hours ago
I’m in a major city with lots of tech companies and getting unaffordable every year. Having said that, utilities, phone, and internet are doable, BUT with caveats:
You can still find a $1200 1-BR apartment, but it might not be in a great area in the city. So I agree this is not ideal even though it’s possible.
You can spend less than $100 on electricity and water in a 1-bedroom apartment because the utility provider is regulated. Once you get out of their coverage (outside city limits), it gets expensive pretty quick. My monthly bill back when I was living in an apartment was around $60-$70.
Fiber internet (500 Mbps) can be as low as $30-$45. You just have to keep calling every renewal either to ask for a promo rate, or threaten to switch so they offer to get you back to the introductory price. I hate that it has to be like this, but it’s possible.
A pre-paid carrier like Mint or US Mobile can cost as low as $15 a month, but you’ll have limited data. If you don’t really need much internet while out and about, then it won’t really be much of an issue.
Transportation is definitely the problem, and $300 a month won’t cut it. Public transpo barely exists and you’ll likely have a car payment and insurance, which will eat up your monthly budget. And yeah, $350 for food isn’t enough anymore.
daychilde@lemmy.world 2 hours ago
Hampton Roads, VA. I’m in Newport News. $1375 for a two bedroom apartment, although water/sewer is nearly $200/mo and electric is around that as well. We’re barely scraping by.
vrek@programming.dev 2 hours ago
I live in a suburb of a large city. These might be higher since it’s me, gf, and kid. Rent with all included fees: 1850
Utilities(basically just electric): 200-400 per month depending on weather
Phone : 40 per month(had to buy phone out of pocket first)
Food: 400-600 recently with only groceries no eating out
Transportation(gas for car): 100 minimum
Car insurance: 275 (no tickets, 1 accident 4 years ago but I was found 0% at fault)
Car payment: 350 (paid off next month)
Total(check my math I did it in my head) 3250 per month for essentials
BassTurd@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
This isn’t in any way a defence of low wages, but phone, internet, and food can all be had for cheaper depending on location, and if public transportation or close walking proximity to resources and employment are available, that can be significantly less too.
That still leaves too little extra to do any activities that cost money, survive an emergency situation, or save for retirement.
voytrekk@sopuli.xyz 4 hours ago
I live in a decent sized city in the US and I would say the only thing low might be transportation. Rent here can be lower, so they would offset.
LemmyBruceLeeMarvin@lemmy.ml 51 minutes ago
[stares in Marxist materialist analysis]
nullspace@lemmy.world 1 hour ago
Rent bots have added another $100-$130 to their listing prices.
pdxfed@lemmy.world 1 hour ago
They’re as naive as someone just putting together that minimum wage en masse isn’t sustainable when it’s a punishing poverty wage. Its a shanty wage…if that.
unitedwithme@lemmy.today 58 minutes ago
And just think, iirc 19 States still utilize federal minimum wage… So, less than half of $15/hr.
strocker89@feddit.online 3 hours ago
Minimum wage is $7.25… And it should be $30/hr
Skyrmir@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
It was never sustainable, it was a hack to keep people from demanding unions. There’s plenty of countries with no minimum wage and well paid workers. It takes strong unions and labor protection laws, which is why the fascists will fight it to the death.
daychilde@lemmy.world 2 hours ago
When minimum wage was instituted in the United States, it was intended as a living wage.
That has been eroded with time, though.
Skyrmir@lemmy.world 1 hour ago
It was never implemented in the first place. What was intended never happened. Probably for the best honestly. Minimum wage is a poor way to accomplish a living wage, the only advantage it has, is political expediency.
T00l_shed@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
I think the calls leaving 100 per month are generous
Yew@lemmy.world 9 minutes ago
There was this commercial in the 90’s, I think it was burger king. About a young guy doing his budget, it included $19/mo for gas, and it came out to “a dollar a day for lunch? More than enough!” For a 99 cent cheeseburger. That budget was laughable at the time but it’s insane today.