We are constantly looking for bargains but are we aware of indirect cost said bargain

I do believe there are many of us out there who are constantly searching for bargains for our everyday needs.  In fact I must confess it has been a number of years since I last paid full price for clothing, that is of course not including my running shoes.  I justify this by living by my own self proclaimed motto of not living by trends set by some stranger who really does not understand me.  Dressing for comfort is first and foremost after that I believe the 50-70% off original price sale is closer to the real price we should be paying than the huge "needless markup" we are often subjected to.  With that I do acknowledge that everyone goes into business to make a profit.

This concept of making a profit should also be applied when looking at one's own compensation whenever you are employed but seldom do people know their true own value.  Whether you have sacrificed time and/or money to educate yourself, or over the years you have acquired a skill-set, haunted by the great recession we allow employers to protect their margins by paying us less than we are worth.  

While the majority of Americans, regardless of political party affiliations, are all in support for an increase in the minimum wage there are those like Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) who feel it has outlived its usefulness and should be repealed.  It will continue to be a battle of wills until people begin to realize that by continually accepting to be underemployed are unknowingly reinforcing depressed wages and it trickles down to the minimum wage.  Of course the large numbers of unemployed do factor in but something has to be said for the disadvantages to employers should they be constantly retraining new employees because they refuse to pay a just wage.  "A bird in hand is worth two in the bush".

One would think that any costs relating to increasing employee compensation would be handled like any other cost a business owner comes across in the course of doing business.  Gas prices go up all the time as does the cost of most materials and these increases are taken in stride.   Why should the employee be the one to "suck it in"?  Well it turns out employees are the weakest link and as such employers feel this is the cost they can bargain - your desparate need to be employed at a minimum!
Big box stores like Walmart often make statements on how difficult it would be increase wages especially since theirs customers have come to rely on low prices.  Slate has a video that is worth looking at - "Would  Walmart's prices spike if they paid their employees more?