It is very easy to have this mindset, wash your hands of the situation, and never think of it again.
Let's pretend that you are a 26 year old living in Wayne county. All the houseboat factories shut down in 2008 and Beldens moved operations to Mexico in 2016. You spend years working at Walmart (biggest employer) at 32 hours a week (to avoid paying for insurance and what not). You finally make the change and begin work at the Tyson plant in Albany making 15 an hour. You're finally able to work full time and bring home 845 bucks a paycheck. Girlfriend works there too and brings home the same amount. Insurance eats 245 of each paycheck so the two of you bring home 2,400 a month.
Girlfriend has 17k worth of student loans when she went to cosmetology school at campbellsville. That’s 200 dollar a month.
Two cricket phone bills total 90 a month.
Gas to and from work is 75 a week or 300 a month.
Rent is 600 a month.
So that 2400 is already down to 1,210.
Food per week is 150 and this includes eating out. So another 600.
Internet and cable is another 120.
down to 490 and now the utilities are due. Electric is 130 and water is another 40
So all of this leaves you with 320 bucks. This doesn’t account for entertainment or a car payment. These guys are lucky in that the cars are paid for, but Cody drives a 2005 pathfinder that has 195,000 miles and Katie drives an 07 mustang that has 200,000+ miles. Insurance for both is another 150 for minimum coverage and these guys are left with 170 dollars.
God forbid if they have to have a medical procedure done, car issues arise, and you see quickly why 70% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.
