How Much Income Would You Need to Survive?

[DC Al Fine]

Got the idea from an old Updates where some posters were arguing about how much income they'd need to live. There are a few rules:

1) You are working, so commuting needs to be taken into account
2) You can get rid of some debt (sell house/car) but you have to keep making payments on stuff like credit cards and student loans
3) Americans need bare bones health insurance or medicaid if their income is low enough.

In my case:

Rent: $400 (roomy!!!)
Food: $200
Cell Phone: $30
Bus Pass: $70
Misc: $100 (Small emergencies, clothes etc.)
Total: $800/month or $9600 annually

I'd need to work about 18 hours per week at minimum wage to survive after taxes/government benefits.

How about you?

[opebo]

USA:

Rent/
Utils: $750
Food:  800
Ins:     100
Phone:  60
Car/
gas:      300
Misc:      90
Total:  $2,100

So with tax (say 15%), about $2,500/month, or about 83 hours per week at minimum wage.

In Thailand:

Rent/
Utils:    $160
Sat:         60
car/
bikes/     
gas        200
Food/
drinks/
misc:      300
phone     60
Girls/
hotels/
travel    600
Total:    $1,380

Taking into account tax (about 6-7%), I would need to earn about $1,500/month.. My regular salary is just a little bit short of that, but lately I've been getting a few extra gigs at $30-35/hour.

[anvi]

Well, I'm talking here about small-town North Dakota in the late '80's, but I used to live on about $500 a month for several years.  So whatever that is adjusted for inflation and location, I'd say that. 

[Beet]

Where the heck do you guys live? My rent is $1500 a month and its considered a very good deal.

[sentinel]

Where the heck do you guys live? My rent is $1500 a month and its considered a very good deal.

Seriously mine is $1,100 and considered a good deal.

[King]

$15k as individual.  $50k as a family of four.

[anvi]

Where the heck do you guys live? My rent is $1500 a month and its considered a very good deal.

The first time I ever rented a place, Beet, was when I went in on the main floor of a house with a college buddy in a small town in SW North Dakota.  The total rent for the whole floor was $240.  At the moment, I'm renting a two-floor, two-bedroom townhouse in small-town southern Illinois for $595 a month. But I have paid over $1,000 a month in rent when I used to live in places like Tokyo and Evanston, Illinois.  Location is everything.

[opebo]

Where the heck do you guys live? My rent is $1500 a month and its considered a very good deal.

Seriously mine is $1,100 and considered a good deal.

Democrats drive up costs and drive down the value of the dollar. You're implying that it's seen in your state of New York.

What the heck?  Isn't it rather that you live in a hell-hole devoid of economic opportunity, and thus there is no demand for housing (or much of anything else) in your worthless locality?

[opebo]

I would need to earn about $1,500/month.. My regular salary is just a little bit short of that, but lately I've been getting a few extra gigs at $30-35/hour.

Stop complaining and go to work.

Can't you read?  I work all the bloody time.  I feel it is stupefying me horribly.  Did you know that the more you work, the stupider you get?

[Beet]

Where the heck do you guys live? My rent is $1500 a month and its considered a very good deal.

Rustburg, what part of the state are you from? Average home here is about $140,000.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T1RMuoQnKo

Where the heck do you guys live? My rent is $1500 a month and its considered a very good deal.

The first time I ever rented a place, Beet, was when I went in on the main floor of a house with a college buddy in a small town in SW North Dakota.  The total rent for the whole floor was $240.  At the moment, I'm renting a two-floor, two-bedroom townhouse in small-town southern Illinois for $595 a month. But I have paid over $1,000 a month in rent when I used to live in places like Tokyo and Evanston, Illinois.  Location is everything.

You're right about that. I'm moving next month to be closer to my work place (but still in the same area).

[Hatman 🍁]

Family of 3 per month

Rent is $1050
Food: $500
Cellphone/Internet: $100
Transportation: $50 (average for repairs + occasional bus tickets)
Miscellaneous: $25

Total for a year: $20,700.


Of course, this is just a minimum, we spend more than that as it is (entertainment costs).

Salary is 37K at present. Not very good, but I feel very fortunate, considering it was 20K a year ago.

[DC Al Fine]

Where the heck do you guys live? My rent is $1500 a month and its considered a very good deal.

A lot of us are assuming that we'd live with a roommate. Plus you're in VA; NS rents are pretty cheap. You can get a 1BR in a decent neighbourhood walking distance from downtown for <$1k.

[Hatman 🍁]

Where the heck do you guys live? My rent is $1500 a month and its considered a very good deal.

A lot of us are assuming that we'd live with a roommate. Plus you're in VA; NS rents are pretty cheap. You can get a 1BR in a decent neighbourhood walking distance from downtown for <$1k.

I was under the impression that rent was expensive in Halifax.

[DC Al Fine]

Where the heck do you guys live? My rent is $1500 a month and its considered a very good deal.

A lot of us are assuming that we'd live with a roommate. Plus you're in VA; NS rents are pretty cheap. You can get a 1BR in a decent neighbourhood walking distance from downtown for <$1k.

I was under the impression that rent was expensive in Halifax.

I did some research and you're right. Now houses on the other hand... I don't know how you people buy homes in Ontario.

[Beet]

Where the heck do you guys live? My rent is $1500 a month and its considered a very good deal.

A lot of us are assuming that we'd live with a roommate. Plus you're in VA; NS rents are pretty cheap. You can get a 1BR in a decent neighbourhood walking distance from downtown for <$1k.

That's true. If you're willing to double up you can save a ton.

[Tender Branson]

To survive ?

Not much. Probably 5$ a day or so and ca. 100$ for the "starter package" below:

Starter package: I'd need a tent, a pillow and blanket for sleeping, some clothes and a showering gel/soap to wash my stuff every few days and myself and a razor.

For living, I'd then need ca. 5$ a day for 3 liters of spring water and some bread or sandwiches.

[Zanas]

About 1500 € a month in Paris to survive nicely, 1100 € to just survive decently.

In a smaller French city or even the countryside, 600 or 700 € would be enough I guess.

[Tender Branson]

USA:

Food:  800

800$ a month for food just to "survive" ?

Are you crazy ?

You can survive with 100-200$ a month.

[ZuWo]

at least $4000 for a halfway decent life. Switzerland is expensive.

[opebo]

No conservatives are good at keeping the economy livable.

Indeed.  I'd much, much rather make 60-70K in Oklahoma City than 100K in New York City. 

What the heck are you twin cuckoos talking about?  Most people in Okie City and that sort of place make $15,000 per year - that's why its so cheap in those places: there is almost no money there.

[opebo]

USA:

Food:  800

800$ a month for food just to "survive" ?

Are you crazy ?

You can survive with 100-200$ a month.

Where do you find these cheap restaurants?  I'm figuring about $7-8/meal on average.

[Tender Branson]

USA:

Food:  800

800$ a month for food just to "survive" ?

Are you crazy ?

You can survive with 100-200$ a month.

Where do you find these cheap restaurants?  I'm figuring about $7-8/meal on average.

This thread is about "surviving", not "go out and have a fine dinner at a restaurant" though.

And you can easily spend roughly 5-10$ a day for 3 liters of pure (spring) water and 2-3 sandwiches/hotdogs. So, 3 meals a day for 5-10$ at a supermarket.

[Hatman 🍁]

Where the heck do you guys live? My rent is $1500 a month and its considered a very good deal.

A lot of us are assuming that we'd live with a roommate. Plus you're in VA; NS rents are pretty cheap. You can get a 1BR in a decent neighbourhood walking distance from downtown for <$1k.

I was under the impression that rent was expensive in Halifax.

I did some research and you're right. Now houses on the other hand... I don't know how you people buy homes in Ontario.

I'm not sure either.

[opebo]

you can easily spend roughly 5-10$ a day for 3 liters of pure (spring) water and 2-3 sandwiches/hotdogs. So, 3 meals a day for 5-10$ at a supermarket.

I don't think you could live on 2-3 sandwiches or hotdogs per day for very long.  You'd probably develop scurvy.

[sentinel]

you can easily spend roughly 5-10$ a day for 3 liters of pure (spring) water and 2-3 sandwiches/hotdogs. So, 3 meals a day for 5-10$ at a supermarket.

I don't think you could live on 2-3 sandwiches or hotdogs per day for very long.  You'd probably develop scurvy.

Occasionally buy an orange. No scurvy.