Poll of the Day > Should you be able to live off minimum wage?

(+) Yeah! (+)

zebatov posted...

You should be able to afford a phone, rent, vehicle (plus inherent costs) and food. Easily doable on minimum wage.

Break that down for us
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Mead posted...

zebatov posted...

You should be able to afford a phone, rent, vehicle (plus inherent costs) and food. Easily doable on minimum wage.

Break that down for us

Sure.

I afforded a brand-new (financed) 5.2L 2013 Silverado (~$450/m), insurance ($250/m), gas ($300/m) phone @ Canadian prices ($80+/m) $200-$300/m for food, with $700 rent for a bedroom on $15/hr.
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living in canada is like living in a small eastern european country
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RoboXgp89 posted...

living in canada is like living in a small eastern european country

Shitty, but cold.
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Mead posted...

CTLM posted...

Lokarin posted...

CTLM posted...

Kyuubi4269 posted...

darcandkharg31 posted...

EvilMegas posted...

They are a necessity on this day and age.

No they aren't. Do they make life a hell of a lot easier? Yes, but you don't need a cellphone to live.

You need a cellphone for your boss to call you.

You need a phone. Not a cellphone

Cellphone service is cheaper than landlines in some areas, so certainly you're ok with cellphones in these areas?

If you need one for your job, yes. Picking up a little phone that's like $20 and you need to put minutes on it.

Problem is, the people who say they NEED a cellphone are the ones who are the people who have the $800+ phones. I have never met a person who said they absolutely must have one who didn't have a super expensive, top-tier phone.

Nobody gives a shit about your anecdotal experience dude get outta here with that

You care enough to comment
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CTLM posted...

You care enough to comment

You need a phone. Period.

If you rely on e-mail and the other guy has a phone, your would-be boss will employ the person with the phone. I guarantee it.

I had to fill out my phone number on my last job application.
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zebatov posted...

on $15/hr.

That's not minimum wage in most of Canada, and it certainly wasn't when 2013 cars were brand new (Alberta's rise to $15 only came last October, and it's currently the only province with that minimum). If you're going to make claims about minimum wage, you should probably actually talk about minimum wage.

zebatov posted...

I afforded a brand-new (financed) 5.2L 2013 Silverado (~$450/m), insurance ($250/m), gas ($300/m) phone @ Canadian prices ($80+/m) $200-$300/m for food, with $700 rent for a bedroom on $15/hr.

That's a total of $2080/month. At the average Canadian minimum wage of $12.49/hour, that'd be 166.5 hours of work per month, or 4.16 40-hour weeks. On average, a month is 4.35 weeks long, or 173.8 hours of work if you're doing 40-hour weeks, working out to a total of $2171/month. So yeah, at those prices, it's doable, but I'd hardly call a $91/month surplus "easily doable." Especially where you've left out utilities (easily another $100-200/month, depending on where you are), vehicle maintenance, and other recurring expenses. That gets even worse if the full-time position in question only consists of 35 hours per week, in which case you simply can't make up that $2080 at $12.49.

That said, Canadian minimum wages are generally alright. Terribly inadequate for some of the more expensive cities, and a little bit more room for luxury spending would be nice so life at minimum wage isn't devoid of fun, but they're at least moving in the right direction. Most of the minimum wage discussions here are talking about American minimum wages, which tend to be more in the $7-8 range and far less adequate for subsistence (let alone living a quasi-decent life).

CTLM posted...

Problem is, the people who say they NEED a cellphone are the ones who are the people who have the $800+ phones. I have never met a person who said they absolutely must have one who didn't have a super expensive, top-tier phone.

I have a flip phone that I paid $20 for over 7 years ago that is literally falling apart that I continue using because I'm too cheap to upgrade, and I will happily say that I need a cell phone. A land line would suffice, but be much less convenient and not that much cheaper. Consider your anecdotal impression invalidated.
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What I had was entirely doable on minimum wage. What I left out is the amount of money I had left over. Overtime is also a thing.

Canada's cost-of-living is much higher than in the US, overall. I find the US has it much better.
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canada is expensive and since so much of it is urban and close to large cities, we often don't really have the option to just go somewhere cheaper. i live around 2 hours from toronto and while it isn't quite as bad as vancouver for example, the big city housing prices are definitely creeping their way into smaller cities
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Sefrig posted...

canada is expensive and since so much of it is urban and close to large cities, we often don't really have the option to just go somewhere cheaper. i live around 2 hours from toronto and while it isn't quite as bad as vancouver for example, the big city housing prices are definitely creeping their way into smaller cities

Just read online Vancouver housing increased 5% due to money laundering. Chinese, casinos, government. Go figure.
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Lokarin posted...

According to me, minimum wage @ 48 hours per week should let you afford an apartment (or a house for dual income), a cheaper car, food, RRSP minimums and then maybe $50~$200 monthly luxury spending

Which, for me, is about $1400/month... obviously that's not for everyone.

I own my own place (actually refinancing now after 9 years to save $11,000 in interest and cut off 6 years)
Bought the car I wanted 25k
Have a decent IRA going(thanks Trump for the boost!)
I have tons (at least to what appears to be a lot of "normal" people) sitting in my checking/savings. Since so many live paycheck to paycheck. I don't even understand how, I freak out if I'm under like $3-4,000 in my checking. It's currently 2.5-3 times that amount.
I have a god-daughter I've setup a college fund for so when she graduate's she's going to get a nice chunk of cash.

My take home is $1600ish a month. This is under the whole leftist, gotta pay $15 an hour to have a livable wage!!!

It's called plan for the future and don't spend money on stupid crap.
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zebatov posted...

Overtime is also a thing.

Yes, but the whole point of the discussion is that overtime shouldn't be needed, particularly where overtime isn't a thing in many jobs. Full-time work at minimum wage should be enough to get by reasonably comfortably (that is, basic necessities taken care of and enough left over for life to not completely suck). Overtime (whether at a higher rate of pay or just the extra hours) should be a bonus on top of that to add some extra cash to the coffers, not something that's necessary to pick up minimum wage's slack.
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Decoy77 posted...

It's called plan for the future and don't spend money on stupid crap.

It's the landlords and rich assholes making us pay for their sky scrapers not the voters
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In my comment when i said brand new cell phone, I meant like a new good smart phone, especially an iPhone. And a cell phone period is still a luxury, you can just answer phone calls on a landline or a shitty cell plan, and answer emails by going to the public library
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Look min wage in most of the US is $10 an hour (or will be soon).

With a 40 hour job, that would be about $1600 a month but after taxes (social security etc), it's about $1400.

There are places where you can rent a 1 bedroom for $600 or less, but most cities at this point charge at least $800 for a 1 bedroom. You can of course rent a room, and it's smart to do it but it doesn't work for everyone.

Now $15 an hour, I would say is enough to survive on in most areas, but...there are not many places with $15 min wage yet. That is effectively almost 50% more (almost due to higher taxes) disposable income per month.

People on here be like, yo yo yo, you can totally get a 450$ car + own a home + have health insurance (which is mandatory now) and pay for car insurance , a cell phone, internet, clothes, food, gas and I got a few hookers on the side with my extra cash boooooooooy.

Yeah, no...doubt you could do that even in the few places that have $15 min wage (Especially since those places like Seatle, Manhattan NY etc all cost a freakton to live in).

The reality is min wage gets you enough to rent a room in most places in the use, hopefully (and I can tell you this from watching TONS of people I know go through it) keep up your crap car, or buy another crap car when yours breaks down to much, and in most cases have almost no money for food (hence why I make food for so many of my friends all the time).

Yeah, the ones with tipping jobs do great, but not the guys working at the theater, or the other one working at subway, or a girl who is a nanny/caregiver or another friend who works as a cannibis oil plant (don't know exactly what it's called), or another who works for pet smart, or another who is a cook at a pizza place (no tips) etc etc....the list goes on and it's pretty much all people in their late 20's to early 40's...and the NORM. Everyone here pretty much has those jobs. The best ones in Olympia are jobs that tip, or working for the government (it's the state capital and there are alot of Gov employees).

I mean, I know alot of people, some are just casual friends but even so, out of all of them in this area....sadly the highest paid person I know of makes about $60k+ a year...managing a gamestop lol.

There are certainly higher paying jobs out there, but the average people you see everywhere? They are not usually working them. At least here, there are a TON more people renting rooms (or renting an apartment and sharing it/renting rooms out) then renting their own place.

Certainly have never seen that before, even in places like the Bay Area 10+ years ago...which was an incredibly popular place for people to live. Rental prices are going through the roof everywhere, and if it hasn't hit where you live now....it probably will soon.
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SirPikachu posted...

And a cell phone period is still a luxury, you can just answer phone calls on a landline or a s***ty cell plan

A landline isn't going to save you that much over a cheaper cell, and won't be able to handle texts (which are now a very common way for employers to communicate with employees). You still don't need anything top-of-the-line, of course (see: my phone), but there's a pretty solid argument to be made that owning a cell phone is necessary, especially for anyone looking for work.

SirPikachu posted...

and answer emails by going to the public library

Even at minimum wage, the opportunity cost of that (realistically, it's going to be at least an hour out of each day unless you live right next door to the library) is going to be greater than just having your own internet at home, and will quickly pay for an internet-capable device. It's a bit different if you're job hunting and your time therefore isn't actually worth anything, but even then it's an asset to be able to answer emails faster than one can without home internet and an internet-capable device, especially when you also consider that being tied to a landline means potentially missing calls from employers if you have to leave the house to check your emails.

Beyond the general necessity of a cell phone, though, it is worth noting that smartphones are one of the most cost-effective quality of life improvements a person can have. With a single device, you get internet access (for free at public wifi hotspots) and all that entails (namely entertainment and socializing), the ability to communicate with others long-distance (friends, family, professional contacts...), a camera (mostly for entertainment purposes, but also a valuable asset for anyone looking for work in a field where portfolios are expected), a clock, a calendar/planner, games (many of which come at no additional cost), a music player, and a wealth of other useful and/or enjoyable features that would all cost much more if they were purchased individually. These aren't all truly necessary things, but they're nice to have, and if your luxury spending budget is tight, getting them with something as cost-effective as a smartphone is actually a very sensible decision.
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You can, but depending on the area you might need roommates.

All a "living" entails is shelter, food, drink, and basic heating. Minimum wage shouldn't cover things like a car, but it should be enough to cover public transit.
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What people crying about? If you can't afford 20 bucks a month for a cell phone plan and 40 bucks for a internet plan a month than there ways around it. Wi-fi is all over the place just ask your neighbor for there password I sure they will give it to you or if you need to make a call oh my just walk out the door everyone has a phone. Just ask if you can use there phone to make a call real quick.

american's live on fiefs basically like what land lords had in the medieval ages
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RoboXgp89 posted...

american's live on fiefs basically like what land lords had in the medieval ages

Although this is a pretty good example of America's public education system churns out.
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Personally I think you should be able to subsist off minimum wage for 25 hours a week. As in, you can rent a room, cover public transportation, live on ramen, and keep the lights on. Minimum wage 40 hours should let you rent your own one bedroom place, eat a nutritionally sustainable diet, heating, electric and some minor treat at the end of the week to keep morale up.

Mind you, I don't think it should be implemented now as I doubt it's economically viable, but it should be a major goal of the government.
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yeah ok i'm sure the civil service workers are working much harder and longer than we are and are struggling to make ends meet with their new car every year and their 3 million dollar houses
oh no wait they aren't they don't even have to turn a profit really, just give hand outs to jeff bezo's so he can provide us with min wage jobs
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I going to give you all advice. Graduate highschool than go into the military. I don't care what branch. They pay for everything, you stay in there for 20 years so you get a pension till day you die each month. If you get married or have kids bam it paid for. Look how many college bachelors you could get in 20 years for your resume. All paid by em. Want to be a doctor than oh my I might want to learn to be a lawyer it all paid for. Than your 38 married with kids getting out already have money free college veteran than getting money each month from the government so doesn't matter how long it takes you to want to find a job. Way to go. Listen read and keep it in mind.

yeah lemme go blow up the other countries so we have a reason to pay taxes in the first place

my ancestors came here and did that all ready, they didn't parade around the world for resources and spending, they weren't all crazy back then
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RoboXgp89 posted...

yeah ok i'm sure the civil service workers are working much harder and longer than we are and are struggling to make ends meet with their new car every year and their 3 million dollar houses
oh no wait they aren't they don't even have to turn a profit really, just give hand outs to jeff bezo's so he can provide us with min wage jobs

you're the one that's uneducated
you sound like you've never stepped outside of the country

Well, the civil servants who administered your "education" were certainly overpaid, considering that you had at least 12 years of schooling yet seem completely unable to string together a single coherent sentence conveying a rational thought. Among other issues, you don't seem to understand what "civil service" actually means. And, while Jeff Bezos certainly pays a lot of taxes, civil servants don't work for him.
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Moneymoney posted...

I going to give you all advice. Graduate highschool than go into the military. I don't care what branch. They pay for everything, you stay in there for 20 years so you get a pension till day you die each month. If you get married or have kids bam it paid for. Look how many college bachelors you could get in 20 years for your resume. All paid by em. Want to be a doctor than oh my I might want to learn to be a lawyer it all paid for. Than your 38 married with kids getting out already have money free college veteran than getting money each month from the government so doesn't matter how long it takes you to want to find a job. Way to go. Listen read and keep it in mind.

This is a serious question: is English your first language?

civil servants get 50k-100k every year to sit at home when they retire
you're talking out of your bum

incoherent

string together a single coherent sentence conveying a rational thought

I really hope you don't talk like that in real life
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Why is this generation so worried about language. All you come up with. If you really don;t understand what I just tryped for your broke asses in school thann it don't matter. I did you all a favor. Gave you the best parent advice ever.

Moneymoney posted...

Why is this generation so worried about language. All you come up with. If you really don;t understand what I just tryped for your broke asses in school thann it don't matter. I did you all a favor. Gave you the best parent advice ever.

You mean why am I trying to decipher what the fuck youre trying to say? Because my former interpreter from Iraq writes in English better than you, and hes not out here trying to give life advice.

the real threat is in the white house
no im' not going to some podunk dirt farm anytime soon
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Moneymoney posted...

Best advice you will get you young prick

Whoa, fucking good one. You should probably stay away from the internet until you grab some student loans and take a few English courses.

You make money now loser, join military get big checks, become part of military industrial complex, feed corporate machine be successful like me
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Years back a single parent could meek by with minimum wage even if they had a family

Nowadays theres no way even two parents can support kids on minimum wage. If one gets sick or if you have to pay for childcare then forget about it youll be in debt forever

Conservatives dont want low level workers to make more money, they dont want them to be able to get abortions, and they dont want them to have any kind of safety net. They really wont be happy until we have kids dying of malnutrition.

Were the only developed nation that treats our people like that and its damn embarrassing
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Did this thread get invaded by Russians or something?
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Pretty sure PotD is blocked in Russia because Putin considers it a threat to national well being.
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Mead posted...

Were the only developed nation that treats our people like that and its damn embarrassing

Well UK conservatives definitely match this:

Mead posted...

Conservatives dont want low level workers to make more money [...] and they dont want them to have any kind of safety net.

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Pretty sure folks in the UK dont have to worry about going bankrupt over going to the doctor but hey Im sure that has nothing to do with anything
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Mead posted...

Pretty sure folks in the UK dont have to worry about going bankrupt over going to the doctor but hey Im sure that has nothing to do with anything

Nah, you just can't apply for jobseekers until you have no savings or sellable big ticket items then you have to wait a month to be paid (when you have no savings) and you have to prove 40 hours jobseeking, work for free for the government then when your money comes in it won't cover basic needs.
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