Living on a $77-a-week minimum-wage budget: Lessons of the "Live the Wage" Challenge

Here's the link for the Live the Wage Challenge PDF. The challenge, which invited everyone to try living on a minimum-wage budget of $77 a week, took place July 24030, but it's never too late to try it.

by Ken

It's a point that Howie keeps coming back to in this space: that our political world -- our Congress, to pick a hardly random example -- is populated by way too many way too rich people. Of course, like any other group in our society, rich people are entitled to represent and advocate for their interests. But we have developed a political system where, to an eerie extent, only the interests of the rich are represented and or advocated for.

It's not that rich people can't understand or identify with the problems of the nonrich. There are famous cases to the contrary, like Franklin D. Roosevelt and certain Kennedys. It's just that by and large rich people not only don't care about the problems of the nonrich but literally have no idea what they might be.

So when it comes to what it means to try to live and support a family on the current minimum wage, again, no clue. Which is where the "Live the Wage" Challenge, which just took place, from July 24 to 30, came in.

THE CHALLENGE

The Live the Wage Challenge asks elected officials, community leaders, advocates and anyone concerned about the growing inequality in this country to walk in the shoes of a minimum wage worker by living on a minimum wage budget for one week. That’s just $77.

The Challenge is not easy, and it’s not supposed to be. Workers who make the minimum wage have little, if any, leeway in how they spend their money each month. All too often, $77 is not enough to make it through a week, much less reinvest into a community. Many people who decide take this Challenge may simply spend more than that before the week is done – and that’s okay. The Challenge is meant to give a glimpse into just how little the minimum wage provides a working family in this country.

Share your experience every day using the hashtag #LivetheWage. By sharing your experience, you’ll participate in an active conversation on how important it is to raise the federal minimum wage.

The folks in the CAP War Room worked up a swell ThinkProgress "Progress Report" post, "A Nearly Impossible Task," by sorting through the results of the challenge. Here's how they explain what they've done:

Members of Congress and thousands of paycheck fairness advocates across the country wrapped up the “Live The Wage” challenge yesterday, after working to live on a minimum wage budget for a week. On just $77, these leaders hoped to gain just a small understanding of the challenges and decisions faced by minimum wage workers every day. Earning just $7.25 an hour, the average full time minimum wage worker struggles to survive on only $77 a week after paying taxes and housing expenses.

We’ve rounded up 8 examples of the challenges they faced. While they pale in comparison to the challenges that low-wage workers face every day, they provide a glimpse of why we need to raise the minimum wage so that hardworking Americans can make ends meet.

The Progress Report post reproduces a sampling of the tweets filed. I've included a sampling of their sampling. Here are their "8 examples" of the challenges reported by people who took the "Live the Wage" Challenge:

1. Everything needs to be planned. There’s absolutely no room for spontaneity on a minimum wage budget.



2. Transportation really cuts into a budget. The price of gas and even public transportation quickly adds up.



3. Medical costs can easily destroy a budget.



4. There’s little to no room for any other expenses. Standard expenses like home costs and school supplies just don’t fit in.



5. It’s pretty much impossible to save on just $77 per week. And the understanding that having savings is key in case of an emergency.



6. It’s hard to eat healthy on a minimum wage budget. The fast food dollar menu is sometimes a more affordable alternative to fresh fruits and vegetables.



7. This is a reality everyday for millions of people. Women and families have it especially hard.



8. An appreciation for the challenges low-wage workers face. And, accompanying that, a desire to see more elected officials share the experience and vote to raise the minimum wage.

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