No wiggle room: Making life work on minimum wage

re: No wiggle room: Making life work on minimum wage

Brian — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 01:58:19 GMT

Buying health insurance when your poor is insane. There are free clinics in almost every town. Hospitals go on what you make if you don't have insurance. If you do have insurance it will cost a poor person more at the hospital than if they didn't. The only time you should get health insurance is when you stand to lose something like a big savings or a house.

re: No wiggle room: Making life work on minimum wage

V. Kingston,NYC — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:50:21 GMT

You are a good example Shanna! I worked minimum wages and raised half of a dozen children. Your brain cells were not made for decoration purposes. Keep putting it to use, I wish others will learn from your good example.

re: No wiggle room: Making life work on minimum wage

moneychallenge — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 01:41:40 GMT

All power to you Shanna! Congratulations on working for a degree so you can find a better paying job. I am also super impressed that you fix your own car. Are there any student health plans through your college that you can take advantage of?

re: No wiggle room: Making life work on minimum wage

Shanna — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 23:04:45 GMT

I am raising a teenager on minimum wage. I bought an older mobile home for 1500.00 dollars. It is much cheaper to pay space rent than to rent an apartment. I pay 195.00 a month for rent and natural gas to heat the trailer. I pay about 107.00 a month for electricity. I do not qualify for food stamps, medicaid or cash from the state because I'm attending college. and can only work part time or my grades will suffer. I own a car because I would end up paying more in public transportation to get my daughter to school and me to school and work riding a bike where I live would be to dangerous because people drive crazy here and walking at 5 a.m. is to dangerous for a female. I pay 80.00 for gas a month for the car. I pay 50.00 a month for insurance on the car. If the car needs work I get a book and fix it my self. I spend about 150.00 a month on groceries and personal hygein products. Bleach and a little dishsoap work great for cleaning. I do not own tv. I have a computer with internet because I need it for some of my classes this runs me 50.00 a month. For entertainment my daughter and I walk, read or go to free public events. I shop at used clothing stores for clothes and other household items. I can not afford retirement fund, medical insurance, or emergencies. I pray there are no emergencies until I am able to complete college and get a decent job.

re: No wiggle room: Making life work on minimum wage

moneychallenge — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:55:29 GMT

I would love to hear from people who are actually making a minimum wage budget work. How about families living on minimum wage? I wrote up a hypothetical budget for a single person but I can't imagine how a family would cope.