Geek Girl Blog

Check these statistics out:

According to the US Census, the average income in America is $52,000 (about) a year.

This fact may be somewhat confusing, because nearly 60% of Americans work at minimum wage level.

That means 1 in every 2 people you meet will make an average of $1000 a month.

Average income from the first statistic may make people think that everyone else is making much more than minimum wage, yet the truth is that most US workers are making $7.25 an hour. (1.5 million people make less)

If you work at full time at minimum wage, that’s $1160 a month, not including money taken out for taxes.

To sum up, $1000 is much more common than most people think.

Unfortunately, many people making minimum wage are also living in cities. Sometimes, you can either pick high rent, or a very terrible place to live, because living expenses are very, very high in certain states, like California and New York.

Misleading Government Map - $1000 a Month

To figure out how to live on $1000 a month may be a challenge for most people.

Here’s a summary of what’s essential:

Shelter

Rent is the biggest factor when it comes to living on your income. Rent and rent assistance programs can be worked out, but I usually aim for areas where a decent 1-bedroom apartment can be achieved for $400 average.

Most major cities won’t have rent this low, but minimum income may be different for those areas as well. Rent control may also be in place for cities like Los Angeles and New York. There’s a lot of people who simply can’t move for one reason or another for lower rent. Do try. If it’s more than $500 a month for your part of the rent, find out how to find a low rent apartment. (You can always pick up another job closer to your home, or work from home.)

Food

Food can be bought at discounts with coupons and sales. Good wholesome food can also be purchased on low income.

Some are living on $1 a day (per person) for food.

Utilities

This is where going green is a good thing, in the long run. Lights and water are the bills to be paid, so pay those first. If you pay them on time, fees won’t accumulate. I have a sister who would let the bill go until the very last “We’ll turn your water off” moment and then pay a sizable late fee.

If your utilities are more than $150 a month (per one person income), start turning off lights, unplug your TV and check your usage. Make sure the bill is accurate.

Other Essentials

Clothes can be purchased from Goodwill, Walmart and thrift shops. (I’ll buy from Walmart. Form over function.) With appropriate savings,

Cars bought used are much, much cheaper than buying a new car. You pay much less on car insurance when you own your car completely, and paying less for a car in the long run by buying used makes for more monthly income in your pocket.

Medications and medical care are the real tricky. This includes dental insurance and life insurance. Use an agent to determine what you need. You may have to put more money into savings to cover the deductibles.

However, even with all of these factors in place, it can be hard and stressful to figure out a budget and live off of low income. It is very, very important to work on a budget, use utilities like Mint.com (free) to keep track of your expenses. If you don’t know how to do it, take a class, read a book, learn how.

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