I caught site of an article on MSN today about how to survive/live on ONLY $40,000 a year!
I laughed. Blinked a few times. Had a moment of anger. Then I remembered the rest of the nation really believes most people think $40,000 is poor.
So, I thought about it. I wondered how many people the article thought were supposed to live on that for a year. Was it supposed to be for a single person? If so, that person had better be living like a freakin’ king/queen! If it was supposed to be for a married couple with that being the sole income, still they should be living well. A small apartment or home with a small mortgage would work. Even if two cars were needed they shouldn’t NEED anything expensive. Two people wouldn’t use a lot of utilities, so there should be a lot left over for food and necessities. Now, IF that $40,000 was for a family with children that would be pushing it, since kids can suck up money, but still, with a good food plan and payment schedules this family would still be able to order out take-out and go to movies and have a social life and be involved in school activities and in the community. It’s all about budgeting and not buying what you don’t need.
Of course I’m talking from a skewed point of view since my son and I live on an annual income of around $14,000 a year.
We get McDonald’s once every few months or so. We go to an actual movie theater maybe 2 or 3 times a year, maybe. We don’t have cable TV. We don’t have a real cell phone. We have TracFones, and they don’t have cameras. I try not to drive unless I have to, so I only need to fill the gas tank once every 2 weeks. I buy generic clothes and food and items on sale. I think I could tell those people who can’t live on $40,000/year how to do it.
It just really bothered me that there even exists an article, a how-to, about how to live on that much money. If they can’t live on it, I’ll take it!
KKWRITES 