I Make $6.50 An Hour (Article)

**staceyy** · 12-28-2006, 11:38 PM

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com...urAmIPoor.aspx

**bumplett** · 12-29-2006, 12:46 AM

geez - that's the type of story that makes you stop and say 'hmmm...'

**Luv2BeFrugal** · 12-29-2006, 02:31 AM

Wow. That really makes you think. In the last few months I went from full time with benefits to temping as much as I can (often 4 days a week instead of the 5 I'd prefer) for $3/hr LESS than I was making. And I thought I had it hard.

God bless her...

**nuisance26** · 12-29-2006, 08:24 AM

IMO if she can afford $70 phone/internet a month AND 3 dogs she's not poor. And I'd have filed a wrongful termination suit. It's not the company's business how or where you live so long as you show up and do your work. And in her current situation she could bank at least $60 of that $70 by using the internet at the library and switching to a pay-as-you-go cellphone. At least she still has her home and retirement savings.

**TheRootedNomad** · 12-29-2006, 09:02 AM

I can't imagine living on 660 a month with a 310 rent payment now, although there are 4 of us now and an 800.00 a month morgage payment....yet not so very long ago the figures were very similar for my DH and I. Our rent was 350 a month with a monthly bring home of about 750 for the two of us.

**TheRootedNomad** · 12-29-2006, 09:13 AM

(CONTINUED from last post...didn't edit fast enough) So I guess if our morgage payment was low we could probably do it again. It's amazing what comes to feel like necessity after you're use to having it. Cable, internet, cell phones, land line phones for that matter are not necessities. Neither is soda, cigerettes, coffee, meat or pets. I'm not saying I'd give all these things up without a fight....some I could drop without a second glance others I'd have a harder time with. Some I'd like to ditch now but hubby is much more attached to some of them as he's never had to do without certain things. (I think he'd starve before he drank anything but soda or the occasional beer)

**FrugalMomof3** · 12-29-2006, 09:15 AM

Such an interesting yet inspiring story, I am proud that she can do it, makes me think of how I was years ago raising 2 kids on my own making $6.20 an hour and living in a super small apartment with a slum landlord but I made it, makes you think about all the things that gear us all up for challenges and saving money. If she can do it so can we.

**mnmarty03** · 12-29-2006, 09:39 AM

I agree with nuisance...if I were her I would get rid of the internet, at the very least. Although it would have been tough, if it were between a good paying job or a not good paying job, I would choose the good paying job and either give the pets up for adoption or find family to take them until I could find a place that would allow them. And I also would have had some leads on housing before moving across the country. But that's just me.

**sondance** · 12-29-2006, 09:47 AM

[ I would choose the good paying job and either give the pets up for adoption or find family to take them until I could find a place that would allow them.]

That's exactly what I thought when I read that.

**watchingpennies** · 12-29-2006, 10:30 AM

Interesting....I agree about the internet and the dogs. It is nice to read that she has a good support network!

**McD** · 12-29-2006, 10:33 AM

I don't understand the mentality of not planning your move. If it were me and I knew I was moving across country to take a job and I had such limitations (i.e. pets), I would have called ahead to look for housing. I would have asked my boss to help.

If it were me and it came down to not having health insurance or keeping my dogs and internet, you can bet your butt I'd have health insurance.

I'm not wanting to rag on her b/c she is doing a great job making a go of it, but when weeding necessitites out, is Internet really necessary? Unless you use it for your job, which in the situation she is in, I doubt she does.

Just my own humble opinion.

**Sari** · 12-29-2006, 10:34 AM

Well to some people pets are their family, and can't just "give them up" like others do so easily (too easily most of the time, IMO). She's not married, no kids, sounds like no close family. Her pets are pretty much all she has.

I do agree about internet. And I think I'd sell the house and move somewhere that still has cheap housing but with a better job market. Maybe somewhere south of Montana, so the heat bill isn't so bad.

**yankeegal** · 12-29-2006, 10:40 AM

I am in total agreement....I absolutely love my dog, but health insurance is so much more important.

I also think that this article really points out what some people think the definition of "poor" is. Is it not having enough to eat, or not having internet/cable, etc..?

**slowtypinwoman** · 12-29-2006, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by Sari

Well to some people pets are their family, and can't just "give them up" like others do so easily (too easily most of the time, IMO). She's not married, no kids, sounds like no close family. Her pets are pretty much all she has.

I do agree about internet. And I think I'd sell the house and move somewhere that still has cheap housing but with a better job market. Maybe somewhere south of Montana, so the heat bill isn't so bad.

I totally agree. If I were single, no kids, or husband/family, my dogs would be my lifeline. The internet and phone would be gone, but I just couldn't give up my pets without a struggle.
The article sounds as though she is dealing with a difficult situation well.