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Living Wage

All depends on location and how you want to live. We live rather well on the income I’m blessed to make. If we find ourselves in a hole it’s nearly always because we mismanaged our money. You have to just do trade offs. Wife stays home so we don’t have to worry about childcare. We cook our own meals and don’t eat out a lot. Don’t take waste money on extravagant trips. Live within our means and for goodness sake stay away from credit cards. Oh and learn to fix what you can around the house yourself.

I say if you make 60-70k a year, you can live comfortably in the south as long as you don’t live in a city or on the lake.
 
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If you’re a couple and you’re gonna buy a house in Durham, you better be pulling down 90-100k as a family. Houses are appreciating here at 9% a year.


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If you woke up this morning,had heat,running water,roof over your head and transportation to work. You are wealthier than 95% of the worlds population. Sobbering and humbling. Everyone on here is in the top 5% wealthiest in the world.
 
Heelyes said:
A married couple both making 15.00 a hour is 60k?
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1200$ a week gross, times 52. So yes
DustinWx said:
Wife and I make over $150k together and have rent at $800 a month, zero debt close to $150k in savings. Yet I still don’t feel comfortable or upper class despite technically being so.
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should definitely not be renting! With interest rates like 1.9% on 15 year mortgage, coul get a good house for about 1000-1200$ mortgage and paid off in 15 years
 
DustinWx said:
Wife and I make over $150k together and have rent at $800 a month, zero debt close to $150k in savings. Yet I still don’t feel comfortable or upper class despite technically being so.
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Not trying to affront you here but you live in a cheap area , have no debt , good income ? Not feeling comfortable is likely a result of personal views on what comfort and lifestyle you want versus living on edge or having to worry about bills . Definitely upper middle class and you should be a bit at ease ! You are doing good for yourself man .

Money comes and goes ! You are a successful person so don’t worry so much . That’s what I was raised to believe , don’t worry no matter what it seems like . Money comes and it goes . Don’t got it today might got it tomorrow .
 
DustinWx said:
Wife and I make over $150k together and have rent at $800 a month, zero debt close to $150k in savings. Yet I still don’t feel comfortable or upper class despite technically being so.
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I think this is where you need to look. You're more than stable and solvent, and yet you haven't purchased a house either?

I think therein lies the crux of your situation.
 
Tarheel1 said:
1200$ a week gross, times 52. So yes

should definitely not be renting! With interest rates like 1.9% on 15 year mortgage, coul get a good house for about 1000-1200$ mortgage and paid off in 15 years
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This
 
Lickwx said:
Not trying to affront you here but you live in a cheap area , have no debt , good income ? Not feeling comfortable is likely a result of personal views on what comfort and lifestyle you want versus living on edge or having to worry about bills . Definitely upper middle class and you should be a bit at ease ! You are doing good for yourself man .

Money comes and goes ! You are a successful person so don’t worry so much . That’s what I was raised to believe , don’t worry no matter what it seems like . Money comes and it goes . Don’t got it today might got it tomorrow .
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Yes, successful but not sure of myself. As some of you know, I have many struggles as we all do, history of addiction and consistent struggles of mental depression. Been sober 7 years now and have found a great career path and have been smart with money. I am afraid of life and the unknown so it’s hard for me to make a big purchase knowing that money does come and go.
 
The key is to make money and it never goes. Saving money is great but you need to grow the money you make. Buying and house, property, investments etc. The worst place to keep your money is on a bank. I got lucky in my early 20s buying property for the land it was on. The key is to never pay taxes on the investment you buy so you are always buying and Selling which makes you money but it’s not real money you can spend because it’s always going to the investment and turn so you keep that train moving and if you’re doing it right you growing your portfolio with bigger investments each time.
 
So, should the federal minimum wage be immediately raised from $7.25/hr to $15/hr? If so, why? If not, why not? If not $15, is there a better number it should be immediately raised to? If you don't want it up at $15 immediately, is there a certain timeframe you'd be ok with it getting there? TIA
 
GaWx said:
So, should the federal minimum wage be immediately raised from $7.25/hr to $15/hr? If so, why? If not, why not? If not $15, is there a better number it should be immediately raised to? If you don't want it up at $15 immediately, is there a certain timeframe you'd be ok with it getting there? TIA
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If minimum wage goes to 15$ an hour, the costs to do business will go up, so cost of living will go up. I mean do you really want to pay 6.75$ for a McDouble at McDonald’s
 
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GaWx said:
So, should the federal minimum wage be immediately raised from $7.25/hr to $15/hr? If so, why? If not, why not? If not $15, is there a better number it should be immediately raised to? If you don't want it up at $15 immediately, is there a certain timeframe you'd be ok with it getting there? TIA
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Start at 10 then gradual to 15.
 
GaWx said:
So, should the federal minimum wage be immediately raised from $7.25/hr to $15/hr? If so, why? If not, why not? If not $15, is there a better number it should be immediately raised to? If you don't want it up at $15 immediately, is there a certain timeframe you'd be ok with it getting there? TIA
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Or the states can deal with it since 15 an hour in Miss ain’t 15 an hour in NY. Raising the cost of doing business in Miss is not a good idea since things are cheaper and incomes lower . plus it would destroy the town of chalybeate springs , do you really want to ruin a town one of our esteemed admin lives in ?
 
GaWx said:
So, should the federal minimum wage be immediately raised from $7.25/hr to $15/hr? If so, why? If not, why not? If not $15, is there a better number it should be immediately raised to? If you don't want it up at $15 immediately, is there a certain timeframe you'd be ok with it getting there? TIA
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A long gradual rise is needed if anything. Basically doubling it will cripple businesses. The money has to come from somewhere so prices will go up. My liberal Econ professor taught us week one that a minimum wage is bad using simple graphs.
 
GaWx said:
So, should the federal minimum wage be immediately raised from $7.25/hr to $15/hr? If so, why? If not, why not? If not $15, is there a better number it should be immediately raised to? If you don't want it up at $15 immediately, is there a certain timeframe you'd be ok with it getting there? TIA
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the real question is, how many people do each one of us know that actually make minimum wage? I know 0. This debate in politics just shows how ignorant and stupid our elected officials really are. Just like a tax system, we should have a simple algorithm that takes the census data and it computes a minimum wage based on the county you live in. $15 an hour is garbage in most major cities while a decent wage in rural areas. It would likely destroy small businesses in rural areas. All fast food would go automated as much as possible while hiring college graduates, thus causing more harm. I’m really starting to believe one political side wants to seriously contain small businesses because they can’t control them or their wealth.
 
J.C. said:
the real question is, how many people do each one of us know that actually make minimum wage? I know 0. This debate in politics just shows how ignorant and stupid our elected officials really are. Just like a tax system, we should have a simple algorithm that takes the census data and it computes a minimum wage based on the county you live in. $15 an hour is garbage in most major cities while a decent wage in rural areas. It would likely destroy small businesses in rural areas. All fast food would go automated as much as possible while hiring college graduates, thus causing more harm. I’m really starting to believe one political side wants to seriously contain small businesses because they can’t control them or their wealth.
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Zero for me.
 
J.C. said:
the real question is, how many people do each one of us know that actually make minimum wage? I know 0. This debate in politics just shows how ignorant and stupid our elected officials really are. Just like a tax system, we should have a simple algorithm that takes the census data and it computes a minimum wage based on the county you live in. $15 an hour is garbage in most major cities while a decent wage in rural areas. It would likely destroy small businesses in rural areas. All fast food would go automated as much as possible while hiring college graduates, thus causing more harm. I’m really starting to believe one political side wants to seriously contain small businesses because they can’t control them or their wealth.
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Honestly I much rather do an automated touch screen at a fast food place...
 
Tarheel1 said:
If minimum wage goes to 15$ an hour, the costs to do business will go up, so cost of living will go up. I mean do you really want to pay 6.75$ for a McDouble at McDonald’s
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You do realize the cost of living & business has already been steadily rising within the past decade without wage compensation? Since 2009, the cost of a house has gone up 72K. Nearly 1-2K at secondary education locations. Prices of Milk & Meats have all gone up. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Collegeboard, U.S. Census Data).
 
Cadi40 said:
For many people living in the underdeveloped South, low income areas, and areas with overall low opportunity, it leaves them little to no option.
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Plenty of options. Online schooling, trade school etc. all I hear are excuses. I grow up in a low income aka poor ass area. If you want it you work to get it at all cost.
 
NoSnowATL said:
Plenty of options. Online schooling, trade school etc. all I hear are excuses. I grow up in a low income aka poor ass area. If you want it you work to get it at all cost.
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I’m not listing excuses, just genuine conditions in which millions live under. It’s always possible to escape poverty, but the economic climate and general division in America makes it nearly impossible to. Working yourself to death doesn’t always and shouldn’t always be the awnser to everyone’s rational problems.
 
Cadi40 said:
I’m not listing excuses, just genuine conditions in which millions live under. It’s always possible to escape poverty, but the economic climate and general division in America makes it nearly impossible to.
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I get it but to me those are excuses people make that don’t have the drive to improve his/ her life. Nothing is impossible when you live in the USA. plenty of avenues you can take if your willing to take them. Yes life is harder for some but that just makes it sweeter when you accomplish your goals. Rags to riches is a wonderful thing but it takes hard ass work and sacrifices that sometimes hurt.
 
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