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Even if you live in a state with no income tax, work full-time at your minimum wage job, and live as you describe (which is homeless) your take home pay would o

Even if you live in a state with no income tax, work full-time at your minimum wage job, and live as you describe (which is homeless) your take home pay would only barely cover your $30/day budget. What happens when you get sick and have to miss a shift? Or need to see a doctor? What happens if your job is in New England where it's well below freezing at night for a significant portion of the year? It's disingenuous to perpetuate the notion that "discipline" is all that's needed to survive on minimum wage and it's patently ridiculous to suggest that people on minimum wage ought to "wild camp" in order to make ends meet.

PSZD 8y ago
I live on less than 30/day (including rent) working a poorly paid manual labor part time job in a state with income tax. No, I don't own a car. Yes, I split housing costs with other people. > What happens when you get sick and have to miss a shift? As mandated by state law, I get paid for my normal hours. > It's disingenuous to perpetuate the notion that "discipline" is all that's needed to survive on minimum wage It's also amusing to be lectured about how your situation is impossible by people who are going into debt making 80k+ a year.
- toasterlovin 8y ago
  Nobody wants to hear that there are some people who are just not equipped for an environment A) with abundant access to addictive substances and B) where economic success is dependent on being reasonably intelligent and able to delay gratification.
  - Nomentatus 8y ago
    Epigenetic damage can undoubtedly predispose one to addiction, etc. But bad health in general can get you unhoused, and there's an epidemic of chronic illness. Delaying gratification and a good IQ aren't sufficient to pave your way in the world.
- elliekelly 8y ago
  >As mandated by sate law, I get paid for my normal hours. Paid sick time is not mandated by law in most states. http://www.paidsickdays.org/research-resources/current-sick-days-laws.html#.W-xv_CdRcWo http://www.paidsickdays.org/research-resources/current-sick-...
nroets 8y ago
If I had to survive on minimum wage, I would do things differently: No airline tickets, no long distance bus tickets and no sightseeing. Cooking ramen noodles instead of eating the dollar burgers at that I bought at McDonalds. I would also work much more than 40 hours a week. I would share a flat in a poor neighbourhood with someone. I'm not saying everyone has the discipline to pull it off. I'm just saying I can see how some immigrants can live off minimum wage and still send money home every year.
conanbatt 8y ago
Why would it be better to be unemployed at 15U$S an hour that employed at 5U$S an hour?

PSZD 8y ago

I live on less than 30/day (including rent) working a poorly paid manual labor part time job in a state with income tax. No, I don't own a car. Yes, I split housing costs with other people. > What happens when you get sick and have to miss a shift? As mandated by state law, I get paid for my normal hours. > It's disingenuous to perpetuate the notion that "discipline" is all that's needed to survive on minimum wage It's also amusing to be lectured about how your situation is impossible by people who are going into debt making 80k+ a year.

toasterlovin 8y ago
Nobody wants to hear that there are some people who are just not equipped for an environment A) with abundant access to addictive substances and B) where economic success is dependent on being reasonably intelligent and able to delay gratification.
- Nomentatus 8y ago
  Epigenetic damage can undoubtedly predispose one to addiction, etc. But bad health in general can get you unhoused, and there's an epidemic of chronic illness. Delaying gratification and a good IQ aren't sufficient to pave your way in the world.
elliekelly 8y ago
>As mandated by sate law, I get paid for my normal hours. Paid sick time is not mandated by law in most states. http://www.paidsickdays.org/research-resources/current-sick-days-laws.html#.W-xv_CdRcWo http://www.paidsickdays.org/research-resources/current-sick-...

nroets 8y ago

If I had to survive on minimum wage, I would do things differently: No airline tickets, no long distance bus tickets and no sightseeing. Cooking ramen noodles instead of eating the dollar burgers at that I bought at McDonalds. I would also work much more than 40 hours a week. I would share a flat in a poor neighbourhood with someone. I'm not saying everyone has the discipline to pull it off. I'm just saying I can see how some immigrants can live off minimum wage and still send money home every year.

conanbatt 8y ago

Why would it be better to be unemployed at 15U$S an hour that employed at 5U$S an hour?