Does Your Family Earn a Livable Wage? - Page 5

[Poddi]

Originally Posted by weliveintheforest 

According to that site, we don't.  I tend to agree with their numbers as what would be a comfortable living.  Our expenses are broken up differently, but the total sounds right. If my husband had full time work, year round, at his usual rate with no vacations, we would be making just over the 60k they list as being what you need for a family of 4. 

Which state did you use to calculate?  I thought they don't have Canadian places on the list?

[3timesamom]

According to this chart we are lving within the poverty line. It feels like it. Especially lately and the way my husband has been managing our funds.

[fruitfulmomma]

It only goes up to 3 children and we have 6, but dh is self-employed so it totally depends on time of year. If he were able to have consistant work, yes,  but it doesn't work out thay way so his seemingly high per hour rate gets spread thin.

[grisandole]

Sort of? I just about make the liveable wage for 2 adults/1 child (and we have ds 1/2 time and dss on occassion so I'll go with that). However, the chart doesn't include utilities, unless that is suppose to be part of housing, which makes the chart WAY off, lol. I do not net that much after taxes, either, so not sure how they figure that. I could live okay, being extremely frugal, on the net for 2 adults 1 child. But my net is a few thousand less than that and we aren't really making it, borrowing to survive :(

[justmama]

Originally Posted by lifehappens 

If I add child support and military retirement pay to what I actually earn, then we have just enough to live on according to the chart. My family is me and and an adult daughter and teenage son - neither of them generate any income yet. My daughter is disabled, but we don't claim any benefits for her (and we really should). My coworker earns $1/hr less than me and supports her two teenage daughters on just what she earns. She has to live with her mother in order to do it.

Despite what the chart says for expenditure, we are able to save each month for a college fund and my retirement, and pay off my student loans and our car. I feel like we're pretty comfortable so long as our elderly cat doesn't need another surgery soon! Vet bills - yowza!

May I just say that your hair is AWESOME and I'm incredibly jealous????  I would LOVE to do pink in my hair but it's horrendous with my red hair.  So I adore what you've done with yours.

[Goinggreenmom]

Wow! I made probably about 16K before taxes last year and for 1 adult and 2 kids it says I needed to make 46K before taxes to have a livable wage. I am low on what I use for pretty much any of their estimates.

[Basylica]

I make almost double for 1 adult 2 kids, not incl my CS....

my ex on the other hand makes about liveable for 1 adult (not minus his CS) and lives with his folks. LOL.

[veganmama44]

we do, 2 adults 3 kids. I work part time but we do not pay for child care(family). the insurance /medical is wayyy off. we pay a week what they quote for a month, we also do not have car payments, or any other debt besides a smallish student loan. so I guess evens out. we are only beginning now to be able to save now that we have paid our debts off ( finally) we are in our mid thirties. I am sorry to hear of the struggles. I was a single mom for a long time, an I do feel your pain., and it will get easier

[mamarhu]

I have a college degree, and work full time. I make 60% of a living wage in my area. Nuff said.
 

[wildmonkeys]

I think that to be accurate - this should include the age of the kids. As a mostly sahm who didn't pay daycare and cloth diapered/breastfeed/made homemade baby food my little guys were less expensive than my big kids who need glasses, contacts, eat a bunch, etc...our cost of living is much higher than it was when I first had 3 little boys. Not to mention ---- the upcoming cost of college. Anyway, I think this would be more accurate/helpful with a range  oof ages  included....

[Sharlla]

i make between what they consider minimum and poverty wage.  we are a family of 6 and i only make $9.50 an hour. i think the numbers are way high though.
 

[goldfishkate]

It's funny when you jump to 2 adults they no longer figure in childcare expenses as if every 2 adult household has the ability to avoid childcare costs. When you add both my wage and my dh's wage together we do okay. We can not afford to live on one income alone and childcare costs have killed us over the years. Thankfully my youngest will be in K next year but unfortunately public K is still $300/month.

[Sharlla]

yeah that didnt make sense to me either.  the only way we would ever make the over $20 living wage is if both of us worked over 40 hours a week  obviously if that were the case we would have to pay for childcare

[pollyanna02]

I would make a living wage for a single person in my area. but as a single parent I'm making half what it says. if i take out the childcare because i don't pay any(family) and my car expenses are about half what they calulate. I would be on target to what i really making so i do feel like i'm making a living wage.