Can you live on minimum wage?

We all go through life seeing things from our own perspective and this is a very normal thing to do.  But seldom do we acknowledge that this view is limited by our own experiences when we pass judgment on others.  Sometimes the decisions we make or at a minimum the views we hold collectively have far reaching consequence far beyond our dismissive nature on the path that others are travelling.   When voting we based on our needs personally, the things that affect us directly and not collective needs of the population as a whole.  Some of us participate in polls that politicians use to gauge popular trends before formulating policies.

 There is the old adage/proverb that you should not criticize anyone until you have “walked a mile” in their shoes.  I would like us all to stop for a minute and look at the guilty pleasures that we have.  Just how much does each one cost you?  Whether it is a night out once a week; or weekend getaway once a month.  For some it might be as simple as another pair of shoes in addition to the other "60 pairs.  Now I am not saying give it up – no I am just highlighting the importance these things in your life.  These guilty pleasures do go a long way in keeping us sane.

Now imagine you are earning $8.25 per hour and working 30 hours (weekly income of $247.50) because your employer is keeping your hours down as part of their strategy of keep costs down in these “uncertain economic times”.  Maybe you have two kids and spouse looking to you to make ends meet.  Those wages are nowhere near sufficient to feed a family of four as well as provide shelter.  $8.25/hour is by no means a “living wage” and the people in this income bracket are expected to shop in the shops where we all shop at. The rate stated above is for my home state of Illinois, the Federal rate is $7.25

I am ashamed to confess that on occasion I have uttered the words “I am feeling the hardship of the recession”.   And in truth I have because there were things that I did stream down when I was reviewing my personal budget.  I used the word ashamed because I do not have a family of four to feed.  Even though I consider myself “under-employed” my income is significantly higher than what is considered minimum wage and yet I shop in the same shops as people on minimum wage.  I still complain on just how hard things have become but I do remember to be grateful for I am well aware just how much worse it could all be.  

So next time you are giving your opinion on whether or not there should be an increase to the minimum wage think a little outside the box.  A better compensation for all ultimately means less people will need to turn to supplemental assistance such as the link card or Section 8 housing.  With a reduction in the number of those who use these programs there will be less of your tax dollars needed.