How do people survive on wages close to minimum wage?

CzechChick

eh that's why they call them 'masters degrees'

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Graces7 wrote: »

:rolleyes: Your idea of "little pleasures" !!! Not my idea of pleasure either thankfully. Far better things to do with my money and time and that was so when I was earning.

E20 for a takeaway! My word! Would feed me HAPPILY and well for a week and I know what is in the food..

Is that really the "lifestyle" folk here aspire to?

Oh and small point but those of us who are happy with what he have do not worry re not being able to afford eg takeways.

Everybody is entitled to their own idea of a treat or a pleasure. So, you wouldn't do it but don't dismiss somebody's right to do so. Why be thankful that you can't do likewise??? Somebody buying a takeaway for €20 hardly defines their lifestyle.
That's like saying a person's lifestyle is one of constant struggle and impoverishment because they happen pick up a reduced ready meal deal in the supermarket.

Pac1Man

Graces7 wrote: »

E20 for a takeaway! My word! Would feed me HAPPILY and well for a week and I know what is in the food..

What kind of food are you eating for 20 a week?

pilly

Parchment wrote:

"if they earned enough they could do it every so often" - what does that even mean? Most of my friends enjoy a night off from cooking now and then, thats not really a status symbol. They dont ring around to let everyone know they are going out for food.

No they just post pictures on social media.

pilly

pilly wrote: »

No they just post pictures on social media.

It's such a mundane and self centred thing to do.

Parchment

Graces7 wrote: »

:rolleyes: Your idea of "little pleasures" !!! Not my idea of pleasure either thankfully. Far better things to do with my money and time and that was so when I was earning.

E20 for a takeaway! My word! Would feed me HAPPILY and well for a week and I know what is in the food..

Your Holier Than Thou attitude is very unattractive.

pilly

Edith Tart Thundercloud wrote:

Everybody is entitled to their own idea of a treat or a pleasure. So, you wouldn't do it but don't dismiss somebody's right to do so. Why be thankful that you can't do likewise??? Somebody buying a takeaway for €20 hardly defines their lifestyle. That's like saying a person's lifestyle is one of constant struggle and impoverishment because they happen pick up a reduced ready meal deal in the supermarket.

But hang on! That's the whole premise if this thread. That someone on minimum wage is merely "getting by" and not living a life.

I don't disagree with anyone enjoying a meal out, I do it myself sometimes.

The point I was making is that it's possible to get by on a lot less without being miserable.

Both sides judging each other on this thread.

Graces7

Pac1Man wrote: »

What kind of food are you eating for 20 a week?

Good simple strong food. Fruit and vegetables at special offer prices,, milk, cheese, bread, fish occasionally, eggs.. Very easy to do here. Sweet potatoes and butternut squash are often on special at 39 cents a big one.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Pac1Man wrote: »

What kind of food are you eating for 20 a week?

€20 a week hardly feeds our dog. The milkman alone, for just myself, is €12 a week.

€3 a day for all food? Not at all.

Graces7

pilly wrote: »

But hang on! That's the whole premise if this thread. That someone on minimum wage is merely "getting by" and not living a life.

I don't disagree with anyone enjoying a meal out, I do it myself sometimes.

The point I was making is that it's possible to get by on a lot less without being miserable.

Both sides judging each other on this thread.

You see folk stating views, ideas and realities that are different as judging? Ah no....does not upset me if you splurge as long as you do not expect others to find joy in the same things is all.

And a great post by the way. Making me see all the more how rich my life really is . Thank you. I am deeply thankful that life has taught me how to be deeply content with what some would call poverty. Deeply thankful.

Tilikum

Edith Tart Thundercloud wrote: »

€20 a week hardly feeds our dog. The milkman alone, for just myself, is €12 a week.

€3 a day for all food? Not at all.

Because you can't do it, it can't be done?

I'd easily get by on €20 a week. Fruit & veg.

Bubbaclaus

I regularly feed myself on 20 euro a week also. Pretty easy to do in all honesty.

Then again I've never been one for "treats". Breakfast, lunch and dinner does me.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

pilly wrote: »

But hang on! That's the whole premise if this thread. That someone on minimum wage is merely "getting by" and not living a life.

I don't disagree with anyone enjoying a meal out, I do it myself sometimes.

The point I was making is that it's possible to get by on a lot less without being miserable.

Both sides judging each other on this thread.

That's the point I was making. I wasn't commenting on anything you posted. The poster I replied to was dismissing somebody getting a takeaway when they could afford to. I fully agree that somebody working all week on minimum wage can only be 'getting by'.

Graces7

Parchment wrote: »

Your Holier Than Thou attitude is very unattractive.

How on earth do you manage to read that into what I wrote!!!!! REALLY! I am not and never have suggested , and nor have other posters here , that my way of life which by the way I did not choose ( I was in a high flying career in teaching when illness hit) but am thankful to have accepted and at nearly 80, be content in. For the chuckle , THANK YOU! roflol!

Edith Tart Thundercloud

Edith Tart Thundercloud wrote: »

€20 a week hardly feeds our dog. The milkman alone, for just myself, is €12 a week.

€3 a day for all food? Not at all.

You drink 12 euros of milk a week?

Yourself isit

Graces7 wrote: »

A good question and something I too often wonder about. Is this an Irish status symbol? I see how popular it is ..

In the 19C only the poor ate out

L'prof

georgiecasey wrote: »

i hate this attitude. college isn't for everyone and you're not guaranteed a good job afterwards at all these days. everyone has a degree now.

This. I went to college and have my degree. Worked for a couple of years in my "chosen profession" and absolutely hated it. Now completely disallusioned with the whole college/making a better life tripe that gets trumpeted at every turn. College is great but definitely not for everyone and absolutely does not guarantee a career

Graces7

Tilikum wrote: »

Because you can't do it, it can't be done?

I'd easily get by on €20 a week. Fruit & veg.

And a very fine and healthy way to live. It really is. I had a whole plaice for E1 this week and a huge bag of Caesar salad, down to 5 cents in Dunne's....

Pac1Man

Edith Tart Thundercloud wrote: »

€20 a week hardly feeds our dog. The milkman alone, for just myself, is €12 a week.

€3 a day for all food? Not at all.

I'm about €40-€50 a week, just myself and I don't eat out.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Graces7

Yourself isit wrote: »

In the 19C only the poor ate out

Elucidate please? Fascinating...many households in eg the slums had no cooking facilities when the coal ran out.

Thinking to Dickens..

Graces7

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

Fascinating; thank you.

In the US downsizing and frugal living are buzzwords.

Yourself isit

Bam Bam Mickey wrote: »

You drink 12 euros of milk a week?

That's what 9-10 litres? More if he buys in bulk.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Yourself isit

Graces7 wrote: »

Elucidate please? Fascinating...many households in eg the slums had no cooking facilities when the coal ran out.

Thinking to Dickens..

Yes that's why. The urban poor had no way to cook in slums - they ate cheap street food. The upper middle classes had kitchens and cooks. The young middle class lived in full board appartments. Sometimes the middle income groups with families but without cooks or kitchens would buy food and prepare it but pay bakers to cook it ( dickens mentions that in A Christmas Carol)

There were gentleman's clubs but it wasn't a family activity for the middle classes to eat out. Things changed later in the 19C

Mr.S

Mr.S wrote: »

€12 a week on milk for 1 person!? 12 litres of milk!?!

It's indicative of "I'll pay more than I need to for convenience."

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Bam Bam Mickey wrote: »

You drink 12 euros of milk a week?

Absolutely. Now, admittedly, it's Heart Active milk which is a bit more expensive and it's delivered daily by the milkman. But why not? I can afford it. I also will not traipse around Dunnes looking for reduced offers. I understand how others have to and I respect that. What I don't get is people judging others because they don't do the same as they do. We all do what suits our own pockets. It's that dismissing of people who live a particular way, as though it is the wrong way, that get's my goat.

Edith Tart Thundercloud

Edith Tart Thundercloud wrote: »

Absolutely

Sounds unhealthy.
From affecting iron absorption to digestive problems and weight gain, I couldn't drink so much milk.

TerrorFirmer

Unless it's some incredibly fancy organic milk, that's inhuman. I mean, using normal Centra/Lidl/Tesco 2ltr milk containers, €12 would actually get you 16 litres of milk, and about 12 even if you used the 1ltr paper cartons. so even if there's a delivery fee....you'd have to be drinking several pints of milk a day alongside a staggeringly large amount of tea to hit close to that value!

As for €20 a week....I'd say I personally spend double that at least but I do actually agree if you're determined enough it's possible to eat relatively decently on €20 if you plan accordingly.

edit: I see you've clarified above it's heart active milk delivered daily, fair enough.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Mr.S wrote: »

A milkman delivery is an odd one though, why not just pick it up in the shop when you buy food? I'm all for convenience, but this seems a little OTT!

Jeez, it wouldn't fit in the fridge if I bought a week's supply of milk at a time.