i just checked out our states min wage (WA) and it works out to $2582. so, yes we could make it on that, it would be very very tight, but we could do it.
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Brianna, SAHM to DS Tucker (10-11-02) My UC baby Jacob Patrick born 10-9-05 Married to the love of my life Ryan.
Have done it on less in the recent past. But, it was with a little bit of a food stamp allotment and WIC and the kids were on state insurance that picked up most of what the ex's insurance didn't cover. I was in the single digits in the bank balance for usually the last week and a half of the month but I managed to make it through.
I don't have a vehicle so that makes a difference. If I had a vehicle to maintain and insure I think it would require some more creative financing. My income now isn't a whole lot more than that and I have absolutely no assistance now. But I think I'm doing pretty good with what I have.
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Stephanie, mom to:
Nicholas 3/22/00
Kendall 9/3/01
Andrew 7/14/03
We could cover basics but nothing extra, and it would take forever for us to pay down any debt that we started with. This is considering only 1 vehicle. We couldn't do it if we had 2 cars. Any car repairs would take a while to be able to cover since we'd have such a tiny amount to put towards it each month. Unexpected expenses would put us in debt though so I can see if being a domino effect that eventually we wouldn't even be able to cover basics.
I used $6.79 since that's min wage in FL. That would give us just under $2200 a month. There is no way we could make it on that. Our mortgage is $1500. Utilities are around $300. Cars are paid for, but there's gas and insurance. That would probably leave about $200 a month for everything else. No way.
I voted other as we could pay the mtg, but then not the others, or the others, but not the mtg, etc...
Well even on WA's minimum wage (where we live) we couldn't stay in our current situation. I mean, I have lived on very little when I was single and renting a run down apartment without a vehicle, and I got by. But child care here is crazy expensive and it would be almost impossible to meet our current financial obligations on that income. We'd surely have to leave the city, or at least sell our house and rent or something.
I don't know. If I had to live on that income I would find a way for sure but our lives would change a great deal.
I think the cheapest 2 bedroom apts in Everett/Marysville (WA) was $550. I think things would be entirely too tight to live there on minimum wage. We did ok when I was making $10.15 an hour but I was also getting overtime and we had a roommate so our rent was only $383 a month for a 2 bed duplex.
__________________ Shannan, Mama to Wes (10) and Seth (4) in January
Dead serious. Well, that's including alimony too. We pay $3200 in CS and alimony to his exwife and $2000 for his youngest son. It's beyond ridiculous, but I am proud that he is a good dad, and that he works so hard to support all of us. To afford this, he averages 70 hrs/week. Luckily, he is in a well paying career and is very good at what he does.
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~Angie~mama to Alexis and Payton, and baby James
I voted that we could pay our rent, and our utilities and food. However, we couldn't afford a car, nor gas, nor insurance, so how could we get to work to earn the $1800??
no
our utilities are high? maybe really high it seems
house payment is only 770, but utilities are 300ish between gas and elec, water is another 50. car payment is 280ish, plus ins is another 100 a month , then phone/cable/internet is 120, cells are 60 for both (not a necessity, but i have to drive 30 min one way to take liam to school, so they are something that i value -- we dont pay extra for the 2nd.) Gas is currently killing me. The recent gas hike increased our gas payment by 50.00 per month, bringing it up to 450, and then there is food and more, so lets see thats 2160 before any debt other than the house and car, and no food. We also have a YMCA membership and blockbuster on demand. The Y is something that we use a lot and something important for the summer (Liam doesnt really get OT in school and we use the Y basically as physical therapy/OT during the summer ymca is 59 and Blockbuster i think we are still paying 14.99 but would need to check-- it may have gone up to 17.95)
There are a few cuts we could make, but as far as house and vehicle, I think we made budget decisions are are not above our means in those ways. The gas is honestly slowly killing me, but it is worth it to have Liam in the right school environment. I may post some more details in the SnT private discussion area, because it is getting to the point that I need help, and am not sure what to do.
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Heather , mama to Liam, born 12-19-01, and Simon, born 04-17-05 wife to Mark, married 09-23-97
dude I want to go to pirate school!
minimum wage here is 7 bucks.
we could pay everything, but I think extra would be more like renting a movie occasionally.
it's how I lived when I was a single mom with no child support, it's possible just not desirable.
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When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.
Thomas Jefferson
My UC baby Jacob Patrick born 10-9-05 
Married to the love of my life Ryan.
in January
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