#LivingOff$18to$20/hour
As a senior in high school, it’s great that you’re already thinking about your future and making plans for your post-graduation life. The question of whether you could live off of $18 to $20 per hour is a valid concern, especially if you’re considering a career as a customer service representative. Let’s break it down and see if this income is enough for you to live comfortably.
##Cost of Living Considerations
Living off of $18 to $20 per hour will largely depend on the cost of living in your area, as well as your lifestyle choices. To help you make an informed decision, let’s consider the following factors:
###Housing Expenses
– Rent for a cheap apartment
– Utilities such as water, electricity, and internet
– Maintenance and repair costs
###Transportation Costs
– Car expenses or public transportation costs
– Gas, insurance, and maintenance
###Food and Groceries
– Monthly grocery expenses
– Eating out and entertainment
###Healthcare and Insurance
– Health insurance premiums
– Co-pays and deductibles
###Other Expenses
– Clothing and personal care
– Entertainment and leisure activities
– Savings and emergency fund
##How to Make it Work
Living off of $18 to $20 per hour may require some adjustments and sacrifices, but it can be done with careful budgeting and smart financial choices. Here are some tips to help you stretch your income:
1. Create a Budget
– Track your income and expenses
– Set limits on discretionary spending
– Prioritize necessities over luxuries
2. Minimize Housing Costs
– Consider a roommate to split expenses
– Look for affordable housing options
– Negotiate rent or seek subsidies if available
3. Cut Transportation Expenses
– Use public transportation or carpool
– Opt for a fuel-efficient vehicle
– Bike or walk for short commutes
4. Be Mindful of Food Spending
– Meal plan and cook at home
– Limit dining out and take-out orders
– Utilize coupons and sales for groceries
5. Seek Financial Assistance
– Apply for government assistance programs
– Research scholarships or grants for higher education
– Explore community resources for support
##Living Within Your Means
Living on a modest income doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your quality of life. It’s about being resourceful and prioritizing your needs over wants. Here are some lifestyle adjustments you can make to live comfortably on $18 to $20 per hour:
– Embrace a minimalist lifestyle
– Prioritize experiences over material possessions
– Seek out free or low-cost entertainment options
– Focus on personal growth and self-improvement
– Cultivate a supportive network of friends and family
##Final Thoughts
In conclusion, whether or not you can live off of $18 to $20 per hour as a customer service representative will depend on your specific circumstances and the cost of living in your area. While it may require some sacrifices and careful budgeting, it is possible to live comfortably within this income range.
It’s important to make informed financial decisions, prioritize your needs, and seek out resources and support that can help you thrive on a modest income. With the right mindset and a proactive approach to managing your finances, you can build a stable and fulfilling life for yourself, even on $18 to $20 per hour.
Remember to stay positive, stay motivated, and continue to strive for your goals. With determination and resourcefulness, you can make ends meet and create a bright future for yourself, even with a modest income. Good luck on your journey!
For more tips on budgeting, financial planning, and living frugally, visit our website for valuable resources and insights into managing your money effectively. You’ve got this! 🌟💸 #FinancialPlanning #LivingOnAModestIncome #Budgeting101
What’s the average price for apartments in your area
In most areas of the US, no, you will not be able to afford to rent place on your own on $18-20/hour. You would need a roommate, potentially multiple, depending on the cost in your area.
Depends on where you live, but generally, no. If you live in any kind of city, then definitely no.
I live in a place that’s a bit more expensive than average, and I calculated that I would need to be making at least 80k a year (40 an hour) to live with any kind of semblance of comfort or financial security. That’s assuming that I actually live alone, in the true sense, and not with a dozen room mates or something.
Anything is possible if you’re willing to sacrifice, but man if you’re in highschool just live at home, why set yourself up for poverty from day 1. There’s nothing wrong with living at home until you’re done with college and/or got a proper job.
At 30-40k a year you’re looking at living paycheck to paycheck in a shoebox, never having any money.
Millions of people are doing it on less. Much easier if you have a roommate or two, but easily possible.
Depends on where you are, i made it on about that much in California on my own for a while but its rough. VERY rough, you will be living paycheck to paycheck and you’ll need to find a REALLY cheap place to live and get used to eating the cheapest food you can get your hands on (lost of rice, ramen etc). It can be done, but you won’t want to live that way for very long.
yeah, if you have enough roommates. it won’t be fun though and you should have a plan for how you’ll increase your earning potential
I think you should seriously consider doing something after high school to further your earning potential. Some examples include a license to sell insurance or realtors license or an EMT cert. Lots of ways you could increase your earning potential with a few months of education and passing some tests.
I did it. I was basically paycheck to paycheck, didn’t go out much, never travelled, and wasn’t able to save. But it’s doable if you eat cheap and live simply. Eventually I got a job where pay was same but I was able to work overtime and that definitely helped. If you want to be more comfortable financially then get a roommate, but I had had my fill of roommates and was glad to be on my own at the time
No it is probably not. Coming from a 19 year old (graduated high school in May 2023) who makes $16/hour in retail)
1- most places won’t pay $18-$20 per hour unless you go into retail, banking (teller) or get lucky with as an insurance or real estate agent assistant. Most jobs in my area pay $10-$12 per hour. A 19 year old kid making $16+ in my town is pretty rare.
2- You probably won’t be able to get “a really cheap apartment” unless you have really good credit score or your parents are co-signing. Even if you did, you would have to find an apartment for like $650/month to be able to afford all of your bills and be able to save.
3- unless you are really really frugal and able to price shop on literally everything, you won’t be able to save. Or if you are, it will be hard for that savings to amount because you won’t be saving much.
4- Even though I think it’s super important for kids our age to be frugal and prioritize the future by saving and investing, it is also important to have some sort of social life (especially for your mental health). That is one thing I regret since graduating High school is not hanging out with friends in the name of working more or studying for college. I don’t feel like I have a lot of friends anymore and end up kind of being a lazy couch bum lol.
5- I’m not trying to discourage you, I just don’t think it’s realistic. And the reality is that even if it does “work” it will be super tough and finances will be super tight for awhile. If it is an option, I would stay at home with your parents for a year and save 75%-80% of your income to be able to move out in the future.
Good luck!
It’s all about the math, brother.
After taxes you would be making 2,300 a month. Rule of thumb is housing shouldn’t be more than 30% of your income. That leaves you with just a little over 750 a month for rent. You may be able to stretch it to 40% or 900. But you’ll be living paycheck to paycheck and you have no room for any wants only needs.
You also need to save 10k for emergency funds before you can think about living on your own or any unexpected incident could devastate you.
So you got somewhere between 750-900 to play around with, go online and see if you can find a place with that budget in your area. Most likely not but if you don’t mind living with others you can probably find a room for rent in that range.
I supported a family of 3 in 2020-2021 with $30/hr but was a LOT easier at $40/hr post covid.
Rent $925, 2 cars, ($2500 combined, no loan), $150/mo electric, $200/mo insurance, $300/mo phones, $50/mo internet. Then food and misc)
We Don’t drink alcohol (waste of money) and limited eating out. Didn’t take vacations unless we could do so cheap (under $400 beside food)
If you’re single and willing to have a roommate it’s possible. But $25-30 will make life MUCH easier.
Rent and car payments make all the difference.
I’m in upstate SC. When I was in central mass my wife did work and we made about $35/hr combined. But had two car payments which sucked up the difference.
I was making $20/hr living on my own in a major city. It’s possible.
I work part time 15.10 an hour and am gonna hit $17k for this year. I don’t pay rent but I’m sure if I was working 40 hrs a week instead of twenty, I’ll be okay. It really depends on expenses. Some people get a $260 car payment, others pay their car outright.
Food expenses is a big one too, gotta learn to cook instead of eating out constantly. Reduce subscriptions to only stuff you find valuable, if you’re working a lot you probably don’t need 3+ streaming services. But also save some money for yourself so you can get the things you want.
Likely no. Maybe in some less expensive areas with roommates.
Do you know anyone from your high school you could share an apartment with? Otherwise, you might respond to rooms for rent ads in Craigslist or roommate ads.
Depends on location. I’m from rural midwest in a small town of 3k people. My rent is $650/mo for single bedroom apt with electric bill being $70max but it usually $40. Gas is usually $30-40/mo, groceries $200/mo, phone $100/mo, wifi $100/mo etc and I make $17/hr at a factory job and I managed to save $20k just being mindful on what im spending my money on. Yes it is a livable wage depending on where you are.
Now if you live in California or Colorado or somewhere were rent is like $1-2k mo then no.
Think bigger. There’s no reason you can’t make triple that in a job that’s less maddening.
Survive? Yes. Live? No.
bro unless its a extreme situation where u cant live where u at right now. plz stay at home and stack up ur income/ savings and then build ur resume for a clear career path or go to school ? if u really want to move out. best time is around 25 year mark
Yes, but with a very strict budget (YouTube can be a good resource for this). If possible get rid of all your debts first and save up a few thousand for an emergency fund (if you spend it, alter your budget until it’s replenished). Ideally it should be 3-6 months worth of expenses, but not everyone’s situation can allow for that.
Learn how to cook the basics. Chicken breast, produce, rice and beans go a LONG way. And with the right seasonings you’d be surprised how delicious you can make the basics taste. Literally penny pinch at the grocery store and don’t plan on getting takeout food.
Budget something “fun” once a month. Whether it’s takeout, a movie, a video game, a local sports league, etc. But only do this if you’re current with all your bills and expenses. Otherwise you gotta make your own fun this month.
Most importantly, have a financial goal. You shouldn’t resign yourself to this lifestyle forever. Your work experience and ability to manage your life effectively off a meager wage will be an extremely valuable skill that should help you get promoted, or more likely, find another company to work for.
It’s easier said than done, but can it be done. You’re young, so remember there’s still plenty of time to learn, but now is the best time to start learning. Good luck!
How is the turnover where you’re looking to work? 10-15 hrs of overtime each week covering vacancies would increase your paycheck by about 50%, that’s how I was able to buy a house on $18/hr, that and have no debt, eat cheap, spend everything else wisely. For reference my mortgage matches your rent value, idk what your insurance/utility/food/gas costs would look like though.
Also don’t fall for the “you have to spend money on yourself or you’ll go crazy”, I know plenty of people who are way more liberal with their spending and do many enjoyable, fulfilling things, but they also live paycheck to paycheck and are constantly buried in financial anxiety, so choose your own poison I guess.
When I was in college I made $20 an hour and had plenty of coworkers who were living on their own and supporting themselves. The vast majority of them did so by commuting 3-4 hours round trip from LCOL areas, so if you don’t mind driving I would recommend looking into that. A 1br apartment in the area I worked (DC metro area) would be around $2k a month, but drive west out to PA or WV and you can find something way cheaper (one of my coworkers was paying $600/month for a 2br in a fourplex owned by a small landlord in Martinsburg, WV)
Overtime was another thing they (as well as me) relied on heavily. $20/hr for 40 hours per week is only around $40k/year, which is borderline poverty wages in most cities. But if you can reliably work 60 hours per week, that $40k/year becomes $70k/year which allows way more wiggle room in your budget.
Yeah, several people actually survive on less. I make 21.50/hr in the Midwest and I live quite well.
Living on $18.20/hour is doable with budgeting. Consider essentials, cut non-essentials, and save wisely.
Go to college or a trade school for a career and develop your skills. Apartments are cool at first until the landlord starts increasing your rent each year and not only that, you’ll realize you’re giving away all this money and you’re getting nothing in return. So the ulitmate goal is to have a good paying career and to own your home. Good luck, OP. You’re young, so sky’s the limit for you.
Despite the top comment. Yes, you could. Probably not in a major city. But where I am in the Midwest. I am in a city of about 150K you can still rent a two bedroom apartment for about $600 a month. And that’s in the decent side of town. A house between $900-$1100. I know because I have done it.
Please look into your local trade unions. Plumbing, Electrical, Iron Workers all train for the job, are in desperate need of workers and pay very well once you are established. Stay home for a year or two while you apprentice, saving up as you do, and in a few years you could be moving out into a condo or small home with union wages. You are young, doing this now could pay off very nicely for you down the road.
What’s csr job is gonna pay you 18-20$?
There are people that make it with less. That doesn’t mean you should be striving for that. The service industry is the first to get cut, and cut deep, when the economy goes down. If you are able, learn a skill that you enjoy and is in demand.
If money or grades is an issue, community college is a good option or a trades school if you don’t like working inn nan office. A friend of mine became a carpenter makes furniture that is like art work. 0 debt and makes 100K+. Brother who is a mechanic, no school debt and the government paid for all his tools when he came out of school.
learn a trade. plumbing or anything like that it pays money.
Are you sure you want to be a customer service representative? Dealing with the public day after day?
Go learn a trade. Paid apprenticeship starts at about $20 to $25/hr. After 2 years, you’ll likely be on your own naming your own prices. Upwards of $50 or more depending on trade.
Flooring installers, carpenters, HVAC techs, plumbers, electrician, concrete workers, pavers, landscapers, drywallers, painters…
Most, if not all trades are in need of young help to learn and continue the trades. All my subcontractors are older than me and say how they can’t find help. Plenty of work out there in the trades.
No, I make a little more than that and I am drowning. Obviously it matters the rent situation in your city but I’m in the Midwest and thats enough to barely get by.
Go to trade school. I promise you won’t regret it
Do you need a car? If so, it’ll be *really* hard. If you can take public transport, that makes things easier. It’s really going to depend on your area, but my advice from living in a generally HCOL area:
1. Find roommates on facebook, you’ll need them. See if you can manage 800/month in rent or less. Avoid living in a place that’s obviously gross just because you feel like you need to, it goes a long way to have a place you don’t hate going home to even if that means living with others.
2. Find a part-time job with higher pay if you can. For me this was catering, where I could do an event or two a week and make 30-35 an hour (or a lot more on holidays). Particularly if your main job is shift work, you can find a way to make both schedules work for you so that you’re not overdoing things. It could be as little as 32 hours a week in your main job and 8 hours a week in your second job, or 40 hours a week in your main job and 20 hours a week in your second job if you just want to put your head down and get some financial breathing room. I don’t recommend 60 hours a week for long, though, your mental and physical health is worth investing in.
3. Learn to cook and how to shop for groceries effectively. You can really keep grocery costs down while maintaining a good, tasty diet. My recommendations would be far too off-topic to list in full, but just learning where things are cheapest goes a long way. I have three grocery stores in my area, and between the three of them, any given product can vary 2-3x in price. Rice, dried beans, and chicken leg quarters are your friend.
Good luck! It’s certainly possible to make it work, and many Americans have to.
Everyone is saying get a roommate, but it might be easier to search for a room to rent than finding another person to hunt for an apartment with. Check on NextDoor or Craigslist or whatever. Sometimes the room is furnished, so fewer move-in expenses. If the homeowner is willing, you could even help with household chores, yard work, dog walking, etc for reduced rent.
Depends on the CoL. I earned that much in grad school and also managed to save $1000/month.
I picked the cheapest apartment in walking distance to work and skipped the car (saves a lot of money without maintenance, gas, and insurance). Cooked almost all my meals in bulk, got cheaper ingredients and saves time. Every now and then I’d bum a ride to Costco from a friend in exchange for making them dinner.
My monthly expenses were about $850 rent (shared house with many others) and $300 for groceries.
It really depends, but the amount of people who are saying definitely not is crazy to me. It was not sustainable long term, but about a year or 2 ago I lucked out on a cheap 1 bedroom living on $15 an hour, 30 hours a week. It was not glamorous and it meant I couldn’t really save (you don’t want to be in this situation if you can avoid it, but many people don’t have that choice), but I was getting by. Now I make $19 an hour and I live at home but mostly so I can afford school and to save my money, plus in my specific situation I’d rather live with my family than try to find strangers to room with. I could probably find a place of my own to rent if I was willing to sacrifice the disposable income and extra money going towards savings + tuition that I currently have. As an 18-19 year old it is smart to live at home or with roommates to save as much as you can, but if you know how to budget your money and prioritize it’s by no means impossible to have your own place
My advice, dream high. Get the education you need for a job that pays higher. It can be college or vocational.
If you’re in a low – below average COL area, yes. It’s not optimal and you won’t find anyone on this sub suggesting you put over half of your net income towards rent and utilities. But it’s doable. A lot of people do it when they’re out of HS/college. I did it at $12/hr with a bachelors, not all that long ago.
1. Budget
2. Find a low cost means of transportation
3. Do not settle
Your situation would be a lot easier if you had roommates. I’ll say that for sure.
The strictly black and white personal finance advice is to find a place to rent that’s closer to 1/3 your monthly income. That would allow you to contribute a smidge to an IRA or retirement fund. Doing that at 18, even with a small amount, will set you up nicely later down the road and allow you to avoid paying “catch up” at 30. Do that, avoid building up high interest debt, and $20/hr is perfectly fine to start out at.
The friendly advice is to consider what you’re good at and what you enjoy, then pursue a career in that field. Maybe it’s customer service! Or maybe it’s a trade. Think about what you want to get out of life and try to set goals. At 20 you want X-certificate, at 25 you want to make $X/ye, etc. If you have to live off ramen and put more towards rent than you’d like, don’t let that slow you down.
I lived on my own making $18/hr but that was 8 years ago. My mortgage was $750/month with taxes and insurance. I had no auto loan. All my spending money came from doing side jobs after work or on weekends. I also fixed everything around the house myself because I couldn’t afford to hire someone to do the work. I didn’t feel like I was struggling but I was also making about an extra $1,000/month doing side jobs and COL was a good bit lower 8 years ago.
Short answer, maybe. Long answer, probably not. The fact that you’re looking at a job paying $18-$20 per hour with a high school diploma suggests you live in an area with a high cost of living (versus $8-$12 per hour in an inexpensive area). At the high end of that range, you’ll make $1600 biweekly before taxes and benefits. What is a “cheap” apartment in your area? You’d be lucky to find a studio apartment for less than $2000 per month in my area, and that tends to be the direction much of the US is heading. Then there’s utilities for the apartment (if you’re lucky, you might find an apartment that includes water, internet, and heating), renters insurance, transportation costs, groceries, and sundries. You need a ball park of all that before taking any steps.
I mean, yes. People do. But… Why is this your goal?