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Librekrieger t1_jdwytwm wrote

That's quite reasonable pay, but the big question is whether you're guaranteed full-time work for the long term, whether health benefits are included, and whether you need a car.

$25/hr is about $4000/month. You can easily find an apartment for $2000/month, and probably more like $1400/month for a good studio apartment. Less, if you're willing to live in Everett instead of Lynnwood.

Riding the bus and using a bicycle is cheaper than having a car - a bus pass is $90/month.

Food for one person is probably $300-400/month. There are other expenses like electricity, phone, and so on but rent and food are the biggest.

If you have to pay for your own health care, that is a large cost. I don't know the details. There are lower cost options like Community Health Centers, but if you have to have emergency surgery in a hospital that would be catastrophic to your budget unless you have health insurance.

Getting into an apartment may be difficult...I see one for example that says "must have 1 year employment history, $3500 verifiable earned income, excellent credit score". So that's another hurdle.

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Evening_Midnight7 t1_jdx0yfp wrote

With all the taxes taken out of your paycheck probably closer to 3,500 a month…

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chaus_nomi t1_jdxapk7 wrote

I'd even go further to say it's likely closer to $3,000 a month.

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RexRawrRex t1_jdxgevc wrote

Take Home Calculator is saying $3370.83 a month with the assumption that OP will get 40 hours every single week (so a full-time job). If OP wants to live alone the hardest part might not be paying rent but qualifying for a rent to begin with. Most places in the Seattle area ask for 2.5 times the rent so that gives a budget of about ~$1400 to qualify. OP, listen to whoever said you need roommates!

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Evening_Midnight7 t1_jdxmg1f wrote

Yeah probably… whatever my hourly wage is set at, I always subtract at least three dollars from that and consider that to be my actual wage. So ridiculous

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chaus_nomi t1_jdxmzjg wrote

I've got a retirement plan, and between that, taxes, and health insurance, my take home pay is usually about 65% of what I make hourly.

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Evening_Midnight7 t1_jdxo05q wrote

Really an actual living wage, one where you maybe have a chance to save some money each month, pay all your bills, buy food, and afford anything else that comes up, would be at least 30 dollars per hour. Especially considering what rent costs here. So many jobs are trying to pay people around 20-22 dollars an hour here. Or even less.

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[deleted] t1_jdxzg67 wrote

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Evening_Midnight7 t1_jdy5z26 wrote

Do you feel like you’re able to comfortably survive on that amount or are you just scraping by? Sorry if that question is too personal. I have a ton of resentment regarding wages in general as I’ve struggled for years just barely getting by.

Also I wonder what people think of the having to make 3 times the amount of rent in order to live in many places… I know that I could get by without making 3 times the amount so it’s also frustrating finding a place that’s nice but also affordable and doesn’t require you to make 6k a month.

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balthazaur t1_jdykj1d wrote

not the person you responded to but i also make $24/hour. i live with two other people in a rented house in kitsap county. i have to chose one of the most expensive insurance plans offered by my employer due to chronic disease. i’ve always been frugal and environmentally conscious, so i shop a lot at grocery outlet and goodwill. i would say i live comfortably, although i wouldn’t be able to live as i am without having roommates (or a steep discount on pet care).

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Evening_Midnight7 t1_jdytbq9 wrote

Ahh health insurance plans.. frustrating that you have to choose the most expensive plan because of something that’s out if your control.

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onlyinyaks t1_jdyw4ud wrote

I’m from Yakima.. making 25$ an hour is kinda rare here unless you’ve been with 1 company for awhile & got some good raises. To me, being a visual therapist would be consider a badass job & one worth living comfortably. But to think, being a visual therapist & making 25$ an hour in Lynwood would only get someone a studio apartment and 300$ for food is actually kind of crazy.

I envy living in a nicer area, but don’t envy having a good job yet being towards the bottom of middle class society in your community.

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Librekrieger t1_jdyyevj wrote

Well, it would buy a studio, food, and about $1800 a month extra after taxes... it's a matter of what else a person needs besides food. If health care were free, it'd be a comfortable life and would probably include a car. But as we know, health care is far from free, in Lynnwood or in Yakima.

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StfuBob t1_je005uc wrote

I hate that you had to put that last paragraph in- I wish it wasn’t so bad. First/last/deposit can equal several thousands of dollars- who has that kind of disposable income on tap?

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