How do people survive on wages close to minimum wage?

21-04-2017 05:08PM

givyjoe wrote: »

I also have friends in both, still excellent salaries.

Not where I live and amongst the people I know in those careers.

Glenster · 21-04-2017 05:09PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Doctors and solicitors no longer have as good an income as they once had based on friends in both careers.

The average salary for a salaried GP in the UK is slightly under £50K.

I'm not sure about Ireland.

Solicitors as long as they don't go sole practitioner or soft industry job would be looking at €80+ 2 or three years out from qualification in Dublin, (mainly in property)

givyjoe · 21-04-2017 05:09PM

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

I know that small legal firms and sole practitioners were hit hard during the recession. Drop of up to 60% in income in certain cases.

There's too many solicitors in Ireland. Every Tom, Dick and Harry decided they wanted to do Law and then on to Blackhall during the boom.

Certain cases? Would that be a report commissioned by.. solicitors perhaps?!

It has and will continue to recover. Legal fees haven't dropped. It's one of the most stable professions and will return to being just that, including well paid. I'm sure many practices have used this as a stick to 'beat' new recruits with/justify not paying adequately.

Maybe there are too many, it will eventually even itself out. Those good enough will make a handsome living from it, those who aren't, wont/shouldn't.

givyjoe · 21-04-2017 05:11PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Not where I live and amongst the people I know in those careers.

So not in Dublin then? Where you live and the friends you know aren't representative of the entire profession.

The salaries will eventually catch up. It is still, on average an excellent rewarded profession, for hard work of course.

freshpopcorn · 21-04-2017 05:12PM

Lacey Helpful Sifter wrote: »

"Getting by" doesn't cut it for a lot of people though.

I'm just speaking about people I know. I know plenty of people who are getting by and their happy out with their life.(it's a lot easier in the country tough than Dublin)

21-04-2017 05:15PM

Get a degree and find a job you like. Then further your studies in your profession if needs be. I've done interviews recently in house where candidates with less than a level 8 weren't even considered.

If college isn't your thing, learning a trade is as good.

No reason why most people shouldn't be capable getting either a good qualification or a good trade.

21-04-2017 05:15PM

givyjoe wrote: »

So not in Dublin then? Where you live and the friends you know aren't representative of the entire profession.

The salaries will eventually catch up. It is still, on average an excellent rewarded profession, for hard work of course.

Where you live and the friends you know are also not representative of the entire profession.

givyjoe · 21-04-2017 05:20PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Where you live and the friends you know are also not representative of the entire profession.

I wasn't using my friends to make the argument that solicitors were all now being fed from the poor box, you are. It's absolute nonsense, it still is, always has and will be ON AVERAGE a well paid profession. Christ, pedantic nonsense.

GT_TDI_150 · 21-04-2017 05:22PM

Wintergirl wrote: »

I dont understand these posts, why do people have three children when they aren't earning enough to support them, they know what childcare costs for two children so another child is going to cost a third more.

Did these people miss a lot of maths classes at school.

I was reading another thread on accommodation, one whinged posted that he was living in digs by himself while his other half was living with her parents and two children.This didn't stop man in digs and OH having a third child and he then had the cheek to complain that the council wouldn't give him a house quick enough.This head in the sand stuff is mind boggling.

Not everyone with kids (and struggling to pay for all that entails) started out not having the means to have the kids ... peoples circumstances change ...

the snobbery at people with kids that are not able to pay their way 100% is what baffles me!

90% of people had the meant to have and support kids ... when they decided to have the kids

Murrisk · 21-04-2017 05:25PM

I think that everyone should learn to have the ability to be happy on just about enough.

That doesn't mean I think everyone should have just enough, of course people should aim for a comfortable living. But life doesn't always turn out that way. Serious illness can strike, jobs can be lost, an debilitating accident can occur. You just never know. I've certainly known of plenty of people whose fortunes have drastically changed, sometimes out of the blue.

So, I just think putting too much stock in material things is a mistake. What if the day comes when you can't have the material things that you want?

I know people will say "Oh yeah, but I don't intend for that to happen to me, I'll always be comfortable" but nobody ever thinks anything bad will happen to them until it does. Speaking from a good deal of experience here.

I suppose one could argue that that is even more of a reason to indulge and enjoy life whilst one still has the means and ability to and I guess that's valid too. But things are just things!

givyjoe · 21-04-2017 05:26PM

GT_TDI_150 wrote: »

Not everyone with kids (and struggling to pay for all that entails) started out not having the means to have the kids ... peoples circumstances change ...

the snobbery at people with kids that are not able to pay their way 100% is what baffles me!

90% of people had the meant to have and support kids ... when they decided to have the kids

That's fair enough to an extent, except the specific example the poster is referring to is of a couple who clearly had extremely limited finances... or at least seem to be with the reference to husbands pay.

Glenster · 21-04-2017 05:26PM

GT_TDI_150 wrote: »

Not everyone with kids (and struggling to pay for all that entails) started out not having the means to have the kids ... peoples circumstances change ...

This is the point. Kids aren't like Sky. You don't just have them assuming everything is going to be grand forever and cancel them if you lose your job in a few years.

And people aren't snippy about those who had kids and are a bit down on their luck at the moment.
Its the lasses with 11 nippers and a council house who've never done a days work in her life and whose kids are on the rob.
They're the ones who need to wake up to themselves.

srsly78 · 21-04-2017 05:27PM

givyjoe wrote: »

Christ, pedantic nonsense.

Well that is an important aspect of the job.

con___manx1 · 21-04-2017 05:33PM

I have a degree finished mine in 2008 in the height of the recession. I never worked in my field. I have a good job now. I started on a decent wage with a year's paid training. College is not for everyone.

con___manx1 · 21-04-2017 05:36PM

Tsipras wrote: »

With your grammar skills and the fact that you reckon you have exactly 8 friends,
are you a 7 year old?

Don't be a bully

21-04-2017 05:40PM

Its not just about money though, its about having more choices in life and the option of work that is more varied, stimulating.

What make people content with their working life is having a lot of control over their working day.

Murrisk · 21-04-2017 05:48PM

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Nice gig if you can get it. Free cars free clothes free trips. Trade your soul

Ha, exactly! You're getting paid to be a walking, talking advertisement.

Zubeneschamali · 21-04-2017 05:52PM

Zascar wrote: »

Many just go into whatever and wonder why they never got rich.

Some of us go into something we like doing which will pay the bills. In my case, more than 30 years in software, still not making 80K.

Not interested in living in Dublin, 100 hour weeks, 24 hour on-call, airport time measured in man-weeks per year, wearing a suit or proactively leveraging total sh!te 24/7.

21-04-2017 05:55PM

givyjoe wrote: »

I wasn't using my friends to make the argument that solicitors were all now being fed from the poor box, you are. It's absolute nonsense, it still is, always has and will be ON AVERAGE a well paid profession. Christ, pedantic nonsense.

You sound like you need a holiday if someone on a forum can wind you up with their opinion. You have an opinion as do I based on friends in the career. No one said they were poor just you I did not say that. No need for cursing either it is not a sign of intelligent discussion.

21-04-2017 06:00PM

Lacey Helpful Sifter wrote: »

If you want to progress in many sectors including IT moving away from very technical roles towards project management, process development roles etc is a much better route for your average person than trying stick to say being a developer. There is far fewer top developer jobs paying big wages than there are various different management type roles so its more likely to be sucessful.

I don't know many developers on 80k but I know plenty of people who started out as developers but directed their career as above and are not on that sort of money and it took no where near 20 years.

This is true. The project managers in my department (most have IT/some sort of engineering degree) are on ridiculous money compared to any developers I know.

Back to the OP's questions... I was brought up by a single Mother on a minimum wage job. She's no longer on min wage thankfully. We survived as we had a council house and also free childcare (my grandmother). We funded college through grants/working ourselves. This sort of scenario is common with minimum wage employees I reckon.

somefeen · 21-04-2017 06:07PM

Im 28 with a degree and 2 or 3 years full time experience in my industry along with relevant part time work while studying and internships and summer jobs.

I earn 260 a week after tax and spent today strimming grass. Same thing I was doing exactly 10 years ago for minumum wage with no qualifications or education.
I was out sick for a year so was hard to find work again. Got offered a job as a General Operative in my industry again so took it.

To prove that a degree doesn't guarantee a good paying job. My first graduate job was only ?12,000 p/a but I took it because it was great company to start your career with and a good reference from them was seen as a golden ticket. It worked because after 18 months I left to start another job on ?22,000 p/a (actually ?17,500 but with more than 4k of tax free perks)
As for the current job, I could earn far more money working somewhere else but no one wanted me after a year out that I was reluctant to explain (Mental Health). The money here might be terrible but long term it is a good prospect with networking opportunities and the chance to get promoted.

So to answer your questions
I survive just fine, but I don't drink or smoke and don't have a car. So first answer is; By being frugal and avoiding debt and impulse purchases.

And to answer why people work for such low wages; Short sightedness of youth and/or other benefits of the job (experience, networking, training)

"Its not about what you are getting, but who you are becoming"

ScumLord · 21-04-2017 06:15PM

I know plenty of lads who went working on building sites with no qualifications, convinced other people they knew what they were doing even when it came to things like plumbing, eventually got into a management position, started their own companies, and were basically telling trained professionals what they should be doing when they didn't really know what they should be doing themselves. Then they built a mansion out the country, lost it all in the economic crash and are back at the beginning with nothing. But you can rise to the top without qualifications if your in the right place at the right time and know the right people.

If you get into the right company they'll send you on a two day training course that covers what someone spent a few years learning in college.

Glenster · 21-04-2017 06:22PM

Lia_lia wrote: »

Back to the OP's questions... I was brought up by a single Mother on a minimum wage job. She's no longer on min wage thankfully. We survived as we had a council house and also free childcare (my grandmother). We funded college through grants/working ourselves. This sort of scenario is common with minimum wage employees I reckon.

If you had a free house and someone to mind your kid all day I'd say it'd be alright.

after rent, 40% tax, pension, insurance, medical expenses, travel costs I feel the hurt. I'm sure if I had childcare costs I wouldn't be doing much better than 400 quid a week.

Yourself isit · 21-04-2017 07:29PM

Glenster wrote: »

If you had a free house and someone to mind your kid all day I'd say it'd be alright.

after rent, 40% tax, pension, insurance, medical expenses, travel costs I feel the hurt. I'm sure if I had childcare costs I wouldn't be doing much better than 400 quid a week.

Again with the free housing. It's not.

Galwayguy35 · 21-04-2017 07:30PM

Hollister11 wrote: »

Plenty of people I went to school with are working full time in supermarkets. Most would be on circa €10 per hour.

How do people live on roughly 400 quid a week. Now they all live at home with the folks but what are they going to do in the future when they need a mortgage? How are they going to afford it?

I'm in college atm, and earn €50 a week, just to get by, but I'm sacrificing money now to have a good paying job for life.

Would these people not go to college and at least doubt what there on now a few years after graduating?

EDIT: Thread Title should be - How do people survive on wages close to minimum wage?

I think I can answer this because I'm on 400 quid a week after tax.

I pay a mortgage, have a car and put some money into a pension from this and while I don't get to go on holidays 3 times a year I do be able to afford a sunshine holiday every 2 years.

It's a no frills lifestyle and many people would hate it but it's doable.

dazza161989 · 21-04-2017 07:33PM

Btw a 39 hour week an minimum wage is close to €360 not €400!! Hope the maths improve for the unrealistic aspirations!

Yourself isit · 21-04-2017 07:49PM

dazza161989 wrote: »

Btw a 39 hour week an minimum wage is close to €360 not €400!! Hope the maths improve for the unrealistic aspirations!

There generally some overtime or bank holiday work. Wouldn't take much.

dazza161989 · 21-04-2017 08:34PM

Yourself isit wrote: »

There generally some overtime or bank holiday work. Wouldn't take much.

Maybe 6 weeks out of 52....

Geuze · 21-04-2017 10:15PM

happywithlife wrote: »

My husband hated school and ended up working in the job he started in at 14 years of age
Rock on 20 years he's still there and yet to hit €10 an hour. It's absolute crap. But he is so slow to change. He pulls in a decent enough wage when busy as he also gets some piecemeal pay on top of his Base wage. But it's very long hours. It was okay when it was just the two of us but realistically now with 3 kids he just about breaks even after paying for childcare but he'd rather be working which is fine. It's heartbreaking that his wage is so low though and he has been talking lots recently of leaving but with no qualifications he's loath to leave and I think he'd rather the devil he knows than the unknown

Average full-time earnings in Ireland in 2015 were 45,075 or 867 pw.

After 20 years in a job, this man is on under 400 per week.

At age 34, I suggest there is still time to boost skills and earn more.

Geuze · 21-04-2017 10:19PM

Glenster wrote: »

The average salary for a salaried GP in the UK is slightly under £50K.

Salaried general practice doctors (GPs) earn £55,412 to £83,617 depending on the length of service and experience.

+ bonuses

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/general-practice-doctor

How do people survive on wages close to minimum wage?

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