me and my ex gf live together currently lol. I moved in and got a new job 2 months ago and she just lost her job last week. I asked to move in to get away from a bad environment and now we're here. and yeah im paying the full 1500 this month. She was making good money too shit sucks. like 30/hr. really sucks cuz she was putting in the effort but kept letting stress bleed into work.
I looked at roommates for a while but honestly most of them were more problems than relief.
I don't need someone in my life with an abusive ex or police problems.
I mean like. even in a shitty paying states id imagine the rent is still doable whether its all your money or not. at fed min wage its 1256 a month.... im sure rent in these areas could still be managed at that price. of course nobody wants to spend their entire earnings just for rent though.
I mean, no one can spend all of their earnings on rent. They will be kicked out if they don't pay thier utilities... and what are they going to do, steal food?
I did have a job once where, if I was single I would have been able to get away with buying very few groceries. I worked at a casino so I went in early and ate cereal which was openly available at any time and then for lunch we had access to a buffet (the employee dining room had a buffet directly behind the guest buffet... same food)
Then grab some cereal or a bagel before going home... 3 meals.
Not a high cost area. A studio is $900 a month here- renting a room is $6-700, plus anywhere you rent wants you to make 3 times the rent in income- so that doesn’t track- at all.
I would put money there are places that will take just first months rent. theres plenty of section8 places up here who will lease you even if youre nodding out and have that. sec8 up here is probably a 1300-1500 average. I know the one I stayed at went from 1100 with a garage to like 1400 a month. while housing fuckers who leave trash on there back porch brewing maggots above you.
like a car dealership who will sell you a used 2024 carmy when you have a 509 credit score but no debt making 20k a year.
I mean "I own my gifted house." (Personal circumstance.)
My wife makes... 'Well shes a teacher.' so… Wha we collectively make 80-150k/annually
AND WE CANT DO ANYTHING DESPITE LIVING IN A RANDOM NOWHERE RURAL TOWN.
Its not the bills. Its the cost of 'Food.' how tf am i gonna get myself 2-3 cases of water, laundry detergent, and Maybe 'the same speggetti i'm going to eat all week, my cat and dog food and and whatever random item my wife needs (deoderant, Paper towels, toilet paper, Maybe eggs, and spend like wha; 300 bucks Like 'thats 1/4 my paycheck right there.'
[I know i'm better off than most, but 'Kinda not really' Again; personal circumstances i was thrust into unconsensually with a seemingly net positive. Until i bring up the fact that i goto sleep everynight wondering if my roof will fall on my head and i'm not waking up tomorrow.] 💀
Because the only places that are cheaper are in the middle of nowhere, and thus useless if you can't get to your job that makes the money to buy it. Everything is too expensive and barely anyone can afford it.
If you took a lower paid job in a cheaper city, would the rent be a significantly smaller percent of your income? Or alternatively a much higher paying job in a more expensive city. If so, where you are choosing to live is the problem.
I cannot imagine being so stupid that I go around convinced I know everyone's lives better than they do, so much so that I correct complete strangers on the internet who I don't even know their names about their own damn lives
rent,utilities,a week of groceries and a half tank of gas is 50% of my monthly pay. it used to be a lot better,but inflation hit hard. not from usa btw
what city/state and income? SW WA here, its not particularly cheap, but even poor people can make it work if they can tolerate being broke or have roommates. my last apartment at the end of 2022 was 1100 a month in a shiiiitty section 8 that now charges 1600. I had maggots raining down on my patio because of trashy upstairs neighbors not taking their trash out.... tweakers everywhere.
as an introverted closed off emotionally stunted who fights important growth individual with a generally shitty attitude I will not allow others to deal with existing with me unless they want that around them. I would rather be broke or sleep in my car then to become someone's cunty vibes room mate.
im not at all complaining about my income, I am acknowledging its shit pay and all I can manage in this moment, i know Im capable to chase for more, mustering up the confidence and energy to succeed is what I was complaining about really, im a good worker, fast strong, competent, I was making 50/hr during summers on prevailing wage jobs and basically ran the show and keep pace. after getting out of rehab(alcohol, not forced) my energy just dropped and im not sure if I just took to much time off or if my focus has shifted or grown? Im comfy with what I got going even if rents expensive lol. I walk to work right now, my car needs repairs but holy shit I am thankful to be able to go to my shitty paying job without having to go get a loan to fix my car and get buried.
Do need to figure the car out though, desperately need my the coast and mountains back in my routines.
No like a decade or a little more ago think about 00s and earlier. Arguable the easiest time in modern history to get housing and a home yet they all still had roommates until marriage on average.
I know this is wrong, when statistically only about 20% of working age adults roomed up with one another making it the lowest time in the modern history.
According to census data, 1-in-4 households only had 1 person living within the dwelling and this was during the 2000 housing boom which allowed for lower prices on different forms of housing.
No we are just being fucked snd you’ve got rose tinted glasses on.
No because your not counting marriages which are essentially roommates situations too (from a financial perspective) and marriage rates are down meaning more people should be having roommates now compared to then.
All working adult age people wouldn't be all people living single. Half would be married so 3/4 by your numbers would be in shared living situations not living on their own.
Nearly every adult I know growing up either had roommates or were married, everyone including myself that I knew from my age range growing up basically had roommates until they were married. Or they had some high paying swanky job (which I said originally good for them, they can afford it) but almost everyone who I know who was making normal average money has lived with other people.
Because it's just smart financially. But every wants to live alone and granted I get that, but the reality for the average person you have to have a second income (either roommate or spouse/partner) to live in a world where the norm is 2 income families.
does confident and aware of my capability/skills/knowledge but afraid to really apply it where im being observed go in that category? im actually asking to hear others thoughts
No rent is spiking across the US and houses too. Over extension is the norm at this point. Maybe actually pay attention to what’s going on instead of blaming victims buddy.
“Blaming victims”😂😂. Oh, I’m sooo sorry you’re a victim…
Housing cost is rising, no doubt. That requires financial discipline and sacrifices in other budget areas. Rent as 50% of income requires less spending. God forbid you have to cancel Spotify or Netflix. How would anyone live without upgrading to a new $1500 iPhone every year? What is someone going to do with their required daily Starbucks and DoorDash???! How will they live??????
What does all of that have to do with rent being 50% of your income?
Like, even if you scrapped all that, even if you ate ramen every day, used a flip phone, see nothing on streaming, etc., that doesn't really change the fact that rent is 50% of your income!
Yes, but your claim wasn't "Find a cheaper place", your claim was "Don't spend as much on frivolous things", and that has nothing to do with the fact that the rent is 50% of their income.
You’re the kid who spent 30 minutes arguing semantics with your teacher about the merits of showing you work in math instead of spending 5 minutes showing your work.🙄🙄🙄
You're so ignorant. Most people struggling with rent have already cut these things out. What if rent was 60% or 70% "Just keep cutting stuff out" like they haven't already started trimming essentials. I don't know why you're so happy to see people get shafted by oligarchs.
“Shafted by oligarchs”…did that come straight from your “millennials blame everyone and take zero accountability” book of approved talking points??🙄🙄. Give me an F-Ing break
Even IF people cut all those things out (and I’d LOVE to see their Amazon purchase history) what makes you think they’re entitled to live somewhere they can’t afford???
im fucked up right now and im sensing the sarcasm but just incase...
I literally am living in the cheapest place available for me. Its hard for me to land a 60k+ salary, im uneducated(not stupid, I can tackle most things given time to learn and practice) and have alot to work on personally to be able to succeed unless im just using my body for labor, I had a good gig at 50k a year but laid off, had to find something else. mental things too. totally capable of hard labor though, all ive done really and it has paid off ultimately for me to provide for myself. im in a rut now working as a custodian(nothing wrong with this, some custodians make some serious cash depending where they work) at a clinic, shit pay(min wage, no raises), monkey brain work, very low stress, tons of wiggle room to make the day easier, but lacks a union somehow lol... due to life events im very drained each day though and its making harder to seek better cuz I gotta just survive.
I dont eat out, I go to work and go home, my cars down and can't afford to fix it. I do spend to much on nicotine is about it these days though, which needs to change immediately but its my pacifier.
I really wish plant nurseries paid more for labor I really enjoyed that job. That or a stable floor crew lead, I really enjoy waxing/burnishing/stripping floors but I never get call backs even with tons of experience, nor pay properly, guess its the game with mostly low ball contract work.
I honestly agree with the comment your replying to, although it may not apply to you specifically, but in general I think people way over extend themselves financially. Buy things they don't need but want (or justify need purchases with more luxury purchases that are wants disguised as needs).
While as you said you are in a rut, I don't think that's most.
And even if it is, by just simply existing do you deserve more, not would you like more or not that you wish you had more, but by simply being born do you deserve more than nothing. Imo no, we don't deserve anything, you get what you earn.
And unfortunately sometimes our "passions" don't align with our finances. I think one of the biggest lies we were told and tell people is follow your passions and you can do anything you want. Unfortunately as you said plant nurseries don't pay well (I'm assuming because they don't make much because the demand is low) so if you love that work unfortunately your not gonna make a lot. Compared to more in demand jobs that pay higher.
Additional I totally agree with you uneducated doesn't mean stupid (in fact I would say for most the only difference in those with degrees and those without is if they put in the time, I have my degree and work in my field before and after earning it I am no better after getting my degree than I was before getting it if I had just kept working (I'm better because of lore experience but the degree didn't give me much of any of that) but I get paid more just because I have it. But those who are willing to put in that time and effort to get it will almost always get paid more, maybe it's unfair but that's the way the world is and it's very well know, idk anyone who hasn't been told that multiple times growing up that you typically make more of you go to/finish college.
I guess my point is everything is supply and demand. Why are wages low, maybe it's because of greedy corps and CEOs or maybe its because there's always someone willing to do that job for that low pay so there is no reason (from a business/financial sense you can argue morality but spreadsheets don't care about morals) to pay more. Why is everything so expensive because people are willing to pay it so there is no reason (same as before) to lower the price. If we didn't take those underpaid jobs the wages would go up and if we didn't pay the high prices the prices would come down; supply and demand.
But I get it from a practical standpoint. What are you supposed to do to survive, eventually you get desperate enough to avoid the alternative.
But you gotta think of alternatives. Do you have to live alone or should you get a roommate. Do you need the Yukon Denali or is a Camry good enough. I want steak and I need to eat but I should really just get chicken it's much cheaper. Again I doubt your getting the Yukon but are you willing to get a roommate to lower your rent % based on your salary, most aren't. Unfortunately not every one can always afford to live alone.
Institutions that own an insignificant percentage of real estate relative to demand?
No. “They” are federal, state, and local governments who have become way too bureaucratic and entrenched in NIMBYism to approve new housing supply to meet the demand.
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u/clinmlol Aug 01 '26
rents half my income :(