Comments on: A “Decent” Lifestyle

By: Everyman’s Guide to Decreasing Expenses

Everyman’s Guide to Decreasing Expenses — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:18:43 +0000

[...] rent a room in someone else’s house or a rooming house. At the ultra, ultra extreme consider living in a vehicle (maybe talk to family / friends before you get this desperate [...]

By: Robin

Robin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:42:42 +0000

My husband and I are college students, and we live on about $1800 a month. We could probably cut it down to $1400 if absolutely necessary, and still live “decently.” We have several thousand dollars in savings and have started Roth IRA’s, and the security of that money makes me not mind living on less for now.

By: The American Dream and Young Millionaires @ The Carnivals

The American Dream and Young Millionaires @ The Carnivals — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:29:04 +0000

[...] A �Decent� Lifestyle @ Quest For Four Pillars [...]

By: The American Dream and Young Millionaires @ The Carnivals

The American Dream and Young Millionaires @ The Carnivals — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:29:04 +0000

[...] A �Decent� Lifestyle @ Quest For Four Pillars [...]

By: Mrs. Accountability

Mrs. Accountability — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:01:03 +0000

Ironically, a coworker of mine who is deeply in debt told me that earlier today – that there is no way to keep from going into debt if you want to live “decently”. Weird. Two years ago her salary was doubled and she is still struggling to get by with hefty debt, and no retirement. She’s 65 and retiring within the year. She’s scrambling to find options for bringing in money without having to work 9-5. Sad.

By: Monroe on a Budget » Festival of Frugality 4/22

Monroe on a Budget » Festival of Frugality 4/22 — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:51:36 +0000

[...] for Four Pillars presents A “Decent” Lifestyle: “To me living beyond your means is a party that is inevitably going to end badly. Eventually [...]

By: The Paragraph Edition | Festival of Frugality 122 | On Financial Success

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:40:21 +0000

[...] wisdom abounds with an energizing post on �decent� Lifestyles. Living a frugal life doesn’t mean we have to give up our dreams, instead, it can be a way to [...]

By: Gates VP

Gates VP — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:14:44 +0000

In a western urban setting, what�s the minimum amount of money or amenities that you�d consider a decent lifestyle?

I’m going to go right out there:
Right now in Canada, everyone meets the minimums for a “decent” lifestyle unless they have chosen otherwise or are children living under an abusive roof.

The social safety net in Canada is very, very wide. Minimum wage does not generate a healthy long-term lifestyle, but minimum is also not a long-term wage.

To grab some numbers, in Winnipeg, long-term “living wage” is somewhere between $12-15/hour to maintain a lifestyle that provides healthy choices and some long-term stability. (for single people)

Those numbers are regularly achieved via call center workers, assistant “McManagers” (i.e. retail management), administrative assistants, hair dressers, servers, food prep professionals, etc. Admittedly, it may take a few years to get there, but nobody needs to be “stuck” at minimum wage forever and nobody needs to live unhealthy lifestyles if they can perform long-term in one of these positions (24k to 30k annually).

In Canada, the ability to work productively for 35-40 hours should provide you with enough income for a healthy lifestyle and the ability to raise children. If you are unable to work full-time, government funding provides an adequate buffer in basically every major Canadian city. Living in rural areas and / or reserves may cause current funding levels to results in a “sub-standard” (read unhealthy) lifestyle, but that’s really a separate issue unto itself.

By: The Star, Twitter and More Reading | Million Dollar Journey

The Star, Twitter and More Reading | Million Dollar Journey — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:33:12 +0000

[...] Quest for Four Pillars writes about people living above their means in the article "A Decent Lifestyle". [...]

By: Four Pillars

Four Pillars — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:17:40 +0000

Living on a boat for 6 months

I hope it wasn’t leaky…