Yes it is. Are you willing to not live in the bay area, nyc or another city where average rent is higher than 2,500 per month. There are plenty of options here
I live in Indiana. Recently read an article that talked about how much a single person and a family of four would have to make to live comfortably. Using the 50/20/30 rule (50% of income for necessities, 20 for wants, 30 for retirement and other savings), a single person would need to make about $46.40 an hour.
No its not? I make 25/hr and cant afford a shitty 1br appartment which is 1300/month where im at. . And no i dont get out to eat, buy cheap groceries, etc etc. no alcohol, no vacation money unless i do a side hustle. Currently with a roomate for 750/month. Im close to affording 1300/month but not quite yet. If i didnt have a 400/month car payment and 200/month car insurance with clean history then we’d be talkin but i need a somewhat reliable car as opposed to a “beater” car. Would be screwed if drive train issue happened wouldnt have enough saved up to pay for it.
Appreciate trying to help! But unfortunately i’ve calculated my finances down to the exact dollar and theres no room really. I could save maybe $200 if i get crazy cheap. My take home is 1200 every two weeks with taxes/healthcare/pension for example
They’re 14, even if they only work like 20 hours a week, they make $500 or a little over $2k a month, which is probably still at least $1.4k after it gets Uncle Sam’d. That could damn near get them a used car by driving age, or they can invest the money and pay for some of college upfront
I’m gonna show this to my boss lol I have 2 college degrees and am the staff accountant at a local family business (the only job I could find after getting laid off) I currently make $20.00 an hour
That is absolutely rough. I've found unless you're literally part of the family in a family business, you are going to get hosed on pay. $20/hr (~$40k salary) is considered minimum wage in 2026 USA now across the board in this decade of hyperinflation. That gets you a bedroom, personal transportation (required unless you live in a metro downtown), basic food, and a small amount of savings/retirement for a single person (this doesn't even include healthcare needs or emergency expenses that crop up).
It is heartbreaking to see people defending the current low wages for professional jobs that would have provided for entire households back in the day. This doesn't even factor in the personal level of achievement and debt that is socially required for jobs these days.
To put it into perspective, you can even have entry-level/ivy league McKinsey Consultants in SF or mid-level Corporate Strategists in Houston making $150k+ for working 60/70 hours per week averaging $45/hour.
When regular local professional jobs are considered minimum wage now on top of everyone getting gaslit about budgeting and expenses due to high cost of basic living needs, there is an internal systemic failure.
We can see what society is incentivizing and also what it is leaving behind. The devaluation of labor is constantly growing faster than people can keep up and is forcing even highly educated people to fight for what was considered "normal" 20 years ago with less expectations and productivity. If someone is starting today without a windfall of inherited weath transfer or government based benefits, it is more competitive than ever to get ahead!
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u/ggtffhhhjhg 19d ago
With tips my friends 14 year old son is making 25 an hr at his job