Cost of Living?

[Rowanwood]

Re: Confessions

From what I've heard from hubby, who grew up in a poor family in Louisiana... yes, we're much better off here.

Housing is much more expensive, and food is more so. And yes, we have a poor class here and a rich class, but it seems to me that there isn't quite the same disparity between the poor class and the working class.

My point is that even with the cost of housing, we are pretty much living it up. It really only means that we have to rent longer before we can buy... and will be paying it off longer. But otherwise our weekly income is much higher than our spend, and we have plenty left over to put towards a house deposit. And neither of us have high paying jobs. I earn $25 an hour and hubby earns $21. That's not a low wage, but it's lower than a lot of occupations (especially considering my level of education and management status).

It's when you compare a low income Australian to a low income American that you start to see where the difference is.

If his US experience in Louisiana...I totally get where you are coming from. But you need to remember, the US is not nearly as 'united' as the name would lead you to believe. Even in one state, the conditions can vary wildly. I grew up below the poverty line, but I didn't even realize it. There was never this dividing line between rich and poor that I know can happen in urban areas. That's just the stuff that makes the news. I lived in a house (my mom still lives in it), we had food and a car and I had clothes to wear. I didn't have expensive stuff, but it didn't really matter that much. Now, there was a dichotomy of trashy and classy, but that didn't depend on money, it just depended on the behavior of your parents.

[Rae'ya]

Re: Confessions

If his US experience in Louisiana...I totally get where you are coming from. But you need to remember, the US is not nearly as 'united' as the name would lead you to believe. Even in one state, the conditions can vary wildly. I grew up below the poverty line, but I didn't even realize it. There was never this dividing line between rich and poor that I know can happen in urban areas. That's just the stuff that makes the news. I lived in a house (my mom still lives in it), we had food and a car and I had clothes to wear. I didn't have expensive stuff, but it didn't really matter that much. Now, there was a dichotomy of trashy and classy, but that didn't depend on money, it just depended on the behavior of your parents.

Oh absolutely, I understand that. And Australia is not completely consistent across the board either. Hubby's experience of being under the poverty line was a run down trailor in a small town, subsistence hunting because they couldn't afford to buy meat, Christmases without presents and not being able to go to the doctor then they were sick. And that's with two parents who had 'stable' jobs. And that's kind of my point... there is a large disparity between poor and working class, depending on where you are. Poor in one state may still be relatively comfortable if you're parents were savvy, while in another it's living off food stamps and trying to decide if working is worth it when it costs you more in gas to get you to work than you're going to earn.

The biggest issue that we have right now is whether or not we want to get a second car.

[Dez]

Re: Confessions

Hey mods, could we make this it's own thread?

I'll need to comment later when I can type properly, especially living in one of the areas with the highest costs for housing in the US.

[MaskedOne]

Re: Confessions

Give me 15 minutes Dez. Shouldn't be an issue.

[Medusa]

Re: Wage and Cost of Living Discussion

Thankfully California is a state where servers get at least min wage.

[Shahaku]

Re: Wage and Cost of Living Discussion

I was told that legally, if you don't meet the minimum wage with your tips as waitstaff, the company you work for is supposed to make up the difference. Doesn't usually happen, but I was told that was the law. Maybe that's an Iowa thing though.

[Juniper]

Re: Wage and Cost of Living Discussion

Oregon's minimum wage is $9.10 as of Jan 1st 2014. Sauws

[Medusa]

Re: Wage and Cost of Living Discussion

Oh just found out min wage as of July 1, 2014 will be $9 hrly. And Jan 1st, 2016 $10. Which let's hope my slightly over the min wage then gets increased as well.

[Rowanwood]

Re: Wage and Cost of Living Discussion

Oh just found out min wage as of July 1, 2014 will be $9 hrly. And Jan 1st, 2016 $10. Which let's hope my slightly over the min wage then gets increased as well.

You'd think, but usually it doesn't work that way. Honestly, then tend to freeze wages, because they have to pay everyone else more.

But I'm a cynic, never mind me.

[volcaniclastic]

Re: Wage and Cost of Living Discussion

I hope I get a raise soon. I've been working overtime while sick for over a week, and I'm the only one who opens and closes the store, and I count the money, and I come in when other people need me to, etc etc.

Maybe that's why I'm sick.

[anunitu]

Re: Wage and Cost of Living Discussion

One good thing to get depending on your state is the labor code book. I had a pocket edition while working. Just popping that thing out used to make my Boss nervous. They don't really like when you know your rights.

- - - Updated - - -

Here is a link for the California labor codes. Mainly for Duce,but do a search for your state.

http://www.ca.gov/Work/LawsAndRegs.html

- - - Updated - - -

This link(california) is mainly about your rights to file complaints and protections if employer trys to mess with you.

http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/DLSE-Publications.htm

[DanieMarie]

Cost of Living?

Sometimes, I read things that seem to point out that it is hard for a lot of people to get by even while working in a lot of parts of the world. Some people seem to have issues affording things like housing and food on a dual income. It makes me feel angry that wages have stagnated that much (which is why I put this in the rant section)

Over in this part of the world, housing and food were affordable for a long time, so even on the bad wages that are common here, most people can get by. Of course, that is changing as we speak. Employers are hiring more and more mini-jobbers (people who work for 450 Euros per month or less, which is below the threshold needed for employers to kick in for social security and health insurance) and the cost of living in Berlin is going up to a ridiculous degree (rents were 14% higher in 2013 than they were in 2012, which is a lot higher than the rate of inflation and wages are not jumping that fast). Food prices also creep up each year.

So, how is the situation where you are? Do people easily get by on their wages? Or do they struggle.

This is partly a question and partly a rant, because affordability is dropping where I am.

[Willow]

Re: Cost of Living?

Sometimes, I read things that seem to point out that it is hard for a lot of people to get by even while working in a lot of parts of the world. Some people seem to have issues affording things like housing and food on a dual income. It makes me feel angry that wages have stagnated that much (which is why I put this in the rant section)

Over in this part of the world, housing and food were affordable for a long time, so even on the bad wages that are common here, most people can get by. Of course, that is changing as we speak. Employers are hiring more and more mini-jobbers (people who work for 450 Euros per month or less, which is below the threshold needed for employers to kick in for social security and health insurance) and the cost of living in Berlin is going up to a ridiculous degree (rents were 14% higher in 2013 than they were in 2012, which is a lot higher than the rate of inflation and wages are not jumping that fast). Food prices also creep up each year.

So, how is the situation where you are? Do people easily get by on their wages? Or do they struggle.

This is partly a question and partly a rant, because affordability is dropping where I am.

All I know is that 2 years ago I could feed 2 adults on $150/month, now it's closer to 300 for the same kinds of meals.

[Gleb]

Re: Cost of Living?

I know what you're talking about. Here, lots of people have trouble in finding a normal and constant job that can afford their living. Even if it's a lowly living - just finding standart clothes and food.
The food prices get higher from year to year. They always promise to decrease the prices but they don't. Heck... not only food, the prices everywhere rise.
People struggle and do their best to earn money. But they hope that the prices will be decreased sooner or later.
In my opinion, we have got a shitty prime minister.

[DanieMarie]

Re: Cost of Living?

The thing that -really- gets me is that consumer goods are cheaper and cheaper (at least here). I've never seen cheaper high-end mobile phones, TVs, and fast fashion clothing. People who like to critique the fact that prices are going up often cite that, which bothers me a lot. Who cares if flatscreen TVs are more affordable if you can't pay rent or eat?