Just Brought Things Into Perspective For Me

[big rockpile]

It is 51 miles from our place to the city.They just finished 4 Lane Highway this was my first time driving it.I told my wife this makes things so nice and getting back and forth is such a pleasure wouldn't be bad commuting for work.My wife said yes but a person would need $10 an hour just to be worth it.

I got to computing this in my head.$10 an hour times 40 hours =$400-$100 Taxes= $300 times 4 thats $1200 a month I told her that can't be right! She assured me it was.I said DANG! I make more than that with my pension.

I know I'll probably get blasted for this but I just can't figure why wages haven't kept up with with inflation.Heck $10 an hour was what I was making 30 years ago.

big rockpile

[barnyardgal]

Bigrock...there is a reduction in everything these days!! but no cost of living raise or increase in minimum wages...seems any more if one can find a job making $10 bucks an hour they doing good...but still living poor unless they watch their P's and Q's or have two incomes in the household.......

[poppy]

Yep, makes you realize how old you are when you remember the days when a $10.00 an hour job was a lofty goal for most of us. Oh wait, I think those days are back.

[Helena]

Remember when gas was 29 cents a gallon too. Husband made $48 a week take home pay and we paid a mortgage, and living expenses and raised a baby with no WIC or food stamps back then and we thought we were living good. But..we were just saying the same thing my husband and I...It seems like a lot of money but by the time you put gas in the car and all the expenses especially if you have children that need day care etc...I'm very glad my family is raised because it is very hard these days for young families...

[Roadking]

Guy down the road offered neighbor's kid (early teen) $8/hour to mow his property...not really motivated by the number (despite his dreams of a chevy sierra long bed crew cab in a few years and about $7 in pocket change in his room)...a mile away, equipment provided, just day labor...my 8 year old wants to do it! (He gets a list of chores and if they all get done, he gets 2 bucks a week...guess thats child labor?)
Matt

[where I want to]

If jobs can be shipped overseas for cheap labor, why pay someone in the US a lot more? If unlimited labor can be obtained from immigrants, especially illegals, at cheap rates, why should an employer pay more?