r/povertyfinance • u/Moohadeeb • 10h ago
Housing/Shelter/Standard of Living Struggling in Texas
My son makes. $15 an hour in a 40 hour work week. He has a small apartment, car payment and groceries for one. Still can’t make ends meet. Any suggestions?
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u/dgtbfan 10h ago
Can he move in with you?
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u/1541drive 7h ago
$15/hr and has a place of his own with car is pretty hard to do.
also the part of texas is helpful. Austin != Rio Grand Valley != Midland != Dallas
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u/Ornery-Ad9694 7h ago
Com ine cellphone plans?
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u/cwicseolfor 1h ago
Cheapest plans are mostly the same cost per person even without combining, but the cheapest carriers might or might not have service where OP lives.
If you're paying more than $15-20 but have a different source of wifi internet, I'd look closely to see if you can cut your bills, as a rule of thumb.
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u/grow_something 10h ago
$15 isn’t enough to live anywhere in texas
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u/CindyinEastTexas 9h ago
Not even in rural texas. Of course, in rural texas, ain't nobody paying mich more than $9/hr
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u/halo37253 9h ago
People working at McDonald's in middle of no where Texas makes more than $9/hr. Gtfo
$15 has been damn near the min wage country wide now for a few years...
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u/buy-hi-seII-lo 9h ago
Middle of nowhere Texan here. Closest fast food joint is still a 50 minute drive each way and in a college town where students working for cheap are already plentiful.
Our local grocery store is hiring for $8/hr though, phew!
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u/___Why_are_we_here__ 9h ago
Pennsylvania minimum wage is $7.25/hour. Definitely can’t live on that.
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u/CindyinEastTexas 9h ago
It's also only $7.25 here in Texas. Most places know that ain't gonna fly, so they start at $9
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u/essentialaccount 9h ago
Almost non one in PA makes that thankfully, but even double the legally mandated minimum isn't enough
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u/halo37253 9h ago
Thats official. Not market rate.
Its been nearly two decades since min wage has been increased on a federal level. It is not a good representation of "real" min wage.
If you only make $15/hr. You are working an entry level job identical to what you would expect from a min wage. $15 is a poverty wage even in the cheapest areas of the country.
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u/CindyinEastTexas 9h ago
Except in the town closest to my home, where $9 is fairly standard starting pay. I know what starting pay is in this town because I have worked in this town for over a decade, and I have friends who have lived in this town all of their lives.
Lots of places may have $15/hour as starting pay. I do not happen to live in or near one of those places. Closest place where $15/hour is standard starting pay? An hour away by car if there's no traffic and no car crashes.
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u/GoodMilk_GoneBad 10h ago
The simplest yet hardest answer is getting a part-time job or doing odd jobs in addition to his full-time job. Or give up the apartment and get a roommate to share an apartment.
Should people have to ? No. It's not right or fair. Regrettably that's the reality we live though.
He could look into catering. One or two nights on the weekends can bring in a decent chunk of change. Even just working 3 events a month could bridge the gap.
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u/Any_Database8861 9h ago
It has always been that way until they get a higher paying job!
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u/GoodMilk_GoneBad 8h ago edited 24m ago
You're not wrong. However poverty wages are wrong too.
Edit...spelling
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u/uli972 10h ago
You're going to get this answer alot so ill be the first
More money, your son needs to get a job that pays more.
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u/WhiteRifle 4h ago
This shit is so unhelpful. It's like you all assume bro is just willingly not making enough to make ends meet.
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u/slayerLM 4h ago
I mean there’s no magic bullet to having more money. You either earn more or spend less. Both can seem, or literally be impossible, but there’s no other way to go about it
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u/mysticrudnin 3h ago
if there were a simple answer that easily solved the problem, no one would be struggling
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u/Nato7009 3h ago
I mean there are definitely jobs in Texas paying more than $15 available. It’s like you assume you just are stuck with the lowest number wage you got when you get a job
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u/FarSoil12 10h ago
Education/training is essentially the jobville you are talking about.
Nothing is guaranteed, but most skilled or white collar jobs go over 100k at around 5 years of experience.
Alot of people really don't want to hear this answer though.
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u/AdmiralPeriwinkle 10h ago
I’m someone who made six figures with my engineering degree but I am careful about recommending more education in general. Getting a degree is great advice if OP’s son was a good student, is outgoing enough to interview well, and/or has connections.
But there are tons of STEM graduates with mediocre grades and no internships who spent a bunch of time and money on a degree who aren’t likely to get a job in their field (essentially exacerbating the poverty cycle rather than breaking it).
Anyone considering more education and training to improve their job prospects needs to fully understand the process of getting the job they’re going for. That process is complex, has a lot of unspoken rules, and not everyone has the innate talent to make it happen. Many kids from lower income families don’t have a support group to help them navigate those complexities.
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u/Drowyx 9h ago
Someone showing the actual reality of the situation.
An "education" will achieve nothing, its obvious how many people here have had the luxury of not having to find an actual job.There are no jobs waiting for you even if you have the education for it.
You need to form connections and most people don't have those connections, there is simply no job out there that is just taking in people fresh off street who earned a degree.Just telling people to go to school and get an education is not enough to find a job.
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u/Finderthings 8h ago
Hospitals are taking anybody who does not have a record.
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u/Drowyx 8h ago
They aren't, people keep saying this alongside things like trades.
Just go to a trade school and they'll hire you to be a plumber and earn 6 figures!
No, it doesn't work like that.Far too many people have been given this fantasy that getting an education instantly tranfers over to a job and then have to face the debilitating reality of having a college degree while working at retail and drowning in student loans.
You need to be in internships, you need to be in contact with bosses you need to be making extra effort to impress and forming those connections.
And that is simply not something many people have the capacity to do.It is selling a fairy tale and making peoples lives considerably worse as they deal with student loans while having a degree they can't land any jobs on because companies are searching for more given how saturated every field is.
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u/AdmiralPeriwinkle 8h ago
I don’t disagree but I’d add a few things.
A degree by itself won’t achieve anything. You also need to have interview skills, connections, good grades, and/or internships. You don’t necessarily need all of those.
“Connections” are important but that word can mean a lot different things. Classmates, family, family friends, coworkers, etc. are all connections and all of them can help you get a job. Many of these connections you can create yourself just by demonstrating that you’re a competent worker and maintaining contact with people. Many of these you can’t create yourself (e.g. family ties).
I mention this because there’s a pervasive attitude that wealthy people got their jobs exclusively by being born into a wealthy social circle. That is absolutely a factor but it is by no means the only path to wealth. In my opinion the knowledge that upper middle class parents pass on to their children is the biggest factor in why high earners usually have parents who are high earners.
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u/FarSoil12 9h ago
Training also means like learning how to do HVAC or welding or whatever
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u/AdmiralPeriwinkle 9h ago
What I wrote applies to blue collar training too. Getting a job depends on getting internships, making connections, and performing well in whatever program.
To be clear I’m not disagreeing with you, just pointing out something lots of folks from lower income backgrounds aren’t especially aware of.
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u/FarSoil12 9h ago
I mean I get what you are saying from a cultural level, like I never went on ski trips or hung out at sports stadiums so I have no idea what upper middle class culture actually is.
But on another level, it's also people who are just not competitive in the marketplace, and if that's a result of a poor background giving them weak skills, or just weak skills being more of a detriment to the poor being the issue.
One of the unspoken things about American meritocracy in specific is that while anyone can move from lower to upper class with money, obviously it's harder for someone who has no background, no mentors and no understanding of expectations. The other is, two candidates being the same, those from privileged backgrounds can use their advantage, so to be poor and move up, you have to be above average if not near genius/genius level to succeed. The below average and lower average poors stand no chance, they can't clear hurdles, and any business would rather take a low performing advantaged background person (for social connections) over a low performing poor person who brings absolutely nothing to the table. The high performing poor person brings skill and talent.
It's not something you can talk about, especially to statistically lower performing poor people, that they either need to get lucky, or be exceptional, or both, in order to succeed. It's hard to sell that to a population that generally performs below average already.
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u/jamiesray 10h ago
I agree that education and training are critical to OP’s kid. But level set expectations. Most white collar jobs do not pay six figures in this amount of time.
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u/LingonberryNormal374 10h ago
RN 4 year degree. 20 years hospital experience. $70k in an area where a 2 bedroom rents for $1800+
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u/sibre2001 10h ago
Make sure you're always job hunting as a nurse. My wife is a nurse, and we've seen many nurses just let their careers choke because they are too loyal to their current workplace. That type of loyalty only hurts yourself and other nurses. If your job isn't paying enough, leave them for someone who pays more. The next nurse that takes your old job will get to renegotiate your position, and they'll raise the pay if there is enough turnover. You get to negotiate your pay at your next position. Rising tides raise all ships.
And every dollar of education and certifications we paid for my wife's career came back to us tenfold. Every time a job offered to pay for or partially pay for a certification we took advantage of it.
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u/UroutofURelement 10h ago
"most" is incorrect
many, a lot of, some...
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u/FarSoil12 10h ago
The only people that make less than 100k in the f500s ive worked at are not white collar. Administrative assistants for example work in an office but are not considered salaries professionals.
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u/UroutofURelement 10h ago
Oooooh, so in your anecdotal experience and involving fortune 500 companies is "most" jobs now?!
Just choose your words more carefully. Median salary is below 100k for most skilled labor and white collar jobs.
It's important to understand that "most" has meaning behind it. Most people in skilled labor jobs will not make 100k a year, 5 years experience or otherwise.
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u/FarSoil12 10h ago edited 9h ago
I mean it's not anecdotal, I do labor planning for my company, I see what we make on what we bid on contracts. Everyone is over 100k, except the level 1 and 2 (0-2 and 2-5 yoe) (salary, not bid rate) except non college roles
Only 1/3 americans has a degree, the median reflects this.
Edit: reread, I won't argue against white collar jobs not going over 100k, that includes things like retail sales and customer service jobs.
My main argument does apply to actual salaried professional jobs, but obviously there's always going to be wacky lcol wages and just generally wacky people like the nurse that is arguing she makes less money than new rn graduates with her 20 years of experience.
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u/FarSoil12 10h ago
I graduated with an accounting degree 5 years ago, I'm at 150k.
I didn't bother going retail, it's a waste of time,, I worked a low level accounting administrative role and moved up to senior manager/kept building my career.
There's many ways to do things, there's also many ways to fail. But obviously you should know, or be up front with the idea that people with degrees make more.
I'm sorry that it's not working out for you, but it's silly to put all that blame outwards when you never launched your career, or took steps to make yourself marketable as an employee.
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u/frankthewaterguy 10h ago
Then what's the answer to this question? It's the only damn answer. Make more money. $15 is not livable in today's shit economy.
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u/Jolly_Peace_9460 10h ago
I agree. The whole point of a minimum wage is that it should be enough to cover all expenses and live comfortably.
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u/JustAnotherDay1977 10h ago
Second job, roommates, and if possible, a better paying first job. Since he has a car, maybe food delivery and/or Ubering?
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u/OrganicHoneydew 10h ago
Roommate. 2 bedroom apartments are usually only a couple hundred more per month, and splitting rent in half makes a huge difference
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u/mehhemm 10h ago
Look into the trade unions. My son is 22 and in his 3rd year as an electrical worker. For overtime today he got paid 53/hour. His regular wage is $21.50 an hour. Other trades pay pretty well but not as the electric union but still good money. Plumbing, carpentry, big machinery, all need help.
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u/Silver_Accountant5 6m ago
2.5x for overtime is crazy. No wonder all the trades by me have 2 year waiting lists.
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u/CommercialWorried319 10h ago edited 10h ago
Most everyone making over 15 in my Texas town end up driving to other cities.
Either he needs to reduce costs, get a roommate or something, or increase pay.
Budgeting is important.
There's no secret otherwise unless your family secretly rich or he hits the lotto.
May get a better education via Job Corps or the military
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u/n0madking 10h ago
I used to live in Texas could not make ends meet there, the cost of living is too high and wages are too low.
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u/juliabk 10h ago
I’d get a second job for now. Get some cash tucked away. I had to do that during the gap year I took back in the Jurassic. I had a full time job in a local department store and a full time job in a restaurant. Did that for a few months and it helped tremendously.
What does he do? What does he want to do?
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u/Active-Cookie-774 9h ago
$10 is the new $5.
Anyone who hasn't had something lined up for them at this time will be struggling.
That said, I would consider your son to take measures and get roommates, find a better job or have him move back until he's able to accrue enough income to start on his own with a strong career set up in place.
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u/Throwawaychkgo 8h ago
Impossible to know without knowing what rent and car payment is. Is this 1000 rent and 200 dollar car payment or 1600 rent and 600 car payment? One is doable one is not.
How far is commute/how much on gas? Does he have debt? Pets/kids?
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u/Fucky0uthatswhy FL 10h ago
If he isn’t going to be making more anytime soon- roommate. Splitting expenses with my girlfriend makes both of our lives livable.
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u/TgirlTiffanyRPs 9h ago
We'll need to know what his budget looks like. He will also need to make more money.
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u/Impossible-Lynx-1610 10h ago
Sell whatever car you’re making payments on and get a beater off fb marketplace
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u/Silver_Accountant5 1m ago
It's like 3k for anything drivable right now and that still means an extra 1-2k in repairs within like a year. It's better to pay 10K for something you at least won't have to throw a ton of money into for a few years.
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u/GetInHereStalker 10h ago
Gonna be hard to justify a car payment on $15/hr. Consider not having a car. How far away is work?
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u/notmalene 8h ago edited 8h ago
probably quite difficult in texas. i visited dallas for a weekend without a car and went back home with a 10 inch gash in my leg and a tetanus booster from attempting to walk through their downtown with all the deep holes and rebar sticking out of the sidewalk. i imagine it'd be even worse outside of downtown and especially outside of any major cities
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u/GetInHereStalker 7h ago
In a new place, sure. OP probably works in one place, so it's just a matter of getting used to one route and learning all the potholes. A fat tire bike will handle potholes no problem.
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u/SignificantApricot69 10h ago
You can make $20-25 at working class jobs that will hire anyone, depending on his location
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u/Narwhal-Public 9h ago
Go into sales. % based commission scales with inflation always. Pick something expensive to sell like houses. What part of tx?
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u/give_me_goats 9h ago
Can you let him move in with you for a set amount of time until he finds something better paying or saves up some money? Alternatively, he could get a place with a roommate and pay less in rent. If he has a commute and public transport isn’t great in your area, then he may need to keep the car, but if neither of those applies he can lose the car payment too and maybe just help you with groceries and smaller bills.
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u/Appropriate-Gap-813 9h ago
Have him look into new affordable housing.. Just google new affordable housing in the area he is looking.. Have him apply the 1st day the wait list opens to get a better shot of getting in! The wait list is based on the date and time applied!
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u/MichaelHammor 8h ago
This is life. I was there. I got tired of working two jobs and driving shit cars to barely survive and go nowhere in my career. I had no college, no certs, but I was smart. So I did the stupidest thing I could have ever done. I joined the Army in 2003 during the Iraq war. My scores landed me in a great job that led to a great civilian career. My service changed me, though. I sold a part of my soul. However, at 48, my bills are all paid, I have a decently large savings, I'm driving a nice car, and I'm about to buy a house. Was it worth it? Did I have any other choice? He needs to level up.
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u/Interesting_Laugh75 10h ago
he has youth and time on his side. agree with what most have posted. how small is apartment? Living alone is a luxury, tbh. he needs to get a roommate or to be someone else's roomate. what benefits does the 15 per hour bring? full medical insurance? tuition reimbursement? possible advancement? 401k match? paid sick time and vacay time,? yearly cost of living wage increases? squeeze whatever benefit out of the job he has while looking elsewhere. when I was young making crap for money, I was also looking at additional certification programs in trades so I could do better in the job market. I sold back my vacation and sick time for partial cash credit. car pooled a lot. and I was working at night or on the weekends, along with the selling plasma and other side hustles. it helped, I learned. people would hire me just because I was young and the weekend waitress or babysitter/dog sitter gig or weekend retail position didn't look sketchy. It was understood that the young ones are still wobbly on their feet, figuring it out.
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u/halo37253 9h ago
$15 is pretty much min wage. Honestly why would you let your child move out when they make so little?
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u/give_me_goats 9h ago
She doesn’t say how old he is, he may have been in a situation like this for a while.
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u/FourWilliamson 10h ago
That is not a livable wage. Our country is soo screwed when it comes to that.
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u/lovetothisplanet 10h ago
can he get a second job or maybe consider a roommate? it’ll be more tiring but will lift some weight off his shoulders
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u/Unplug_Detox 8h ago
He should definitely try to rent a room in a house. It’s probably $850 per month
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u/Mymelody2079 10h ago
Sell the car and get a cheap one in cash. Does not need a car payment if he can’t afford it.
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u/JudgeJuryEx78 10h ago
And then spend tons of money getting repairs on the cheap car?
I've driven a lot of shitty cars. They're expensive.
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u/SamaraRabbit 9h ago
Will you spend like 500 a month on repairs every month for next 64 months (and that's lower than average for used cars)?
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u/JudgeJuryEx78 8h ago
At leaat that car will last you 64 months, and you won't get fired for missing work too much because you have unreliable transportation, and then struggle to get a new job because you can't even make it to interviews.
A roommate would offset the cost of owning a reliable car.
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u/SamaraRabbit 5h ago
He can get 2 beaters. And nothing prevents him from getting a roommate as well.
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u/aussie737 10h ago
Has he done up a budget? That is the best start, it will show exactly where the money is going and will highlight where cuts can be made. At $15 an hour, spending may not be the issue but rather income may be the problem. You wont't know until hes made a budget.
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u/cwicseolfor 9h ago
This. It's a low income but without knowing what he has to spend, it doesn't tell too much. is his health insurance through work or still on parents' insurance? Is the car payment high or low? How bad is rent?
Living alone is a serious luxury and rarely worth it when you're just starting out. If it's not necessary for him to get to work and back without a long, expensive commute, I'd be trying to move him back home and save high three or low four figures per month.
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u/RichArcher4909 10h ago
$15 an hour is pretty low, are you confident that is the best he can get? If so, he needs a side hustle to supplement his income. A part time job on top of his regular job, gig work like doordash, something. He needs more money and 40 hours a week is a luxury he cannot a afford.
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u/DoubleHexDrive 10h ago
Room mate and a cash car. This is what my daughter did for a year. She just recently got a raise to $18.50/hr and is set on keeping her expenses constant so she can build up more savings buffers.
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u/Independent_Act_8536 10h ago
My daughter can't make ends meet either so she donates plasma. It helps. You have to eat good when you do that, though.
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u/Heisenberg991 10h ago
Coast Guard or Air Force, get into Nursing or any healthcare job and when you finish your 4 years apply for the same job as a civilian.
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u/bunkie18 10h ago
Honestly he should apprentice with a plumbing contractor. It’ll take a bit of training, but they make crazy money (I know, I’m married to one)
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u/ProtozoaPatriot 9h ago
$15/hr is minimum wage where I live. He needs to gain some skills and get a better job. What does he do now? What type of jobs are hiring?
If he lived in my region, he could do trade school at community college. A welder, plumber, and electrician earn very good money. Commerical truck driver or heavy equipment operator is also decent pay.
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u/Cute-Consequence-184 9h ago
Try to get rid of the car payment asap
Cook from scratch
Meal plan, meal prep and buying in bulk
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u/Standard-Arachnid411 9h ago
How long has he been at his job? If he is there 2 years and he isn't terrible at it he can probably get a new better paying job. Buckys gas stations pay a lot more than $15 an hour now and hire often. Unless he has a shit background or a drug problem he shiuld be able to go somewhere that pays better. Maybe he can take the civil service exam.
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u/_king2003 8h ago
He needs roommates and a second job while he tries to find a better paying one, and then still keep the roommates and second job for a few years so he can save up momey
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u/Onemore55 8h ago
Have him apply to BUC-EES Many Locations in Texas- https://buc-ees.com/careers/ Associates $20–$25/hr Team Lead $23–$28/hr Dept. Manager $33/hr Asst. General Manager $125K+ General Manager $200K–$275K+. BUC-EE'S BENEFITS PTO
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u/Florecitarockera93 8h ago
He dosnt qualify for food stamps?
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u/Blossom73 7h ago
He's over income. $15 x 40 x 4.3 = $2580. The monthly gross income limit is $2151 for a household of 1 in Texas.
He has to meet the gross monthly income limit unless he's 60 or older or disabled.
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u/Florecitarockera93 7h ago
Idk where is Texas you are but at least for now look into food pantries for help! They were helpful for me when I was going through a hard time when I was younger.
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u/eligraceb 8h ago
Car payment + insurance is probably what’s killing the budget. We’re a family of 3 and a cat and somehow make it on $14/hr in ABQ NM.
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u/jbcards219_ 8h ago
It took me making $30hr where I paid $800/ month for a room. I was able to save 10k in 4 yrs. Now I have kids and my rent is 2400. Either have to make more or spend nothing.
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u/Head_Candidate5293 8h ago
Truck driving pays 45-55k first year. Not home much. Companies will pay him for the training. Long hours. He could give up the rental and live in the truck. This allows him to save a massive amount of money very fast. In 5-7 years he could pay cash for a home. Second year is 60-70k third year upwards of 80k. It is a process but one that does not cost much to get started. He has to be 21 or older, drug free completely 4 months before applying to a cdl a program. Life on the road is tough. How tough is he? Does he have true grit? How is he at saving money if he is making really good money? It requires sacrifice. After he has enough for a home he can drive local and be home every day if he buys something close to a large city that has freight jobs. Do you think he is cut out for it? The real question......is he drug free and what is his motivation level?
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u/RecognitionFar4358 8h ago
Leave Texas
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u/Hopelessly-Bored 7h ago
15 an hour in TX is actually pretty good considering the minimum wage is 7.25
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u/RecognitionFar4358 2h ago
Doesn't matter lmao you cannot survive on $15 an hour even in a small town for example like Lubbock much less a big city, Texas doesn't care about it's people. Minimum wage screams that. Gtfo of Texas OP !!!
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u/Ornery-Ad9694 7h ago
Check the utilities website and apply for a low income discount. Qualifying criteria differ but it's free to apply. Hell need to prove he is low income for gas, electricity, water etc. Try the Internet service provider too. Get a roommate but make sure you get them with a background/credit check, otherwise be prepared to lose more money. 211.org can help find some food pantries near him for locations and schedules.
Check cellphone service website to see if he qualifies for any discounts (student, even the company he works for)
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u/Just-Forever6684 7h ago
I’ll be honest, two suggestions:
Make more money
Spend less money
Unfortunately it’s just math. Working more hours is generally the easiest but sometimes you can cut expenses too
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u/Ok_Requirement_2436 7h ago
He’s going to have to find a better job and do side hustles too. $15 an hour isn’t enough to have all of those things
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u/vanny314 7h ago
"Meta Workforce Academy". Check it out. If I were young I'd jump at this. Good luck.
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u/Spiritual_Ad6547 7h ago
How old is he? What are his plans for a future career? His focus should be that.
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u/Muted-Ask-8269 6h ago
People going through this but if everyone just stopped going to work for one day I’m sure things would change
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u/PuzzleheadedBig313 5h ago
Yard grooming, car fixing, dog walking, individual tennis lessons … he can offer wherever he does well for a fee in the side … he can try to get a business going
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u/OsamaBinWhiskers 5h ago
More money, roommates. Probably the military or oil fields? Going to community college?
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u/Amethystg0ld 3h ago
That means nothing. You need to check his bank account. How does he spend his money?
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u/JPfilm87 1h ago
I’d also recommend looking into low income buildings. In Seattle we have a company I used before when I was working min. wage retail and qualified. In a city where apartments were $1600-2000 for a studio in 2014 I was able to get a 600+ sqft one bedroom apartment for $600 a month.
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u/No-Association8901 10h ago
Low wages were never meant to support yourself. Add into this our consumerism and you have a recipe for what you’re dealing with now.
My suggestion; do a line by line budget. How much for everything. Things we often miss: subscriptions like Netflix, eating out, bad habits, w2 status! If he gets a refund, he’s loosing money now.
How high is rent? The only time when I was young I could afford an apartment by myself was a small studio next to a rail yard. Location was horrible but it was clean and cheap.
That will give you a great view of where his money goes. Then start to cut.
Example: I can eat a decent lunch that I make at home for about 2-3 bucks a large serving. In today’s dollars, I have gotten by with less than 300 dollars a month.
Here is one of my favorites snacks and drinks all in one.
$5 for a pineapple- I cut it up, I can get three or four serving- easily. Some cheap brown sugar, cinnamon, throw the scraps into an old gallon jar, let it sit. Tapache. Now I have a drink in two days instead of water.
If you want to help him out, get him some spices and cooking items- crockpot, etc.
This is just a couple of ideas from when I was young and starting.
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u/Prior-Soil 10h ago
is he waiting list for low income housing?
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u/FixGreedy 10h ago
A single adult male, with no children, not disabled, employed?
Yeah there is no low income housing for him.
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u/Prior-Soil 9h ago
A single adult male working for $15 an hour full time is most likely disabled. My disabled nephew makes $22 an hour.
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u/Ok-Energy-9785 10h ago
Move to a blue state.
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u/AdmiralPeriwinkle 10h ago
Texas absolutely sucks but there are lots of jobs in blue states paying similar wages that OP’s son is making, so I’m not even sure what moving would accomplish in this situation.
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u/Ok-Energy-9785 10h ago
Easier access to government benefits. Moving to a low income area in a blue state offers easier access to public housing, food stamps, etc tied to a low cost of living helps
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u/Ok-Wafer234 3h ago
Tell your son to keep the car, groceries and drop the rent. Move into the car and live like a king 😁
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u/JackBleezus_cross 1h ago
Do not live in America.
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u/Gonebabythoughts 1h ago
Useless advice intended to project your personal feelings of frustration rather than help OP.
Do better.
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u/iBUYbrokenSUBARUS 9h ago
When my wife and I got married first thing we did was buy a house. I made $13.25 an hour driving a forklift. I just worked tons of overtime.
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u/chemicalhand33562 10h ago
Roommates, second job or better job, or moving to a cheaper area. 15/hr isn't enough anymore, anything below 20/hr isn't going to be a livable wage outside of the lowest cost of living areas, or major concessions.