So, what do you consider the necessities of life, say for a single person?
This is another good point here. What is a necessity of life changes from person to person and situation to situation.
If I am a healthy person with no real responsibilities outside of myself I could probably get a room somewhere for really cheap or bunk with like 4 other people. This means that I won't have my own place to live and I am subject to being kicked out short term. I can live off of cup ramen, not have a cell phone or internet and get my clothing at a thrift store and hopefully live somewhere that I can walk/bike where I need to go. I could probably get by on well less than 1000 dollars.
But most people aren't that lucky. Either they live with family, have children, debt, medical issues or unable to live in a place where you can simply bike/walk everywhere. Then you need some kind of transportation. At the lowest we are talking about a scooter or some equivalent that will cost you several hundred dollars as well as monthly insurance for it, gas and maintenance. TBH you need a cell phone in this day and age. Otherwise you are set up to a great disadvantage. I am putting a cell phone as something needed for a necessity of life. I put it along with running water and electricity. You could make the case you don't need electricity but it shouldn't be expected to be that way.
If you have medical problems you need medical insurance. Most states don't allow for medicaid unless you are either 1) Disabled or 2) Be or have children. So if you are just "poor" but don't qualify for disability or have children then you are out of luck for healthcare costs. Usually its the same with food stamps as well. They are temporary usually only a few months within so many years. If your job offers you health insurance you are lucky. It means you are working full time or at least 30 hours a week. Problem is you might not be able to afford it even if they do give you the option for insurance. It can be costly and according to the ACA it can be up to 10% of your income. So if you work say 40 hours a week at 8 dollars an hour you make 1280 a month on average your insurance can be 128 dollars a month. But remember you get taxed usually aruond 20% so you only get to keep a little more than 1000 dollars a month. So now you are down to 880. Minus food which even at top ramen prices will be at least 200 a month, 50 dolalrs for cell phone. 50 for elecricity if you are able to split it with someone, 250 at least for rent if you split it and live in the cheapest place you can, you are down to 330 a month for toilet paper, gas, insurance for your vehicle, maintenance, daily living, internet, clothing, cleaning supplies, ect.
Now you are expected to save money. Yet you are still working 40 hours a week. That isn't a livable wage. This is barely barely barely scraping by with the hope that you have no medical expenses other than your premium, no accidents, no repairs that need to be made or anything else that would cost money. If you have the best luck in the world and are a single healthy individual then you could tread water. Now imagine a kid, or accidents or life added in. It gets far more expensive.
I've made 15 an hour and I wasn't rich by any means. I was still "poor". I just wasn't in poverty.
We'd like a 3 bedroom though and that will run us probably $600-700 a month.
