Right. Which is why my husband kept working and while working, searched for a job that would better support our family.
He now has a job that takes care of all our needs. We have some debt, but that's our fault and we're budgeting and dealing with it.
As to a car, we went about 15 years with one. Now, thankfully, we have 2. A gas hog that holds our whole family and a little gas efficient car that my husband drives to work. Because he DOES have to drive to get to his job. No buses available. And a taxi is ridiculously expensive. We could move back to one vehicle if we had to.
We get McYuckys once a week as a treat. Buying from the cheap menu, it costs us $40 for ONE meal. To ONLY ever eat from a restaurant it would cost us roughly $120 a DAY.
Instead, we eat healthier options that I cook, for cheaper (oatmeal or waffles for bfast, sandwiches and fruit for lunch, veggies and rice and a little meat for dinner). My menu costs us around $40/day. Sometimes less.
I wasn't saying everyone needs to give. Charity (or tithing) is something our family feels led by Yahweh to do, as we're able to.
So, yeah. Everyone has different needs. Not everyone needs the same amount of monthly income.
There are many variables that determine a living wage. I agree that if a person needs more to survive, they should get a second job or a better job.
Often easier said than done, I know. But we have had to do that.
Right. And you're correct in basically stating that "minimum wage" is not enough to raise a family on. It's not intended for that.
As for a place that requires a car, no buses and an expensive taxi... I've lived in places like that too. It's why I stick to local transit. Honestly I'm considering trying to find a way to ditch the car since i'm working from home now all the times and can get groceries delivered cheap.
As for McDonalds... I mean in all honesty I could live cheaper if I bought my own groceries and did my own cooking. But I have this tendency to either overfocus or while "waiting" on things to cook forget when I'm doing and get distracted.
At which point the smoke alarm starts going off and the house smells like burnt bacon.
Granted, I can get around this and fix this.
I agree with you, everyone does have different needs, which is why there is not way to determine a "living wage" unless you state "every single person only needs x to live, every couple needs x+1, every couple with kids needs X + 1 + y (where y is the number of kids)."
This is why it's up to each of us to figure out how much we need (and be smart with our money) and then figure out what we need to do in order to get there.
While I agree that having a stable job or career is best before having children, I think the solution is to fix the problem, not tax more people and pour more money into programs or destroy small businesses with wages they can't afford to pay.
I'm sure if we trace things back up the line into government interference (and the big banks) we'll be able to find the problem. Like oh I don't know. Banks and property companies buying up all the land and locking the prices just like an informal monopoly.
As for food prices, couldn't tell you where the issue is there. Not my area of digging.