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Most Americans don't earn enough to afford basic costs of living, analysis finds (www.cbsnews.com)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/news@lemmy.world
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[–] 18 points 1 year ago (3 children)

It takes $44,737 for a one-person household to maintain a "minimal quality of life"?

Stagnation of wages and increasing prices are causing a crisis, no doubt, but is that really the number we're looking at for a minimum?

According to this, I've only ever personally known (at least well enough to know their income) two people affording a 'minimal quality of life'.

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  • [–] 13 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Reverse inflation says that 1970 dollars that would be about $5400. Don't know how useful that is without knowing (remembering, which I don't) the cost of things then.

    On another note, the current poverty line is $15k for a single person. I can't see how someone could afford a place to live and eat with that in most places. I guess if you share a place with a few other people.

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  • [–] 18 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    I live under the poverty line. It's doable with a 'nonstandard' way of life (ie I don't own a car and work online), a low CoL area (though even here rent eats up most of my income), and government subsidies from living in a Blue State (thank you, Medicaid), but otherwise I'd be screwed.

    It's also not great, in case that needs to be said.

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  • [–] 15 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    I've been underemployed with health problems, but hey, the government gives me $5 a day to cover my food costs.

    The only reason I can even afford to be sick is because I have a partner, live half an hour by car from the grocery store and rent would be more than twice as much in the city. We pay a little more than a half of our combined income on rent.

    Its fucked up, because I really need to go back to work, but Medicaid patients get sent to the end of the line. I woke up today shitting blood and puking, then check my phone and see a voicemail letting me know that my June 3rd appointment got resheduled to June 30th, and this is to discuss biopsy results from April.

    Luigi did nothing wrong.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Now imagine being in a red state. Add being a minority in the Deep South. Undocumented immigrant even. No public transportation. Food desserts. This is what hyper -individualism and entertainment culture did for us, on top of how bad it could be for then. Farther south, the worse it gets. That's why slaves feared being "sold down the river." Speaking of which check out the difference in prison/jail conditions and treatment the farther south. I won't speak on more right now except to add women not having bank accounts, charge cards, right to vote or divorce and the legality of beating them by the rule of thumb.

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