How to live on $600 per month

What's the price of gas where you live that you only spend $40/month on gas? I spend that much in a week just driving to and from work.

 

LOL. McDonald's cheeseburgers for every meal is a pretty sustainable way of life

 

They are sub poverty wages, I don't think anyone is disputing that. But you are claiming that you will live horribly if you only had that much to live on. As I said I know people who do this all the time. When you take out the rent due to subsidized housing it's really not THAT bad.[/QUOTE]

When my ex-girlfriend and I lived together in college, we were spending about $450 a month on groceries and eating WELL. We easily could have cut out $50 and still eaten meat every night for $200/person.

 

You people today have no idea of what poor is. My Mother washed our cloths on a washboard until I was about 12 when we got our first wringer washer. We had an ice box until I was a teenager when we got our first refrigerator and we paid for that with a box on the top where you stuck in a quarter and it ran for 4 hours. At the end of the month you emptied out the box and made your monthly payment. There were no credit cards to charge it. We had to promise our parents to give up going to the movies if they bought us a television set. Movies were 15 cents back then and Mom gave us all a quarter to pay to get in, get a pop and popcorn. We had a party line phone because we couldn't afford a private line. I can't believe what people have today and complain about being poor. Most haven't the slightest idea of what being poor is. There was no government help, not even food stamps. We were a family of 8 and dirt poor. But we all made it. We all own our own homes and live a middle class life. We were happy. On many weekends, even after we all got married, our main entertainment was going over to our parent's house Sat. and playing pinochle all day and night, winners play the losers and have breakfast there Sunday morning. Yes, we were poor, but those were great times. Our families was close and we didn't feel poor.

 

I was over to my Sister's house a few years ago and my niece was out back rubbing the legs of a brand new pair of jeans against the cement sidewalk. I said what the heck are you doing Patty. She said she was trying to rip the knees out of the jeans because she wouldn't wear them looking like new. I was floored. Mom bought our cloths at the good will and she bought them even if they had tears in the knees, as she ironed patches on them. That was so embarrassing to have to wear jeans with patches on them. Many were poor, but you didn't want to look poor.

 

And their car never breaks down, they never become ill or take HC insurance, their clothes are made of special "never wear out" material etc...

They don't have kids either.

Don't get me wrong, people should cut their coat according their cloth but your maths aren't the full picture.

 

Look at the third worlds like Mexico, Muslim lands, and Asia's treatment of their poor, when you allow the least among you to live in squalor it will soon infect the middle class.

Third worlds have two classes, most are poor and a very few are rich there is no middle class. That is happening around the United States, the wealth disparity is increasing everywhere. One city block looks like an urban jungle, the next block is a professional district. In the country side the oil, natural gas, and coal minors have all the wealth, and pollute the country side for the poor farmers to live in.

If we maintain the lifestyles of welfare queens and kings, it will only improve the lifestyles of the middle class which really count for a first world country to thrive.

 

I don't know if a family could make it today on $600.00 a month, I kind of doubt it. But I tend to think there are few trying to do it. It's for sure if it's a family and they are getting all kinds of government assistance, which would put them well above the $600.00 a month. Trouble with many today, is they don't know how to live poor. They have to have their cell phones, cable television, DVD player and etc.

 

Lets say you were a family of 4 and you only made $600.00 a month. How much in food stamps would that family qualify for? That alone can add hundreds to what a family has. Then look at all the other welfare that families can get. I would bet when you add it all up, they would have what a person in the lower middle class would have.

 

"So this proves that it is possible, even on the lowest income level, to live relatively comfortably just by keeping your expenses to a minimum and not abusing 'luxuries' like Iphones, tobacco, alcohol, cable TV, video games, etc that Americans take for granted and seem to believe are "basic necessities"."

But, oh great and wise one, why shouldnt I have all those luxuries just because I don't want to work for them? I am "entitled" to have everything you have without having to work for them. You owe me just because I am an American. You have more so you should give me yours so I can have more too. You're just mean spirited. I have problems. I'm stressed out, overweight, addicted, you name it. You have it all so share it with me. Why should I have to earn my own way. No wonder we all hate conservatives. They are just stingy.

 

Americans' are entitled to the following necessities in their home: 1 iphone5 with internet access, Cable television with one premium channel preferably HBO, disposable income for miscellaneous expenses such as tobacco/alcohol, and whatever else is not covered.

the lower classes who survive on fry cook income working at macdonalds can't afford such things on minimum wage incomes, so they drop out of the workforce many times because a welfare income could meet those requirements without the unnecessary bondage of low wage work.

everyone else who stays working minimum wage are ignorant, gullible, and easy to take advantage of by the rich business men who profit off of them.

 

This is so region dependent that it's mostly a lie. You might be able to get away with this in a southern state that doesn't get very cold in the winter, and where the costs of living are lower than many other parts of the nation.

What a lie, 220 for Rent and Utilities? Not in Ohio. 220 a month in some areas might cover your heating bill in the middle of a bad winter if you have columbia gas. Because if you are in a really cheap trailer in this neck of the woods, (NW Ohio) the winds blow through them like a cheap knit sweater and you end up paying for a ton of heating expenses. And you are lucky to find a trailer for 300-400 a month rent around here that is actually livable. Anything less and you are talking something that is vermin infested, and a total wreck.

Perhaps, if you are willing to eat a lot of macaroni and cheese/ramen, but it's not totally unrealistic.

Complete and utter lie for Ohio. If someone is male, just out of high school, and living on their own they can easily expect to pay at least 300-400 bucks a month on insurance. I just put my oldest son on my insurance plan, he's 20 years old, and it raised my monthly rate by over 100 bucks a month, for just liability. And he has a spotless record.

Oh wait, let me step back, if you get state minimum coverage of $7,500 property damage, and $12,500 per person, or $25,000 for all persons involved in an accident and then you might come closer, but heaven help you if you bang into any car worth more than the beater you describe.

No sane person will carry state minimum insurance any longer than they would need to, because the potential of damaging a $30,000 car is always there, and then where will you be? 600 bucks a month's not going to pay for that kind of damages, and if there's any injuries, well that $12,500 might cover the ambulance and emergency room for a small accident, but then you're on the hook for everything else, not to mention if the person sues for more due to loss of work etc...

You make it sound so simple, but as someone who always pays cash for a car, and have never purchased a new vehicle I can tell you that you are in pipe dream world. And at 600 bucks a month, where is someone supposed to be able to get enough cash to buy this mythical vehicle? A 600 dollar car is typically going to need some repairs to get it road worthy, and a decent used car that will need minimal repairs will typically cost at least 2000-3000 bucks.

The service is probably close, but lets angle around to the next problem, how do you pay for the device to use the internet at that budget? Basic computers/laptops start at around the 300 dollar mark new, can get used for 100-200 reasonably. But again, you are talking 17% to 50% of a month's income to get said device.

No. Freakin. Way. Not even close to realistic.

Again, I'll assume this is a southern state with nice weather most of the year, so maybe, but highly unlikely.

This proves nothing except that you don't know how to budget anything. I've lived poor, I've worked my way up from that crap and I can tell you, no one "wants" to ever live like that. I raised 3 kids making less than 20 grand a year for a while, and it royally sucks.

This so called budget works in a wonderland that is your imagination.

 

$7.25x40=$290.00x4.3=$1247.-$95.40FICA=$1151.60-$0.00 INCOME TAX=$1151.60X12=$13,819.20+$2000.EITC=$15.819.20. /12=$1318.27 per month.

Perhaps the problem is the inability of liberals to do simple math as above,,,,,,,or the FACT that of 320 million people, 68.6 million (21.4%) pay 100% of the total Federal personal income tax collected=unsustainability, and ASSURED collapse at some point.


"many Americans live in trailers that is why their cost of living is lower but their quality of life is also lower."

Their quality of life is reflective of the quality or value, probably both, of the WORK they produce.

Contrary to the insane dreams of liberals, LIFE IS NOT FAIR, WILL NEVER BE!

A FEW, only a FEW will get screwed. A FEW, only a FEW will get more than they earn. But most get exactly what they are WORTH. THAT is as close to fair as it is ever going to get and as close to fair as EVER will be affordable and sustainable.

 

A person won't get diabetes or hypertension for eating out once a week or so.

And even using a dollar menu, it's much cheaper to buy your own groceries than to eat out at any fast food place. I can live on about 1500-2000 of healthy food spending only about $50-70 per week on groceries.

Not true at all, in fact I'd spend more buying foods like that than just cooking some basic meals, which include meat, healthy starch, fruits and vegetables. I also make shakes with protein powder and fruit/juice for a quick meal - I can get more than a month's worth of protein powder for about $15.

That's why I would never recommend anyone having kids if they're unable to support them w/o welfare and live fairly comfortably. But as a single individual without children, you could live on a min of 600 a month fairly easily.

Also I was factoring in that the person lived alone in their trailer - if they wanted to pay even less on rent, or lease an apartment or nicer living space, they could find a roommate.

 

"Entitled"? "Entitled"? Where does it say that in the Constitution? "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" does not include an Iphone or cable TV. You are what's wrong with this nation. YOU aren't entitled to anything but what the Constitution allows.

According to the United States, the pursuit of happiness is defined as: "...one of the "unalienable rights" of people enumerated in the Declaration of Independence, along with "life" and "liberty." "The right to pursue any lawful business or vocation, in any manner not inconsistent with the equal rights of others, which may increase their prosperity or develop their faculties, so as to give them their highest enjoyment." Butchers' Co. v. Crescent City Co., 111 U.S. 746, 757, (1884.)"

 

You don't know what you're talking about.

Min wage in my state $7.25 per hour working 40 hours a week (the min required to be full time). would be just under $1200 per month - however the person's actual monthly expenses would only be about $600 per month, leaving them with $500-600 in savings money every paycheck.

Plus many people work more than 40 hours per week, so they would be making even more monthly, even at min wage.

If they were working 40 hours per week at a typical company then they would qualify for health insurance benefits.

 

I work at home and don't use my car for commuting, so I spend even less than that probably. So the price would vary. However there are alternatives, such as pubic transportation, bike riding, or riding a motorcycle/scooter which has much better gas mileage than a regular car - not to mention that many people living in larger cities don't even own a car and either walk/bike ride or use public transportation only.

 

Go to Goodwill and you can buy a wardrobe of used clothing for a handful of dollars. Yeah you wouldn't be able to afford Armani or Prada, but no one really 'needs' designer clothing.

As far as car breakdowns, if you have a bit of mechanical knowledge you could do some of the repairs yourself and save off of taking it to a shop, though if you budgeted according to my plan, you would have several hundred dollars in savings every month, which could be used toward medical or auto repair costs if need be.

 

True, if they are working full time and the employer offers it, they will qualify for health benefits, but they still have to pay for those benefits, which will reduce their monthly income further.

 

Depending on where you live you might be able to live off of $600.00. No way in my state; insurance, housing do not cost that. I would be hard pressed to find anything for rent for $600/ month let alone 200/ month. Even if I rented an illegal apartment, one of those scary ones where you have just a room with a flimsy bedroom door and have to share a bathroom and kitchen with strangers.

Also cars cost more money than gas and purchase. You have maintenance, repairs, registration fees, and holy crap are you out of luck if you cause an accident with crappy minimal insurance.

You also do not mention the cost of health and dental care, cloths, shoes and all the other misc. stuff you pay for over the year but not on a monthly basis.

 

For the mathematically "challenged."

7.25X40=$290X52=$15,080/12 months =$1256.67 PER MONTH, not $600.

 

I've "roughed it" before, sharing a crash pad with 4 other guys, and saved a lot...but you can't live on $600.00 here, and here is not all that high in cost of living.

Vehicle maintenance other than fuel is left out of your calculations.
Tires, brakes and oil changes, even the routine maintenance adds up
.
I'm not saying it's impossible, but you'd need to rent a room somewhere or have multiple room-mates in an apartment and take public transportation as
opposed to car ownership.

$600 a month? Not feasible around here without some sacrifice.

Room-mates and no car...maybe it can be done.

 

Yep, done the crash pad thing, had snacks on board as a significant part of my diet... gotta love first year FO pay.

 

Right seat pay for a regional or Part 135 is downright criminal.

 

Oh, I see... you shoot them. Is that allowed? You would have to have a license, don't you? And then you have a big pile of deer meat. Need a refrigerator. OR you could sell some of the meat and make a few dollars from it to help you buy cigarettes and beer you otherwise wouldn't be able to afford!!