Quote:
Originally Posted by Metro Gnome
Minimum wage isn't meant to be "lived on". If you are a grown adult trying to get by on $8.40/hour (or worse, trying to raise a family on it), then you've probably made some pretty bad mistakes so far.
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While I do agree with you in principal, minimum wage can in fact be "lived on." Even in Calgary.
$8.40 X 160 hours per month is $1344. Take off tax, CPP and EI and let's say you are now down to $1000. I just looked on rentfaster.ca and found 19 shared accomodations for $500 per month or less. Add $75 for a bus pass, and $300 for food and that still leaves you with $125/month for other things.
What so many people I see doing is saying that you cannot have your own place while working on minimum wage. That may be true. And I think most of us when we look back at our working minimum wage job days, it was often the situation with room mates that made us want to improve our situations.
But you are right, it isn't supposed to be a life long career choice to work for minimum wage. It's supposed to be for students, interns, and other people looking to break into better careers. I've taken crap jobs for low pay before; in order to be able to prove myself and get the better job once I showed I was worthy.