ADDENDUM::Politicians can't make it on minimum wage, but we did « Watchdog.org

Being able to get to work is a priority, so the first thing we purchased was gas. We used our Kroger fuel points and paid $44 to fill up the tank, which is enough to last the week.

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Yes, it’s a bit repetitive, but overall, fairly healthy and in ample quantities.

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Total cost for groceries was $82.83, leaving us $27.17 for emergencies or other expenses throughout the week.

We approached the challenge as if we had both lost our jobs and taken minimum wage jobs to get by. Under this scenario, we’d have some items on hand, like paper towels, detergent, aspirin, condiments and corn to make popcorn for snacks.

But with $27.17 remaining in our budget, or going without our two splurge items, we’d be able to purchase those supplies as we needed.

The best part is that this menu isn’t too much different from what we normally eat, with fresh fruit and vegetables and other healthy options.

So rather than show how hard it is to live on a minimum wage job, this menu and budget shows that it can be done without sacrificing healthy food — or even entertainment. Our local video store always has $1 movie rentals and most are ones we’ve not yet seen, so we plan to rent one for a low-cost date night.

Another one that misses the point entirely,,,

WTH is a Krogers? Fuel points? I have a mom and pop grocery store to shop at, Rite Aid is bigger. Our Dollar General where I wouldn't mind getting lower cost food items is not allowed to take SNAP. They rent from the grocery store owners who charger 33% more for items compared to what one might pay at the nearest Walmart (33 miles away).

",,,we’d have some items on hand, like paper towels, detergent, aspirin, condiments and corn to make popcorn for snacks."

Guess what in the real world you don't have that option. And yes it is possible to eat the same food day in and day out. Do it 52 weeks a year and get back to me.

"So rather than show how hard it is to live on a minimum wage job, this menu and budget shows that it can be done without sacrificing healthy food — or even entertainment."

Where is the money for even one doctor, optometrist, or dentist visit a year and what about prescriptions? Even with Medicaid there is still a $20 co-pay and it does not cover dental.  This is a well thought out and executed "plan" but life does not always traverse in a linear fashion.

Politicians can't make it on minimum wage, but we did « Watchdog.org

Members Of Congress Take 'Minimum Wage Challenge' To Live Off Reduced Budget For A Week | ThinkProgress

Although I applaud the "effort," the participants are sorely missing the point. As many comments point out, food is only one problem faced by those working at minimum wage.

Unexpected illness - colds, flu, toothache - missing one day of work your weekly if not monthly "budget is blown to hell. That is if you still have a job after having to call-off sick.

Car maintenance and fuel - fuel alone is $40 a week. Guess what your now down to $37.

And what about school pictures or other activities that cost money? No mention of childcare either.

Let me put it to you in this way. I make $437 a month (on average), my rent (which includes everything +internet) is $400. I do not have cable or satellite and my cell is pre-paid (no money, no cell). It takes me anywhere from 6-9 moths to save for 1 pair of decent sneakers. I do receive SNAP, so food is not an issue and I do not drive. BUT I have it down to a science (although one slip and I am screwed) and there is only me (and my cat) to worry about.

For me it is part choice, and part necessity. I choose to live very simply, it has been thrust upon me by where I live (lack of job choice) and health limitations (I'm not ready to throw in the towel and go on disability.) I could go back to working 2 jobs and 60+ hrs a week but doing so puts my health in jeopardy, in the end I'm in a worse spot than when I began. But I have that "choice" many do not.
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And some things have come up that are more dire than skipped beer. He came down with a cold but was lucky enough to find Tylenol and Afrin nasal spray in his cabinet already. “I don’t think I would have been able to buy that Afrin nasal spray” on the challenge, he noted. “I never think about what medicine costs if i need it… But some people have to think constantly about how they spend their money, and their quality of life is quite different than mine.”

Strickland will be joined by some current lawmakers this week, including Democratic Reps. Jan Schakowsky (IL), Tim Ryan (OH), and Keith Ellison (MN), to mark the fact that Thursday will represent five years since the last minimum wage increase, leaving it at $7.25 an hour. And Brad Woodhouse, president of Americans United for Change, the group that is organizing the Live the Wage challenge, said on a press call that they want more to join in, particularly Republicans. “We’re asking you to live the wage John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, and others who insist the minimum wage is adequate or we don’t need a minimum wage at all,” he said.

The hope is that those who take the challenge get a taste of what life is like on a low wage, even if it’s temporary and they can go back to their normal lifestyles after a week. “I think it’s important for those of us in these leadership positions that get elected by our constituents to represent their views from time to time to take a challenge such as this,” Rep. Ryan said on the call, “to make sure we really are not just understanding this in an intellectual way but really understand the deep challenges that people face.” It’s meant to “bring awareness to this issue,” he said.

He and his family will take the challenge for a week and “make decisions that a minimum wage family would make,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for us to put our money where our mouth is.”


Members Of Congress Take 'Minimum Wage Challenge' To Live Off Reduced Budget For A Week | ThinkProgress