OT: Can You Live On?

[Atrocities]

Can you live on a $1,000.00 dollars a month?

Asume you have rent and an average car payment plus insurances: (renters, full coverage auto, and basic health).

Can any of you survive on whats left? Oh, don't forget the phone and ISP bill. Visa's, and the cost of food, gas, and medicines.

Let me know if any of you can aford to live on whats left.

[dogscoff]

You're kidding aren't you? That's less than £550 sterling. That would barely cover my mortgage on my (very) small 2 bedroom flat. Well, mortgage+rent actually: My place is shared ownership. I'd have no money left for food, bills, beer, ISP, beer, food, wine, beer, absynthe, food, beer or any of the other essentials.

God... no beer...

*shudder*


EDIT: I see you mean, could I do it if I had to. If I was single, and prepared to live in a rented room or studio flat- I might just do it round here. Not sure I could afford a car though. If I moved a few hundred miles north it would probably be enough.

[Atrocities]

I am not joking. That is the going rate for many on Unemployment and or those who are disabled and on SSI or SSD.

In fact in many cases it is much less.

This is unfair to those who by no fault of their own are out of work or unable to work. I feel that laws should be placed into practice that would protect people from loosing what they have gained while being forced to live low income style.

It is a very hard living to say the least, and the cost of living keeps going up while the means to live goes down. This is a real problem for millions of people in the US and I am sure around the world.

[Kamog]

There's no way I could live on $1000 a month without making some major changes:
- find 2-3 other roommates and share a cheap apartment
- get rid of the car and take public transport
- most meals consisting of only water and bread
- stop going to movies, buying games, books etc.
- use the public library for internet access

Wait, is that $1000 US? I was thinking $1000 Canadian... well, $1000 US is better but still wouldn't be enough.

[Atrocities]

On average

$370.00 Rent (With Room Mates) Expenses included
$85.00 Phone and ISP
$110.00 Auto Insurance (Auto Paid Off)
$65.00 Suppalmental insurance for Auto (Required)
$110.00 Medical Insurance (Not counting prescriptions)
$80.00 Visa
$40.00 Renters Insurance

$860.00

Now Gas and food and you have nothing left. I don't see how any one can live on this. It is unlive able.

Minimum wage = $7.13 X 40 X 15% Tax = $242.42 weekly X 4 = $969.68 a month.

Live on that!

[Kamog]

Maybe I can live on $500 a month by buying an old van and parking it near the university. I won't actually park in the campus parking lot because that would cost money. Then I'll live in the van but won't actually drive it anywhere. I'll use the shower in the school gym every morning. I won't have to buy soap or toilet paper and there will be no electric bill. Sometimes I'll sleep on the sofas in the study areas like I used to do when I was a student. I'll use free phone in the student lounge to make calls and also use the microwave oven there to cook my food. I'll go to the public library for free internet, because you can't use the university computers unless you're a currently a student. I'll buy my clothes from garage sales and used-clothing stores like Value Village. My meals would consist of bread, water, bananas, and no-name brand cereals.

Then my monthly expenses would be:
$0 rent
$0 electricity, heating
$75 monthly bus pass
$200 food
$225 left for clothes, entertainment, and everything else

[PvK]

Wow - insurance is eating a huge amount of your expenses: $325 is 38% of the total!

I hate insurance. Especially "mandatory" insurance.

PvK

Atrocities said:

On average

$370.00 Rent (With Room Mates) Expenses included
$85.00 Phone and ISP
$110.00 Auto Insurance (Auto Paid Off)
$65.00 Suppalmental insurance for Auto (Required)
$110.00 Medical Insurance (Not counting prescriptions)
$80.00 Visa
$40.00 Renters Insurance

$860.00

Now Gas and food and you have nothing left. I don't see how any one can live on this. It is unlive able.

Minimum wage = $7.13 X 40 X 15% Tax = $242.42 weekly X 4 = $969.68 a month.

Live on that!

[Gandalf Parker]

Atrocities said:
I am not joking. That is the going rate for many on Unemployment and or those who are disabled and on SSI or SSD.

For me, luckily I have military retirement. Not much of a check but the medical coverage and other benefits help out alot. Every once in awhile they try to mess with it so its abit of a worry whether it will be there when Im really REALLY old. One of my sons gets SSI and still lives with us. It does cover his needs as long as he stays with us (he is 27 now). But it really ties us to California since his benefits would be less elsewhere.

My primary "duty" now is caring for him but I can do spot jobs from home (thank you DSL). And my wife has to work 2 jobs. With the current economy we are squeeking by but every month is a balancing act. Luckily Bush has only messed with the disabled vets money and not mine. On the other hand Schwarzeneger is messing with my sons ssi.

[AMF]

Imagine how much harder it would be if you had a kid or two...I'm going to avoid the less obvious political statements I could make here...and instead just mitigate for more tax breaks for the rich! (just kidding)

Atrocities said:
Can you live on a $1,000.00 dollars a month?

Asume you have rent and an average car payment plus insurances: (renters, full coverage auto, and basic health).

Can any of you survive on whats left? Oh, don't forget the phone and ISP bill. Visa's, and the cost of food, gas, and medicines.

Let me know if any of you can aford to live on whats left.

[Aiken]

I guess this poll only make sense for US-Canada-EU people.
Because I used to live on 100-150$/month.
270$/month now (found better job).