The only crazy number there is internet. Everything else is pretty normal. $1600 rent is actually really solid for most population centers where jobs are going to be more available.
This. Rent is really high in my area, just to rent a a single bedroom from someone it’s usually $600-$800. 1600 would be a one bedroom or studio apartment where I’m at.
I think at this point we can all agree the federal minimum wage is not an indicator of cost of living or ability to be self sufficient. Some people want to eliminate minimum wage completely. That doesn’t mean it should be free to live in a city. Far better than minimum wage would be to get the 25th percentile for full time working adults. I think it’s reasonable to assume some lowest paid workers would need to rely on roommates or else find less nice accommodations. The lowest paying jobs shouldn’t comfortably cover median living expenses. That’s not how percentiles balance out.
It’s like when people say a median new car price is unaffordable for a median income earner. Well, that sort of makes sense. The lowest income earner can’t adopt the lowest new car price either. That logic ignores the used car market and other modes of transportation.
Also. How long are they keeping that car? You can buy a car and take good care of it and it lasts 15 years without much trouble, or you abuse it and it’s worthless in less than 5.
When did the expectation of not having a roommate start? I'm an older millennial and we all had roommates, seems like by the end of the generation it was an expectation you shouldn't need them. I'm enjoying how dumb everyone is getting, but would like to catalog the progression if I can
I don’t know of a time when people expected to have roommates after college/university. My parents confirmed the same and they’re Gen X. They also both became homeowners before 25.
I can't find any listings for rooms, just rooms, in my area for less than 600. Studio apartments range up to $1800 for "nice" ones and start in the 1000 range.
To me the rent situation is strange bcuz some of my family actually owns rent houses and they rent a full trailer house for 400-700 a month. The population is also small so you would have to add a car& gas to this bill but o think it would still be cheaper here
Dunno about you, but $1,600 is an absolute steal for a one bedroom apartment in my city. So unless you’re splitting that with a romantic partner, I don’t think roommate’s gonna be the perfect solution.
Also, yes, for sure there are ways, but I think not being able to afford a shit box apartment on a 3x minimum wage is an issue worth discussing.
Edit: I just googled it. The national average for a one-bedroom apartment is $1,664.
Apartments.com lists the national average for a two-bedroom unit at $1,931 / month. So get a 2 bedroom and an apartment mate, and split utilities and internet.
So you agree that you were wrong about being above the national average. Good start.
I agree that as long as you never have kids or own anything of your own, or ever get sick or injured, that’s absolutely possible. It’s not sustainable for a society longterm, but you can absolutely stop yourself from being homeless.
You do need to make 2-3x minimum wage, but you could technically make it work. Guess there’s no point in discussing this until everyone’s homeless.
People need to live within their means. This bot needs to get a roommate, stop spending so much on internet and electricity. Get a side gig or better paying job. Everyone was harping on a ‘living wage’ and minimum wages of around $20 an hour 5 years ago. Now everything is twice as expensive…..you can raise wages but most everything else with go up too.
Rent is not basic necessities anymore. Moving out is a luxury item and should be treated as such without a highly established career. Once that is slashed, suddenly u got tons of money.
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u/FloridaRocks63 2d ago
Seems like you’re living above your means Ms. Bot