Share Your Story: Have you ever lived on minimum wage?
A woman working full time for a full year at the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour will make only $14,500 a year — an amount which is below the federal poverty line for a family of three. For tipped workers, the federal minimum cash wage is only $2.13 an hour!
Increasing the minimum wage for all workers, including tipped workers, would give working families a boost and help close the wage gap — nearly two-thirds of minimum wage workers and tipped workers are women.
But we need your help. We want to hear about what it takes to live on minimum wage from women who've experienced it. Share your story below to help us show legislators how important raising the minimum wage would be for families!
Please note: The views expressed in the stories below are those of the authors themselves and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the National Women's Law Center. All statements of fact in these stories have been provided by the individual authors, and the National Women's Law Center cannot and does not vouch for their accuracy. The Center will compile the stories and may use them, in whole or in part, in our advocacy efforts.
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Your Stories
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Haliee
, Georgia,
I'm 27 Years old, I'm a wife and a mother of four kids from 8 years old- 5 months. My husband was in the Army for 8 years and now that he is in the IRR we have went down hill ever since. My husband can't find a job that pays more that min. wage and is stuck working nights at Walmart. last year we had to file bankrupt and lost a house in the process now we live in a trailer park and can barely get by, he brings home 1100.00 per month and our bills are 1200.00 per month and that doens't count the cost of gas and other things. Its a everyday struggle and most nights end in tears. knowing that you cant provide for your family enough, that you can't give your kids new things and you don't even have enough gas to take them to the park now and then. we just sit here trapped in this metal box wondering how we are going to get by the next month and what bill isn't going to get payed or what meal can i make different out of beans and rice so my kids will stop complaining, and sometimes your kids get to eat but us parents have to skip meals meny times but that doesn't bother me that comes natural for me to take care of my kids before myself, i even make sure my husband eats since he works for us. When 8 oclock rolls around at night i tuck all my kids in kiss my husband goodbye and cry and pray just to make one more week. i take out everything out of the pantry and panic when i see only a few meals infront of me thats not enough to last until the next paycheck but somehow we make it and somehow my kids always have a full belly. I'm very thankful for what i have and i try my hardest to not let people or my family see the pain that engulfs me i try my hardest not to envy people i see that are smiling and going out to eat or going somewhere with there kids or walking out of the store with hundreds of dollars of food in there buggy. I guess in the end what matters is that we try, that makes me feel better anyways.I do realize that we are not the only families going through this, and it breaks my heart for anybody to have to go through the pain of being poor, especially when they have to work so hard for nothing. Families get torn apart...there has been meny times where me and my husband wanted to throw in the flag and give up on our relationship. we do love each other very much but the strain of living like this gets to be so much to bear. My story is no better then the ones on this site and my heart goes out to all who have to live like this especially when little kids are involved. All you can do is hope for the best, live one day at a time and just be thankful you have somewhere to lay your head down at night and a family who loves you. Live today like it is your last and never lose hope for you never know what tomorrow will bring.
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zoya kleshchevnikova
Girard, Pennsylvania,
It's really sad how TOUGH it is to even FIND a freaking min. wage job... I applied EVERYWHERE in my town...got an interview so far and got denied. They sent me an email saying how my availability is not what they are looking for.. when i clearly wrote I can work part time OR full time. any time they want me to, ANY hours.. I work at a store and get 4 HOURS A WEEK! thats not enough to pay for bills. I'm really struggling. and I cannot beleive that I got denied cuz of my availability?!?!?! the HR did not even TRY to negotiate hours or anything! just asked interview questions..... I dont understand..... =( I really don't want to do this... but I will have to end up working in a shop again full time until college starts =(. It's a bad place to work... but I have to pay the bills......and like some one mentioned.. Its totally understandable why people chose to sell drugs. becuase even min. wage full time doesnt pay the bills with food..this is why people STEAL too. I'll admit.... i have never stolen before cuz i have strong morals, but i certaintly have been really tempted... my first urge was when i was completely jobless and desperate to make ends meet... thats when i realized EXACTLY why people steal. Because IT"S SO HARD TO MAKE IT IN THIS SHITTY ECONOMY WHEN IT"S SO HARD TO EVEN GET A FREAKING LOW ASS JOB.
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Anonymous
Walla Walla, WA, Healthcare
I'm a 33 year old single woman with three college degrees and making just a little over minimum wage. Since graduating from college, I've never obtained a job where I've been able to live comfortably and not struggle. I can honestly say this is not how I envisioned my life, but make I make the best of it.On the very little I make, I am able to pay my basic bills: rent, gas, phone, electric and car payment and insurance. What's left after paying all that is very little and used to buy food for my pets, toiletries, pay for laundry and food. If I'm lucky, I might be able to buy $50.00 worth of food a month. In today's economy and with prices rising, that allows me to afford only the basics: milk, eggs, cheese, bread and sometimes boxed dinners. While I applaud state programs and the tax breaks that support single head of household woman/men and their families, I have to say, it'd be nice if additionally the state provided programs specifically for single woman/men that don't have a family, but are still living in poverty. My dreams are not of living in a mansion or making millions of dollars, my dreams are of having a home that's not run down and living in safety, of being able to go grocery shopping for food rather than picking up small basic items here and there, my dreams are of not living in poverty.
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Justin
, north carolina,
I have severe learning disabilities and severe asthma, i only make $600 a month, I went back to school to get my ged 5 times and failed all five, i went to adult high school at the community college for 2 and a half years and never made it a quarter of the way through the ninth grade. i now understand that you can give it your best and still never make it... now i really understand why so many people are selling drugs... i guess i really need to get into that, I just don't want to be breaking the law and i have never liked that idea , but what choice do i have?
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a REAL NIGGA
Columbus, GA, retail sales/ drug dealer
Im gone say some REAL ISH.. LISTEN UPim a young black man.. '89 year i was born. Lived Down south for most of my youth.. I GREW UP SEEING STRUGGLE.. i think its horrible that one of the first things i remember as a kid is UNDERSTANDING what STRUGGLE is.. KNOWIN what MONEY is..and knowing what its like to NOT HAVE IT.. and see others frivilously spend what most strive so DAMN HARD to get. I got jobs here and there as a teen.. moved to the WEST.. recently. 2008-2010. min wage 9.04.. DONT MEAN ISH. parents charge u rent..so as a man u pay. MONEY GONE..bus to work everyday. MONEY GONE. pay cell bill. MONEY GONE. plus as a man... u GOTTA keep $$ in yo pocket.. plus.. u gotta find yo career EARLY in LIFE.. or u gone fall behind. SO u spend money on what u NEED to get more $$.. (studio equiptment in my case) MONRY GONEaint do skool cause im too smart to get a lil change (a few 1000) just to OWE waaaay more years down the line..( STUDENT LOAN DEBT is HUUUGE!) HEEELLLL NAAAW.. so i said F**K skool. so how can a brother save money??? when AINT NO CASH to save? 16 and already got BILLS.. MOVED OUT to grow my own balls as a man.. PAYING RENT.. MONEY GONE.. then.. DOOOOOM.. FIRED from job.. SEE.. when u black.. when u get FIRED.. NO MATTER WHAT the reason.. aint no body gone give a F**K. lost my job.. SNOWBALL EFFECT.. so what does a BLACK MAN do? cant go back to moms from the jump right.. SO... give 2 weeks to find a JOB.. NOTHING.. NOW.. TIME TO GET GRIMEY.. two options.. ROB or SLANG. (sell drugs) and i did it.. but even that runs dry eventually. AINT no retirement plans for DRUG DEALERS ..feel me. WHATS the option? get a job.. AMERICA dont give a DAMN about anyone that aint BLOND HAIRED..BLUE EYED IMAGE OF AMERICAN.. (no diss to OBAMA.. but ONE black man makin it DOES NOT EQUATE for 400+ years of unequal opportunity for the rest of the race) LETS BE REAL.. so i hit the streets.. why?? it goes like this..GET a JOB.. so u apply for a lot.. (i've had 4 jobs and got fired from 3) NO ONE HIRES UTIME WAITS FOR NO MAN... bills DONT WAIT.. so i CANT WAIT for jobs to hit me back..so what can u do?? no $$ for travel.. so u cant get to temp jobs.. so u do the ONLY THANG GUARENTEED to make $$.. SLANG DRUGS.. now i got a job.. moved back down south.. MY paycheck wage went from 10 flat.. ( living out west.. HIGH ASS COST OF LIVING) to 7.25.. WHAT THE F**K?? STILL LOSING.. LOSING EVEN WORSE NOW.. the american DREAM aint to SURVIVE ya'll.. ANIMALS SURVIVE.. humans are meant to LIVE.. so when ISH hits the fans... u WIPE it off... WITH THEIR TOWEL.. feel me..AMERICA.. where u GOTTA be GRIMEY and DIRTY...to SHINE..I'll stop sellin drugs when i get hired to a job that makes me more $$ than SLANGIN..till then.. SEE U on the CORNER... I GOT what u NEED..
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Rena
Spokane, Washington, Call center
I've never made a lot of money. This year, I will be lucky to have made $15,000. Right now I work at a call center, full time. I don't make a lot, but I have been very, very careful with what I do have. I've spent my whole live learning the value of a dollar, and prioritizing my money. Funny thing, I'm a college graduate. I have my Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. I used to be a mental health case manager, and made twice as much. I quit that job when I moved here to Spokane after a divorce. I've applied to jobs in my field, with no luck. So again, I took anything I could find. I hate my job, but it pays the bills. It's my belief that you don't need a lot of money to be happy and to be successful. Not that I'm poor by choice!!! If I had it my way, my family would never want for anything! My partner makes just very slightly more than I do. Combined, we make $23.20/hr. The minimum wage in Washington is a little over $9. Together, we have been able to purchase a house, and save up for my maternity leave. We had our first child three weeks ago. I am able to stay home with her until she is three months, thank the lord. I'd rather be home full time, but we can't afford it. Even with our meager amout of bills. We dont have cable, we don't go out to dinner or movies. We buy everything used, and CHEAP. We don't get food stamps, or state assistance. He has health insurance, and we take the bus to work. We have a car, but only drive it when necessary. We don't have a lot, but we have made it work. House, car, food, family. Granted, our daughter is still itty-bitty, and we'll have to find a way to provide for her when she gets older and needs more. Right now we're struggling to find daycare for her for when I do go back to work. Centers are asking nearly $800/month for 3 days per week, and we can't even get to those places on the bus. Having someone come to our home - some people are asking for $17/hour!!!!! We'd be $650 short each month if I stayed home full time, and we can barely afford to have someone watch her if we do. We don't have family here, don't qualify for assistance, and can't really afford such a big expense. But I'm not going to stress about it. I'm going to enjoy my daughter, and the roof over my head, and the dinner my partener worked hard to put on our table - and I'm going to hope things work out. We may never be rich - heck, we may never be out of the red. Can you raise a family on minimum wage - it's possible, but if I'm struggling at $23.20 an hour, what kind of life would it be?
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Debby H.
, Florida, Non-Traditional Student
When I was growing up in the 1970s, we lived in Middlesex County, NJ. I was in elementary school, my sister was a baby, and my father worked two jobs so my mother could stay home with us kids. My dad hated like hell that my mom resorted to buying end-of-day or day-old bread to make sandwiches on, but with the money my parents saved from small sacrifices like that and from other things, they were able to save enough money for all four of us to go on day trips to the Jersey Shore -- Asbury Park when it was still something to look at -- a few times a year. Back then a little hard work and some smart budgeting would get you by, because your dollar went much farther. Now, it's a lost cause. I do not know exactly how much my father earned at that time, but for even a small family like mine, living near New York City in a modest two-bedroom apartment that was NOT rent-controlled or rent-stabilized was difficult. The New York Times article is absolutely correct. I lived in New York for eight years. In order to offset the sky-high prices of EVERYTHING, Albany does need to raise the minimum wage -- higher than $8.50/hour. New York City's prices are about on par with Silicon Valley, so if Silicon Valley can legislate a living wage -- not a minimum wage -- why can't New York?
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