I was just looking at one of those job..

[one_voice]

boards--as you know my husband was laid off on the 20th--and there was a job posting for a job...the requirements--(must have) a Bachelor's Degree and three years experience. The pay: $12-$14 an hour--WTF?!?!?

Fifteen years ago someone with those creds made more than that. My son is in college he works a paid internship and makes $11.50/hr.

My husband made 14 an hour 15 years ago with no degree.

How is any one supposed to live with these wages? I don't mean have all the "extras" just necessities, rent/mortgage, food, health care, elect, etc. It's damned near impossible.

Republicans say:

Don't buy a car...how do you get to work? Far too many areas either don't have public transportation or what little they do have doesn't run for the hours you need.

You can feed a family of four for $100 a week.....Please someone point me where I can do that. I use coupons, shop more than one store and still can't get my bill down to $100. We don't eat expensive food. I make soups from scratch, I have a bread machine, I try to make at least two meals a week that will be enough for two nights dinner.

I won't even get into what my electric bills run me. And I do what I can do cut costs. Air only when it's really hot--and I keep it on 76 or so, my heat is on 67. My house isn't huge--average size--and my bill is no less than $300-$350 a month. I replaced my heat pump this year to a more efficient--

I don't know how you're supposed to support a family on $12 dollars an hour. To those of you that are able to do that...you have my complete admiration and you're my new heroes.

That is all. Just a rant I wanted to get out...

[raccoon]

1. Yes, It's damned near impossible. Even if you live in a low COLA area, such

as a small town in SC, IN, GA, etc. Impossible unless you have other income or lived with some
other person(s) who also had income.

About the car business--one thing that really chaps me is expecting people to have their own
transportation when the pay is crap.

[MineralMan]

2. Yes, it's definitely tough out there. nt

[locahungaria]

3. Well, best of luck to you....

and what can I say but :hug: to you and your family!

I have a hard time feeding my family of three on $100 per week....granted, one of them is a 16 year old boy, but yeah, I hear you loud and clear!

I, too, have noticed the down-ward trend in wages and an increase in over-all experience/degree requirements to go along with this new, low wage standard.

It's shameful and disgusting, to say the least!

[Enrique]

4. lots of people do

the reality is, a $12-14 job would be the answer to a whole lot of people's prayers.

[county worker]

11. True but after they get that job and have the bare necessities covered then

comes the need to save and pay for health care etc.

The working class needs to rise up and demand better! Join the Occupy movement!

[supernova]

5. It's bad

I'm a college graduate and should be a mid-career professional in my highest earning years, my late 40s.

Instead, I'm trying to survive my THIRD layoff since 2002. This time it will be three years since my last paycheck. I feel completely frozen out of the job market, at least as far as trying to get a job in corporate America. Fuck 'em. I've had it with these high priced toaster ovens masquerading as managers.

Sigh.

I'm now looking for a way to open my own food business. Just trying to find a space in a commerical kitchen to work is all.

The one bright spot is I found the love of my life two years ago and we are together. He is still finding work as a sys admin. That's the only reason we are getting by right now.

My heart goes out to you and anyone caught up in this economy.

[gratuitous]

6. Another little tax the wealthy avoid

Three years' experience and a bachelor's degree used to command a living wage. $14/hour is barely $25,000 a year, but you can bet that the employer is getting a bit more than $25,000 worth of value out of the person in that position with those credentials. This amounts to a "tax" on Labor, settling for lousy pay far below one's worth as a worker. The Wealth created by Labor under those circumstances is going somewhere, but definitely not into the workers' pockets.

[MsFlorida]

7. we are doing it on even less

I used to have a decent job, had been with them for almost 15 years. A 24 yr old at half my salary was hired in my place.

We now live on unemployment, a grand whopping total of $275 a week. It pays the mortgage and we have 160 left over for the month.

Oh yes, we receive a stellar payout on foodstamps $15 a month. The way I see it though is $15 for groceries I didnt have before.

I have applied and sent so many resumes. Its very scary that you dont even get an answer or an acknowledgement that your information was receipted.

[HughBeaumont]

8. 12 to 14 an hour wasn't an adequate wage 10 years ago.

I can't imagine how these unfettered capitalists can justify paying that amount with the cost of living never lowering and still think capitalism's going to survive that way. It simply isn't going to happen. Freezing or lowering real wages in contrast to cost of living and productivity are the reasons why we're in this mess to begin with. You're just asking for crash after crash, each one subsequently worse than it's predecessor.

But hey, as long as the rich got theirs, right? "Why be jelly? Just pull yerself up by yer bootstraps 'n' get rich yerself!!"

[county worker]

9. And don't forget to save for retirement and health care in your old age!

[Romulox]

10. $14/hour? I can't make my Hyundai payment on that!!!!!

:shrug:

[IndyPragmatist]

12. It depends where you live. That's what I make and I live comfortably

If you are from NYC, yeah $12/hour isn't going to cut it. But in Indianapolis, $12/hour is livable. I've had job offers for more money, but I would rather get the experience where I am working now. I'm able to walk to work. I still have a car, but because I drive less than 200 miles each month, I only pay $10 for full coverage. I buy gas maybe every other month.

I'm proof that you can live on that wage and be very happy. Of course, I don't have a family to support, it is just me. But I have more fun and enjoy life much more than many people I know that make 2-3x as much as I do. They make more money, and become obsessed with that money. They buy things because they have money to spend, not because they need them. Then, they just want more.

[AndyTiedye]

15. OP Was Discussing Supporting a Family

I think that might make a bit of a difference.

You only need to feed, clothe, and house yourself.
You don't continually out-grow your clothing as kids do.
You can fit into a smaller place, closer to work,
because it's just you.

> I'm proof that you can live on that wage and be very happy.

No, you are proof that YOU can live on that wage and be very happy.

[emcguffie]

21. Driving less than 200 miles a month would not be possible for many.

Buying gas every other month, ditto.

Hey, if I were 20 years younger and had no family, no mortgage and no debts, I could get by on a lot less. But during the good years, people bought houses that were worth more than they are now. Now, they still have those mortgages, but maybe without the income.

The problem is when your income suddenly goes way down, but your financial obligations don't. If you want to keep paying your mortgage and your bills, then you have a problem.

I agree with the OP about the energy bill. Our utility bills are insane, and we don't waste energy. When light fixtures break in our house, we don't even fix or replace them. We do without light. Well, with very, very little light at all. We keep the heat turned way, way down at night, and never above 66-68 during the day, that is when we are home. If we're not home, it's lower. We don't have air conditioning.

Our house is worth considerably less than we owe on it, so we can't sell it and move to someplace cheaper to live.

So you are lucky you are in a position where you can get by. Many folks simply cannot.

[TheKentuckian]

13. We absolutely must raise the poverty line, I don't see how anything less

than full time minimum wage would fit the definition at all and I'd say in the real world we are talking more like 20,000.

Everything is calculated from about 11k and no way on can be self supporting anywhere near that in most areas.

Of course politicians aren't keen on making an already awful poverty rate jump up to 40% or whatever but its past time to get real on this. Aid and wages are artificially low based on bogus baselines.

[RebelOne]

14. Before I was laid off my job in 2010, I was earning about $14 an hour,

and I lived very well. But, of course, I am a single woman and my kids are adults. My expenses are low because I own a mobile home and the lot rent is $367 a month, which includes water and garbage pickup. I don't have any bills other than than the normal utilities, cable, Internet and car and home insurance. I do not have any car payments, and even though the car is old now, it still runs good. I am now collecting social security and so far will not have to eat cat food for a several years because I had a 401K with a few bucks in it.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

16. You learn as you go

I might be able to help you with the food bill.. I feed 5-8 (it varies) for about $150 a week.
Do you have Winco supermarkets? Amazing prices, especially for basics.

I stay away from as much processed food as I can, and I have the luxury of plenty of time to cook. It's tougher if you're working and short on time, but it can be done with some practice.

I spend about 2 hours every week (before I go on my one shopping trip) figuring out the menus for the week, taking stock of what I already have (and needs to be used soon). Then I make a list and STICK TO IT.

I've just recently learned how easy and cheap and WONDERFUL homemade soups are. Yesterday it was beef and barley soup for 5 (w/ homemade bread) for less than $7, and the leftovers went in the freezer for another meal. I now boil down the turkey and chicken carcasses with vegie scraps and leftovers for broth. Throw them in the crockpot after dinner and by morning it's done. All that used to go into the garbage!

I've been dirt poor for years, and I'm still learning :)

:hug:
pm me if you want some more ideas, i got a million of em

[idiotgardener]

17. What makes the electric bill that high?

[undeterred]

18. I answered a call from an Indian recruiter for a job like my last one

and she asked me what rate I wanted. I emailed back that I wanted the same as my last position - $23. She called me up and said the rate would be higher, it was thirty, and I needed to fill out a form. I said great, send me the form. She emailed the form and the rate was $13. Little communication problem.

[CrispyQ]

19. Every day I read the news & I feel like I've fallen down a rabbit hole,

where a version of Jon Stewart's CLUSTER FUCK NATION is standard fare & everyone just goes about their business.

You said, "I don't know how you're supposed to support a family on $12 dollars an hour," & yet Michelle Bachmann & her ilk would like to broaden the tax base on exactly these people.

WTF?! You don't broaden the tax base by cutting all social programs & putting a bigger tax burden on those making the least, you greedy, heartless piece of shit, Bachmann. You broaden the tax base by putting people back to work in good paying jobs where they are paying payroll taxes & making enough to spend & pay sales taxes & making enough to save to start a new business to employ more people who will pay payroll taxes & . . .

Our nation has become a freak show.

Good luck to you. More & more are landing exactly in your spot. I have no idea how many more will have to do the same before we demand change. I have hope that Occupy Wall St. is the beginning. It started there, let's take it to them there.

[GoCubsGo]

20. Welcome to my world.

Most of them don't have benefits, either. In my field there are a bunch of jobs like that which require a Masters degree.