ors who live off of minimum wage, how do you do it?

Question

Karlen · Accepted Answer

In Ontario the minimum is $11.25 CAD I believe and for students or alcohol servers its a bit less. In my experience most places hire on a buck or two above minimum usually even at entry level retail jobs. Living on 11-14$ CAD/Hr isn't glamorous but if you know how to put some aside, live within your means, and not drown in debt you can get by with semi luxuries, eat well, finance a car, but rent is an issue as most basements start at $800-1000/month but usually includes power and whatnot. In my area a townhouse attached on both sides in any decent condition will be at least $1800, upwards of $2000 even.  So optimally you want a room mate or partner that is making the same amount of money/hours as you, and you can get by OK. There is even talk about Ontario being the first in Canada to try out some form of 'basic income' so maybe more subsidized income would make working the same hours at the same pay a lot more comfortable.

Tharen · Answer

For me, it's about compromising. I rent a flat, own a car and take acting classes. But I rent a cheap flat, I own a cheap car. I can feed myself for a week on less than PS10, I rarely buy new clothes and I haven't been on holiday in 4 years. I also don't have kids or dependables which helps a lot. Just have to prioritise things. It's hard and I have to go into the overdraft nearly every month but it's manageable

Marylinda · Answer

Minnesota is $9.00. Don't make minimum wage but I don't see how it's possible

Stephanie Winkel · Answer

My ex, newborn, and I lived off of my minimum wage job as a hotel maid. One bedroom apartment for the three of us, only drove my car when I absolutely had to, used food stamps, took up any random babysitting or cleaning gigs I could get. WIC, family, and the food bank helped tons. No internet or cable, shared a phone. All of our cash went to diapers, food, gas, and bills.

Tintti · Answer

move somewhere where rent is cheap and have hobbies that are cheap too.

Menard · Answer

I make more than min wage, but $15/hr is still not a whole ton (WI here). To supplement my income, I shop on ebay and at Goodwill. I also resell stuff I buy and make some extra $$ doing that. Also, I make art on the side and sell it. There are always ways to make extra $$.

Lowa · Answer

Living with parents (paying rent and food money and a portion of the bills) and i usually have extra which I spend on Myself.

malgorzata · Answer

I live with my parents

Celeste · Answer

My wife and I now both make more than minimum wage, but it wasn't so long ago when we didn't. Honestly, it wasn't all that bad. We're both very good at budgeting/saving and we know how to live within our means. We don't even have to avoid luxuries  we've always managed to pay all of the bills, buy groceries for our household of four, and still enjoy nonessentials such as eating out, new video/board games, etc. Even with us both making more money, our annual household income is still probably less than $30,000. We know people who make far more money than we do and yet they struggle more than we ever have. My sister-in-law and her husband have asked to borrow money from us on a number of occasions despite making three times as much as we do.

Gennie · Answer

Lived on the dole for a few years which was about $200 (NZD) a week. Was in a 6 bedroom house that had at least 8 people living in it on a dodgy street.  Pretty much ate nothing but bread and sausages cos you could get huge bags of them for a few bucks. Odd meal at a family or friend's house.

Dea · Answer

With help from my family. Minimum wage here is $5 and cost of living is NOT accordingly low. I also try to get stuff that is near or past the expiry date to score a discount, do jobs on the side (like art commissions), and every now and then, my large body conceals a full grocery bag from the cashier while I pay for that pack of ass wipe. All this is gonna end soon, because I'll be moving to a country with higher wages and lower cost of living.

SOLANGE · Answer

If my father (not rich himself) did not simply give me money when I needed it, I would not make it work at all.

maybrit · Answer

Not making minimum wage now, but I did for around a year. The short answer is I don't have kids, I didn't drink, and I don't have medical issues. I had an apartment mate that I liked. Hiked a lot for entertainment and drove an old truck. Honestly it seems like most people in this thread were living in very expensive cities (where I live a 2 bedroom is ~1200/month), have kids, or are just spending their money on stuff they don't need.

Elviira · Answer

Lots of food pantry use

Blinnie · Answer

Not minimum wage where I was living but 2 years ago I was making $9 an hour (so not much higher than min wage) and supporting me, my husband, and our roommate. I was the only one employed. Food stamps are great if you know how to budget. Lots of ramen noodles. Live in your means. I worked close to home to save on gas. Its totaly possible to live on but its not a life of glamor. Being poor is its own lifestyle.

Maileena · Answer

I live at home while I am in grad school, work a part-time job and supplement my income by finding things from thrift store to sell put in my storage unit. Saved so much money by buying professional waredrobe clothing at goodwill outlet. Shop at Aldi, price rite (sister store of shoprite) and Geresbeck's. Go to flea markets and rummage sales. Have a old car it's 17 yeas old, my father is a mechanic and fixes it everytime it breaks down, better than public transportation. Have health insurance through the university about $300 a semester. Take vitamins. Get free exercise at the part-time job.

Midge · Answer

Honestly, a minimum wage job here in my state is almost below entry level, with the exception of servers/bartenders. But I've been in some shit working conditions making above minimum wage so I honestly couldn't tell you what the fuck is wrong. America is both good and bad. But I dont and probably will never want to live somewhere else.

CHUN · Answer

Lots and lots of hours

Hanna-Leena · Answer

I dont. Im stuck living with my mother because housing is really expensive where I live. I cant drive, I cant move out and things ger more toxic everyday. FML

Sarah Winkel · Answer

I'm a full time college student, completely supporting myself on minimum wage. I walk or ride my bike places. I rarely eat out. Instant coffee, Rice, ramen and eggs seriously become your best friends. Luckily I can afford Netflix, and I love reading and writing. I have great friends who don't mind paying for me every once in a while when we go out to eat or something. It's hard, but totally doable. Its an adjustment that you survive on the hopes that things will be better in the future.

Melessa · Answer

I worked 2 jobs (~55-60 hours/week), had a 14YO car, rented a shitty apartment in a very shitty neighborhood, and had 2 roommates. No cable tv. This was in the mid-90s, so it was before cell phones, and I used my parents' AOL login. What a shitty time that was!

Pensri · Answer

I live in California.I make 13/hr and only get maybe 25-27 hrs a week.Even that isnt enough.I rent a room,commute on a train and will walk the rest of the way sometimes.Its not enough to live off of even as I rent a room.Yet what else can we do we live in Cali

Katharina Schuhmacher · Answer

I worked 2-3 jobs, my wife worked one, we got money from our parents a lot, my cell phone was on my parents' plan, we had antenna tv (2012-2015), and we have a low rent. Now I have a full time programming job and we have a few more luxuries, but still barely get by sometimes.

Zavannah · Answer

I am currently seeking work after grad school and I am stretching savings from jobs I have had over the past year which means I am living on the equivalent of minimum wage.  My food bills are really cheap as I eat vegan so I only buy fruit, vegetables, beans and pulses etc. I also make a lot of soup from vegetables I find in the reduced section and freeze batches of them.  I walk everywhere within a 1 hour radius to save a few pounds on public transport, I don't buy luxuries. If I do need clothing, I go to charity shops. I don't really go out as I spend my time writing job applications!

malgorzata · Answer

Early 20's pre-uni living with my parents

Lea Vogler · Answer

Lived in government subsidized housing  2 bedrooms with 2 people in each room to make rent pretty affordable, split utilities, in charge of your own food. Ended up gaining tons of weight surviving on a diet of ramen noodles, gas station taquitos, and food from work (Subway). Budgeting was serious business and I had each pay check divvied out before I even received it. Being poor had its benefits as I qualified for the pell grant to cover community college and things got better from there.

Northrop · Answer

I work 3 jobs.

Perla · Answer

I no longer make minimum wage. But living in Montreal has it's pro's (lots of them). Rent is cheap, food is affordable. And there are TONS of free things to do everyday.  But the obvious: - Cook. No take-out. - Public Transportation. I biked everywhere...always.  - Share. I use to invite friends over and we would get drunk and make use amounts of food and freeze it.  - Start activities that don't resort in spending. Bike, Boardgames, Hiking, Volunteer, Free events. It's basically just a lot of lifestyle changes that make it possible.  Get a better job, you honestly shouldn't be at minimum wage unless you are a young student. Ton's of options are available.

Morty · Answer

I bag up all the leftover food we would otherwise throw out at me job.

Dyanne · Answer

Frugality is the answer. I also try to avoid malls in order to not spend money in things I don't need. I can't even afford to buy clothes or shoes.

Orsa · Answer

I died of starvation a long time ago

SIOBHAN · Answer

I work 3 jobs, plus a side gig that pays a couple hundred dollars a month. I make decent money, but I can't afford the annual passes to Disneyland, birthday trips to Vegas, new clothes and shoes, restaurant meals and other luxuries that the part-time employees I oversee can afford. I generally only buy secondhand clothing and household goods, and at least half of my food is free from one of my jobs. WTF am I doing wrong? Part-time employees making $12.50-$15 an hour live better than I do.

Eddi · Answer

Because I live in a reasonable first world country. I earn 18 bucks an hour, don't rely on the government for handouts, and financially support myself.  One day you guys will get this.

Martina Dietrich · Answer

Room mates, tight budgeting, rentals instead of buying, used items, thrifting, grocery outlets and the like.  I used the library for my entertainment, my only splurge was movie pass... Once a year I save up and get it. I can see a movie a day in theaters for shot a dollar a day. After work that's how I'd unwind.  Oh and I never ate out unless it's Taco Bell because that's cheapest and most vegetarian friendly.  I also used as many tax incentives as I could at the end of the year.  You have to work at it but it paid off and once I got a better job I kept all those same patterns and saved.  Oh and being smart with your power and water is important. Turn off lights, measure and time your water, reuse shower water to water your garden.  Oh and I grew my own cannabis and that was a good side income.

Matthieu · Answer

Hmm, not sure what is too hard about it to understand. Prepare your own food and don't go out as often unless it is free. I've been in education for several years and only had less than $300 after rent. It isn't that big of a struggle. Just your socializing can suffer a lot from it but that's it.

Daisie · Answer

I used to be work in a nursing home in the UK on minimum wage, luckily I still lived with my parents (who also have minimum wage jobs) I used to give them PS200 a month out of my wages to pay for food. At one point I was working 60 hours a week and picked up just over PS1000 a month. It did not seem worth it for the shit I had to deal with there.

Steffen · Answer

Meal planning and local food bank. I have found that Asian dishes are most cost effective while still keeping great flavour. I eat raw garlic as preventive medicine, read old books, play old games and use the internet instead of watching tv. I've been rocking the gameboy and Nintendo 64 for years!

Mandy · Answer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AUjxDgAOvw This was the soundtrack of my life for the majority of it.

Birgit Krause · Answer

Minimum wage here is 680EUR + they give you about 150EUR in cost for lunch and transport. However i work as a student and make 630 and get no benefits. Honestly it just sucks. Getting government funded aid is impossible for me, because a) im still a student( i have to have a student status, because the company where i work, dont want to hire me) and b) my parents make enough money (we have no contact).  Mostly i just go to work and then back home. I rent a small room in a 5bedroom apartment, i try to eat twice a day, but mostly its just one time. A friend every once in a while brings me some food.  It sucks, it really really really sucks and i hate every minute of it.

Simone Hoch · Answer

Here are some examples of minimum wage meals https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU9sUK26a-g

Gabriele Eichmann · Answer

How To Eat Incredibly Well on $3 a Day  It's definitely hard but can be done

Bidget · Answer

"Cincinnati is $8.15. But no one offers full time jobs anymore. So u have to make do with two part-time jobs. I found food stamps are your best friend sometimes and unfortunately other times you have to sell them to pay your electric bill. I fed myself with "free" sandwiches from the subway I worked at. Do a lot of "under the table" jobs. Not prostitution, but like clean rich people's houses, walk dogs or baby sitting. Anything to make a few extra bucks. oh and u don't need a TV or cable. Hell you don't even need internet. shocking I know. But if you work a lot and occupy your free time with free activities like reading or volunteering you won't even notice. And it makes you feel better as a person.  "

Adore · Answer

you might want to stop that if you're trying to save money

Ive · Answer

Beans and Rice. /r/frugal

Elita · Answer

by not buying shit i dont need

Barbara Feierabend · Answer

When I first moved to London, I was hired by a TV company. The minimum wage at the time would have netted me about PS12,000 a year IIRC, but they did a bit of sleight of hand so that my wages were PS10,300PA (I believe it was something to do with setting it up as an annual expense - I forget the details, it was legal anyway).  I live din West London, and worked centrally, a journey of 8.3 miles according to Google maps. I walked there and back every single day because I couldn't afford to take the bus or tube. It's probably worth mentioning that I had credit card and student debt at this point as well.  Basically I had a PS10 pay-as-you-go phone with PS1 of credit on it so people could call me, and I lived on PS1 a day. Luckily, Tesco sell three cheap cheese slices for 99p. Breakfast, lunch and dinner...  Man, being poor sucks.

Martina Junker · Answer

I work two jobs and have no social life outside TeamSpeak, so long as I don't get sick, I manage.

Evamaria · Answer

Sweet, sweet gratuities.  I go to school full time, make 10 bucks an hour for about 30 hours a week, and get a bonus 200ish each week from tips and gratuity.  Dealing with people can be a big pain in the ass some days, but it's worth it.

Olivier · Answer

I made just slightly over minimum wage and supported a family of 4 on it for about a year. We had foodstamps, WIC, and medicare insurance, we also signed up for the PIP program that paid our electric bill for us  I worked as much overtime as I could get and was very lucky that I was able to consistently get 10-12 hours a week of OT, and I would sell my plasma the 2-3 nights I wasn't working over.  I got sick of it and joined the Air National Guard, got training in a new field and now I make a little over $40/hour and that's been in about 4 years. There are tons of opportunities out there, but sadly people only hear about the traditional college path.

Jennifer Sankt · Answer

Be used to being even poorer, I've gone from PS4.35 to PS7.50 in a year. A fluke at best really, I got promoted to a position where it would be unfair that I was getting paid less than somebody I was training - the minimum wage for people over the age of 25 in the UK is now PS7.20 - I can be expected to train somebody over 25 how to do their job so the company figured it would be insulting to pay me less. I still make a maximum of about PS12000 before taxes a year - best advice I can give is find a partner who is willing to live with you because my PS12000 becomes PS22000-PS23000 with us living together. Initially there's an increase in living costs because you have to feed two people but bills become very cheap when worked out per person.

Anneka · Answer

"I'm 29/m with no kids and a dog. I make 24k/yr before taxes and live "off grid" in a 24ft trailer turned into bachelor pad. I live rent free and do a work exchange to pay my part. I work a full time job at a little over minimum wage and wait tables 3 nights a week. I drive a new car and eat out a lot since it's hard to wash dishes with no hot water. I'm saving $2500/month in hopes to start over in a new city with a nice nest egg in 6 months. Been doing this for 6 months already. I still date regularly when I have time but am trying to keep things superficial as I'll be uprooting again soon.  "

Hadrian · Answer

I sometimes look at stuff that I wanna buy online, check them out in various websites for a cheaper price, then I realize that I can't afford even the cheapest ones and I cry myself to sleep after that.

TABITHA · Answer

it's more like surviving than living to be honest.

Yvonne Bader · Answer

You don't NEED half the things you own.  I can plan a week of meals for 20 euro. strong cheap beer tastes good after two. Don't smoke. Poor people tend to smoke a lot. some spend 30 euro a week on the habit. think of that as a weekly bill. Clothes serve a function, you can dress nice for less, without a logo on it.  If your car gets you from A to B with no issues you do not need a new one.

Kumru · Answer

Food stamps, cheapest necessities, occasional frivolous buy, cry, panic, make it with a dollar to spare. Repeat.

JERLENE · Answer

Hahaha, I live off of quite a bit less than the minimum wage for my country (minimum wage is ~$580 per week, I get $215). It's actually pretty easy, but I'm only supporting myself and doggo :) I do it by living in a shitty flat ($85pw) with 4 other people that we don't heat even in the dead of winter, I walk 40 minutes each way to and from uni rather than taking the bus, I eat just fruit/vegetables + weet-bix (vegan, ~$30pw), and other than that it's just food for doggo (~$7pw), the gym ($18pw), Netflix (~$1.75pw), and Crunchyroll ($2.50pw). There's also power and internet once a month, which are usually about $60 together. Total outgoings = ~$144pw (plus $60 once per month for power/internet). All my leftover money goes to protein powder and multivitamins, which I fork out for because I'm far too lazy to cook nutritionally complete meals. So it's pretty fine! Other people have it a lot worse.

Odelia · Answer

No car, no credit cards, and try and not have an expensive girlfriend

Thamina · Answer

Live with my parents.

TOWANDA · Answer

I live with my mom and only pay the power bill and groceries. Can't imagine how shitty life would be if I paid for everything.  Also im in CA and min wage is 10 bucks

Mirve · Answer

Well, I work about 50 hours a week not to mention study time, luckily I have Medicare so I don't have to pay the entirety of y medical bills. Basically week-to-week I can either choose to pay rent, bills, insurance, gas, or I can choose to eat. Pick one! :-)

Forrest · Answer

"Inherited enough $$ to buy 20 acres, so housing cost is minimal. As long as the county doesn't red tag me, I'm living large. "Land poor," I've heard it called. "

Kerstin Mayer · Answer

Work in sf live in san leandro

Silvester · Answer

I have a day rate of $400 with my one job and another that's like $12 per hour but only 15-25hrs a week with a radio station. 3 roommates, no girlfriends, no pets, leased car. I'm 30 but still live like the poor asshole I was in my 20s. It's great. I have virtually no serious expense and never have to sweat picking up the check or taking a trip.  Buying a house or getting married/having kids would fuck my wonderful situation. No thanks. Stay hungry - stay free.

Bethina · Answer

When I was making minimum wage literally everyday I was out trying to hustle some type of money in anyway I could. Hate to admit it but I had no other choice in that point of my life

Daniela Kortig · Answer

America - the richest third world country.

Claudia Bayer · Answer

I live off of 7.20 /hr and just budget my money well enough

PINKIE · Answer

Buy fresh vegetables and cooking ingredients, MUCH cheaper than ready meals or eating out. Avoid vices. There's enough to live on.

Margy · Answer

Between 2005-2007, I was working for min wage in retail. Most of the things have already been said but public transportation, share accommodations and few luxuries.  I was salaried but forced to work anywhere between 50-80 hours a week which meant I was getting less than minimum. I was exhausted and always getting sick and dropped to 161lbs because I was barely home to eat and couldn't afford fast food.  Beans and rice become your best friend for a decent meal that won't leave you hungry.

nathali · Answer

I live in a shithole and don't spend money on things that arent basic necesseties. Its a crap life.

Debera · Answer

I still pay bills, pay fuel expenses. Sometimes I'm working 60+ miles from home. Sometimes I'm working out of state and have to pay for my stay. I have bills just like everybody else. Tools, equipment, I have to have a fire retardant wardrobe and steel toe boots. Etc.

Raita · Answer

I have 2 children, and my wife is a stay at home mom. I just eat twice a day (one rice, one viand, lots of water)... eat crackers in between. Commute to work. Borrow money in a smart way and pay it back at the assigned date. But when money is scarce learn how to not eat. Seeing my children everyday when I get home makes it worth it.

Gerry · Answer

Be 19.

oline · Answer

Im in AmeriCorps. I'm a volunteer on a living stipend making 12k this year. I'm below minimum wage currently. I live modestly. I'm on food stamps (and yes the government approves of this) and I shop at Aldi. I live in a cheap but pretty shitty apartment. I ride the bus and walk a lot. It's rough but I'm gaining invaluable experience. I'll be excited when I have a real job. I think of this as an intern experience.

Cat · Answer

Step 1: live in a rural area. Step 2: live in a not nice house. Step 3: don't have kids or do drugs. Step 4: learn to hunt, fish, and cook.

aurelija · Answer

I eat 1 true meal a day to get my vitamins, a lot of potatoes, eggs dairy from international or halal market (meat and spices there are also cheaper) food stamps! i drink tap water. Reuse my water(dishes clothes) 1, 2, 3 showers a my mom put it. You only wash your genitals and your underarms. Dont go to clubs or out you just cant. If i wanna get fancy i may have gotten some thing from Wendy's. A full meal a large creates lunch and dinner. Eat VERY SLOW and drink a lot of water before hand. Coffee curbs hunger so drink that. Dont ever get sick. If you are not dying or bleeding or contiguous you are fine. Do odd jobs to get extra money i used to work 7 days a week so i didnt really have time for fun but when i did i would get a movie from the library. I hated being poor. With the food i developed a terrible relationship with it. My family and i are so much better now. Sorry for mistakes or such.

Stephanie Schultz · Answer

By being 27 and living with my parents while I finish college. It's beginning to get embarrassing, especially when my father had his master's at 23.

Marley · Answer

Well, I have a (reliable) roommate and we split the bills 50/50. Both of us are mostly at work, so the utilities don't get very high. While both our wages are a bit higher than 7.25, we also live in Northern Virginia and I have a daughter, so I figure that it evens out.  I haven't had to resort to federal help just yet, and I'm proud of that.

Heike Achen · Answer

Food stamps, use the bus, and don't buy luxuries ETA: And don't get sick

Kaisu-Leena · Answer

I now make slightly above minimum wage, but when I survived on it, life got progressively worse each month. I was angry and bitter at the world all the time, which damaged my relationship. I lost a ton of weight and got into terrible eating habits like ramen noodles every meal. My bank account would be overdrafted all the time, I would pay for my groceries partially with bottles and cans, I'd eat only one or two meals a day if I was lucky and I learned to survive without much more than the basic necessities required to stay alive. It sucked, but it really put life into perspective. I still practice the money saving habits I had to live with when I was borderline destitute.

Joanie · Answer

"When this was me, I wasn't really doing it. It was more like one of those dreams where you can barely move but you know you'll die if you don't so you take one slow step at a time. I had to work 2 jobs to make enough just to rent a room. And that's where most of my money went. The rest went to transportation and the cheapest ingredients. I usually ate at work (1 job was in a restaurant) cause I could for free once a shift. There was barely enough left after "all" this for the most minimum of toiletries.  It sucked. I was sick all the time and was becoming increasingly depressed. I don't understand how my mom managed to care for 2 kids on top of that kind of thing.  "

Melanie Wechsler · Answer

"Commute everywhere, have virtually no social life, no luxury items, carefully consider each and every purchase and its future implications. Like, sometimes you go to the supermarket and you're like "I'mma treat myself today" and then you just sit there looking at a can of beer for 10 minutes like you're going to buy your future home, wondering if 2 euros is worth it. Then you decide no and walk home and be miserable. "

TABETHA · Answer

I lived on 6.75 an hour after six years working as a manager in fast food from 1998 to 2003. I took transit or rode my bike. I ate at work 2 meals a day. I lived in a 2 bedroom apartment with 2 other guys. I didn't travel. Never went clubbing. Didn't have a girlfriend for most of it. Entertainment was the local library. At 29, I went back to school. Seriously... fuck being poor.

Ute Hofmann · Answer

I've learned to live without nice things and in bad neighbourhoods. I don't really have many vices at all, I don't smoke or drink or use drugs. There's a lot of walking and sneaking onto public transportation. As well as food bank hampers and shopping at dollar stores. I'm going to school now for a shot at a better life.  Seriously, fuck poverty.

Kalinda · Answer

I have to have a roommate. I live in northern California. It's not super expensive here, but when you make minimum wage, it is. I work a 72 hour shift (live in caregiving) and thankfully, get OT and DT a few hours each day (I'm paid for 13 hrs a day. 8 hours unpaid sleep time and 3 hours unpaid break to leave the facility). It sucks, but, it gives me a little more than if I worked 5 days a week at 8 hours a day. I feel pathetic but at least everything is paid.

ronja · Answer

Damn, reading this thread really makes me appreciate my wage more

Janina Freeh · Answer

Living with dad, barely get by after just my car payment, insurance, phone bill, and gas I only use going to school and work.

Nathan · Answer

Both my girlfriend and I work for not exactly minimum wage but close ($1/h more). 2 kids well fed, a 3 bedroom apartment, 2 fairly old cars but still in working condition, we're trying to save up for a house. I would say we're not doing bad at all. Quick edit: I work 40 hours a week, she works ~25h. AMA

Aleece · Answer

Inbetween jobs here so I don't even reach min wage at the moment. I'm lucky in the sense that I do sfw and nsfw art commissions to keep me going, and that I live with my partner who is feeding me and keeping a roof over my head.  Honestly I'm not coping. I need more commissions to pay rent and get out of my overdraft before the end of November and for medication.

Erza · Answer

I make a couple of dollars above minimum wage in Iowa, but minimum wage here is at a federal minimum of 7.whatever.  I don't own a car. I live walking distance to work. keep my bills and debts to an absolute minimum, and arrange small payments for any debt I do have.  I wear only jeans and tshirt, or shorts, and have no substantial fashion or wardrobe. I only eat out once a week or so and when I do, it's cafe-level cost. I don't consume alcohol regularly. I have no expensive hobbies. The only expense I don't compromise much on is food. I'mma eat decent food. But even with food, I shop as cheaply as possible while still having a fairly diverse diet.  It's fairly easy to make it on 10 dollars an hour in Iowa if you live like I do. Easier than a lot of other states.  I live in a basic 2 bedroom restricted income apartment with one roommate. I save a decent fraction of each paycheck and don't touch it.

Essi-Maria · Answer

Picking and choosing necessities. I haven't owned a cellphone, auto insurance, cable TV, or health insurance in two years.

KINDRA · Answer

I worked for 25 years and never married, no kids, no pets and banked as much money as I could and didn't touch it until I was 45. That was my plan since high school to retire at 45. Retired and now I work a few hours a week because I like to get out of the house.

DELSIE · Answer

I live with my parents.

Charyl · Answer

"Some proper money management goes a long way. A lot of people buy things they don't need. I'm above minimum wage at this point, but that's the gist of my success. Got a "no experience required" job, worked my way up a bit, managed my money well, and am hereby nowhere near living paycheck to paycheck. To outline my most basic method of being good with money, however: of the two paychecks I receive per month, one goes to rent, the other pays off my credit card entirely (ie. all non-rent expenses). The important part of this is the rule of "the amounts paid for each of these things must always be less than the amount of the paycheck". Anything that remains goes into savings. This has been easy to maintain, and as a result, my savings only keeps getting bigger. "

Christina Fischer · Answer

One of my jobs is minimum wage the other one is a few dollars more. I average out to a little less than 9 dollars an hour so this may not be the perspective you want. Mainly I work 50 hours a week and don't live extravagantly. Basically eat, smoke sleep, work and go to school. I work about 50 hours a week and it's 7 days a week for me right now since my school schedule sort of fucks up the hours I am able to work. Plus living expenses in rural Alabama are fairly low.

Harli · Answer

"Lived in a rural town where my rent was $100/month. My meats would be from the "almost expired" section. There was only two meals a day. We also kept the heater at 55F all winter. There were some days where the heat would not turn on at all.  "

ors who live off of minimum wage, how do you do it?

Sunshine

Brunhilde

Gates

Kissiah

Nonnah

Reena

Ashby

Emmott

Reese

Staffard