How do people live off low wages?

corsav6 · 04-11-2019 11:07pm

Two adults and two kids under 7, soon to be three kids. One working full time and one stay at home as it's honestly cheaper and employment options in the West are limited.
35k per year income guaranteed and add 3-5k for some evening jobs. Running a car and a van but no mortgage or rent so living within our means and not wasteful and we're comfortable.
Shop around, pre plan meals, re use where possible, be energy efficient. Honestly it's not hard to live comfortably without spending a fortune.

Edit: exception is Dublin, I'm not too sure 35k would cut it even without rent or mortgage.

mydingaling2 · 04-11-2019 11:08pm

BDI wrote: »

How do you know that? People spoofing to you?

Go onto Irish jobs and search IT and see what the wages are.

Graduate should be expecting 30-40K

A mid level software engineer should be expecting 55K minimum , Senior software engineer 70k minimum.

That is programming though which is the highest pay scale.

Also wages can be significantly higher depending on the company .

KungPao · 04-11-2019 11:09pm

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biko · 04-11-2019 11:11pm

Move to Cork bai

mydingaling2 · 04-11-2019 11:12pm

BDI wrote: »

Temping with recruitment agencies

Nope, Permanent positions. I don’t get why you think IT is low paid.

Like sysadmin positions after four or five years experience are easily 40K to 60K or more again depending on the company.

Even plenty of desktop support roles offering 35K to 40k which would be the lowest end of IT work

mydingaling2 · 04-11-2019 11:20pm

Ubbquittious wrote: »

Are the wages really that good?

I know loads of people in IT and many would be getting around what the OP is getting. Fellas on 50 and 70k a year are few and far between

Plenty on it, there’s so many different areas in IT that unless you know their job title it’s hard to say what their salary is. It could just be a help desk posistion there in getting 25K a year

jester77 · 04-11-2019 11:25pm

biko wrote: »

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Can I have the monee nao?

Sorry, but you need to work on your indentation

Richard Hillman · 04-11-2019 11:38pm

I work a low waged job, living at home is the only option. Its either that or a tent.

I do feel for a lot of the foreign workers that I work with, they don't have that option and have to share rooms.

The dynamics of low waged work are changing too. Every time the minimum wage gets increased, the hours reduce. When I started working, 39 hours was the regular full time job. Then it dropped down to 37.5 and over the last year or you'll be looking to find a job with 30-35 hours. Your basically earning the same amount amount money as somebody similar 10-15 years ago. Whilst taxes have increased and the cost of living is out of control.

A lot of people may say "ah well, sort your life out, get a better job" but cities like Dublin will always need low waged workers. You need them for food, drink, clothes, cleaning, everything. They have to live somewhere. I don't think that fact has grasped the ruling classes.

Padre_Pio · 04-11-2019 11:42pm

mydingaling2 wrote: »

Plenty on it, there’s so many different areas in IT that unless you know their job title it’s hard to say what their salary is. It could just be a help desk posistion there in getting 25K a year

IT is such a broad definition.

Most engineers and comp science grade would start on around 25-30k and hit the 50s after a few years.

Richard Hillman wrote: »

A lot of people may say "ah well, sort your life out, get a better job" but cities like Dublin will always need low waged workers. You need them for food, drink, clothes, cleaning, everything. They have to live somewhere. I don't think that fact has grasped the ruling classes.

Those people are right. Therell always be students and young people and migrants to do low paid, low skill work. The aim is to get skilled so you don't have to do these jobs forever.

HamSarris · 04-11-2019 11:45pm

mydingaling2 wrote: »

Nope, Permanent positions. I don’t get why you think IT is low paid.

Like sysadmin positions after four or five years experience are easily 40K to 60K or more again depending on the company.

Even plenty of desktop support roles offering 35K to 40k which would be the lowest end of IT work

IT salaries are currently over-valued and will show a regression towards the mean in the next recession (6-18 months) due to the following factors:

The bankruptcy of billon dollar Silicon-Valley companies who can’t show a profit and never will. The only thing keeping these companies afloat are stupid investors who hope their company will be the next Facebook or Amazon and make them a millionaire.

As a consequence, more companies will actually have to work out how to make a profit. This may include reconsidering whether to pay €500 a day to contractors to pretend to be working.

The cull of IT middle management who may have contributed something as a programmer but nothing as a socially inept manager.

An oversupply of IT graduates who believe the propaganda put out by industry that there’s a massive undersupply of graduates and everyone will be on 70k by their 30s.

This doesn’t address the OP’s question but I sense the motive was to talk about how he feels superior to others in an indirect way. If you're think you're sorted financially why would you open a thread about low wages - like a person who owns a house asking about the difficulties of renting.

Richard Hillman · 04-11-2019 11:47pm

Padre_Pio wrote: »

Those people are right. Therell always be students and young people and migrants to do low paid, low skill work. The aim is to get skilled so you don't have to do these jobs forever.

Very true, but where are they going to live?

Mrs OBumble · 04-11-2019 11:47pm

lola85 wrote: »

On low wages you qualify for a lot of benefits including HAP which will pay up to 1800 euro a month towards your rent.

And pay next to no tax as well. It really helps.

Also, Lidl/Aldi.

Strumms · 04-11-2019 11:50pm

Op if you manage to double your salary in two years good luck to you but in the real world as opposed to in your head that’s going to prove hard.

Snotty · 04-11-2019 11:57pm

Living and working outside Dublin makes a wage of 30-35k a lot more manageable, rent/mortgage is around 700pm and reduction of other costs like commuting will help, maybe a better worklife balance all make a low wage more palatable.
But 30-35k in one of the cities, yeah its not going to be a great lifestyle.

Padre_Pio · 04-11-2019 11:58pm

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Very true, but where are they going to live?

Wherever they can.
There are plenty of cities more overcrowded than Dublin.
So whether than means people commuting from affordable areas to cities, or people living in smaller and smaller accommodation as they get priced out.

It's a sad state of affairs, but nothing new.

Strumms wrote: »

Op if you manage to double your salary in two years good luck to you but in the real world as opposed to in your head that’s going to prove hard.

Depends on the industry and the job.
Get into some MNC, get a nice niche role and you could be set for life.

I started on 24k after college.
Year 2 I was on 32k
Year 4 48k
Year 6 now and I'm up in the 60s.

Most of my colleagues are on something similar. Purely speaking about tech jobs, if you're good and you have a passion the sky's the limit.

mydingaling2 · 05-11-2019 12:02am

HamSarris wrote: »

IT salaries are currently over-valued and will show a regression towards the mean in the next recession (6-18 months) due to the following factors:

The bankruptcy of billon dollar Silicon-Valley companies who can’t show a profit and never will. The only thing keeping these companies afloat are stupid investors who hope their company will be the next Facebook or Amazon and make them a millionaire.

As a consequence, more companies will actually have to work out how to make a profit. This may include reconsidering whether to pay €500 a day to contractors to pretend to be working.

The cull of IT middle management who may have contributed something as a programmer but nothing as a socially inept manager.

An oversupply of IT graduates who believe the propaganda put out by industry that there’s a massive undersupply of graduates and everyone will be on 70k by their 30s.

This doesn’t address the OP’s question but I sense the motive was to talk about how he feels superior to others in an indirect way. If you're think you're sorted financially why would you open a thread about low wages - like a person who owns a house asking about the difficulties of renting.

Man you couldn’t be more wrong, a degree is useless unless you have a genuine interest in it and are technical which is the most important.

The amount of graduates that have been fired before the six months probation is up is probably the highest in any industry. You can generally tell if someone is useless or good after a month or what problem there getting stuck on.

There’s a ton of graduates waiting tables or have given it up all together because

1) there not techinical
2) unwilling to do certs in their spare time to upskill
3) think that jobs will fall into their laps while other graduates have gotten four or five certs in their free time going for jobs

A college degree only teaches you the basics, it’s a life long commitment to get a good job in IT.

Hence why there’s 1600 jobs on Irish jobs at the minute and struggling to fill them as they can’t get good people.

I started on 22k, eight years later getting 77K and I’m not a programmer

Dravokivich · 05-11-2019 12:08am

antimatterx wrote: »

I don't mean to offend people, but I'm wondering how people live off low wages (20/30K), buying houses, raising families. It seems impossible to me.

I'm 23, I make 32K as a software engineer, but I live with my parents so I can save a good chunk of money every month. I realize I'm lucky and I'll probably be on 50-70K in 2/3 years, but for people who won't get great raises, how do you live (especially in Dublin)

You dont live. It is impossible. Single parent earning as much as you are now. But my options are limited, by the need to get the kid in and out of childcare, so I have to work nearby. 1/3 of my wages is childcare. So clearly no room for rent or the utilities that would go with living somewhere. I can't even ****ing afford HAP and share a room with my kid in my parents house. I've no disposable income. Money I save at the end of the month, is just money I haven't spent yet.

Ubbquittious · 05-11-2019 12:28am

From what I can tell nearly every software job beyond 50k a year has oddly specific requirements. Cumbersome enterprise software and niche frameworks. I know someone who would have put up a few of those ads, a lot of the time they stay unfilled and being good at writing code won't get you the job. You can be lucky and happen to be familiar with some piece of software on their requirements from a previous job but its far from being a case of learning to code and waltzing into a job.

Even for that very specific guy who meets all the requirements a lot of his knowledge is at risk of becoming "legacy" and he has to chase the next bandwagon to jump on. Then there are companies that put a lot of pressure on coders to meet deadlines and do a lot of extra work for no extra pay.

Man Vs ManUre · 05-11-2019 3:02pm

In IT, as long as your not a contractor, then in the majority the company has to pay you a redundancy package to let you go. It’s not exactly a job for life like a lot of public sector roles, although best case scenario would be an IT job in the public sector!!
It’s not that nice an industry to work in anymore, now it’s all about onshore/offshore service providers, cost cutting, team based roles being replaced by project based roles. Where I work I would say at least 50% of a very large staff number are either managing resources, processes or projects. There is as much admin waste in most private sector IT companies as there is in public sector institutions such as HSE, Social Services etc.

Mr_Muffin · 05-11-2019 4:23pm

It's not hard to hit 50k+ in IT once you have 3 years experience. I'd even go as far to say that you're doing something wrong if you're not earning at least that after 3 years.

DellyBelly · 05-11-2019 4:29pm

Padre_Pio wrote: »

Wherever they can.
There are plenty of cities more overcrowded than Dublin.
So whether than means people commuting from affordable areas to cities, or people living in smaller and smaller accommodation as they get priced out.

It's a sad state of affairs, but nothing new.

Depends on the industry and the job.
Get into some MNC, get a nice niche role and you could be set for life.

I started on 24k after college.
Year 2 I was on 32k
Year 4 48k
Year 6 now and I'm up in the 60s.

Most of my colleagues are on something similar. Purely speaking about tech jobs, if you're good and you have a passion the sky's the limit.

That's not a bad wage you are on but not great for Dublin. You would hope you should be higher than 60k after 6 years? I reckon to have a decent life in Dublin you need to earning north of 85k even closer to 100k

Sunny Disposition · 05-11-2019 4:55pm

I think young people need to be wary of industries that are overpaid, the same is actually true of certain manufacturing companies who pay more money that you'd expect.
IT, construction, tourism, have all had their moments when they were paying very well, but these were bubbles that burst again.
If you have a passion for something by all means go for it, but don't do so just because it's in the middle of an upswing. Those that remember the IT collapse in 01 or the building bust a few years later would understand this.

topper75 · 05-11-2019 5:12pm

jester77 wrote: »

Sorry, but you need to work on your indentation

Also he broke standards by not giving it a name.

Any name you like, so long as it gives no ****ing indication whatsoever about what it actually does.

Greyfox · 05-11-2019 5:34pm

antimatterx wrote: »

I don't mean to offend people, but I'm wondering how people live off low wages (20/30K), buying houses, raising families. It seems impossible to me.

You can either be very smart with your money, avoid buying things you don't need and try to study to get a better job or you can be like me and accept that you'll never own a house or have kids

Montage of Feck · 05-11-2019 5:38pm

In my world talk of earning 80k a few years out of college is crazy talk. I most have made some really ****y life choices.

Better Than Christ · 05-11-2019 5:47pm

antimatterx wrote: »

I don't mean to offend people, but I'm wondering how people live off low wages (20/30K), buying houses, raising families. It seems impossible to me.

I'm 23, I make 32K as a software engineer, but I live with my parents so I can save a good chunk of money every month. I realize I'm lucky and I'll probably be on 50-70K in 2/3 years, but for people who won't get great raises, how do you live (especially in Dublin)

I'm in my late thirties and on around €35,000. Unless I change jobs, I'm unlikely to be earning much more than that in five years time. I have no plans to raise a family and I would ideally prefer not to have to buy a house either. I rent alone and can afford to live reasonably comfortably, but I've always had a fairly basic, low-cost lifestyle. My idea of 'living comfortably' might be someone else's idea of abject austerity. The only issue I have is that I'm not saving enough money. That's the one thing that's pushing me towards the idea of either trying to get promoted in my current job or seeking a new career altogether.

uck51js9zml2yt · 05-11-2019 5:48pm

Did a post grad in web development. Haven't worked in IT in years.

GooglePlus · 05-11-2019 5:56pm

I always thought high level IT jobs bring in 100k+

50k isn't great for all the work that's involved and the constant need to evolve with technology.

What's earning big out there at the minute?

vriesmays · 05-11-2019 6:05pm

Poeple in factories can earn €80k, night shifts overtime, weekend work.

Padre_Pio · 05-11-2019 6:51pm

DellyBelly wrote: »

That's not a bad wage you are on but not great for Dublin. You would hope you should be higher than 60k after 6 years? I reckon to have a decent life in Dublin you need to earning north of 85k even closer to 100k

I'm not in Dublin, and personally I'm very happy with where I am and my earning potential. I would hope I'm on that sort of money within the next 4 years.

I doubt there's many in their late 20's pulling in near 85-100k and clocking out at 5pm every day. Compared to my friends who are working outside of tech and finance I'm way head in earning potential.

vriesmays wrote: »

Poeple in factories can earn €80k, night shifts overtime, weekend work.

I've heard that more than I've seen it. You'd have to be in pharma or medical and you'd have the mentality of working every shift you can get, 50-70 hours a week, with overtime and shift allowance. I would say that most factory operators are on half that.

How do people live off low wages?

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