by Laurie Childree

Created on: May 01, 2009   Last Updated: June 08, 2009

The federal minimum wage in the United States is at $6.55 per hour and set to go up to $7.25 on July 24, 2009 according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There are some states with no minimum wage law, some that have higher minimum wages and some that have lower minimum wages so how do you survive on minimum wage? While it may be difficult it is not impossible.

To survive on minimum wage you have to be careful about your budgeting and expenses. You must also be able to save money for emergencies and other things that come up from time to time if you are going to survive. There isn't an easy way to survive on minimum wage if you want to have a luxurious lifestyle but you can survive if you are willing to live within your means.

When you have a limited income you have to be sure that you are being sensible about what you're doing with your money. There aren't any short cuts in life and finances are no exception. If you are determined to live comfortably and have a nice amount of savings built up when living on the minimum wage you are going to have to have a plan for extra income and be sure to cut expenses anyway that you can.

Cable is not a requirement to live so you can do without it and use the local library as a source for free movies to have a family night. You must also examine all the monthly expenses that you have in order to assure that you can meet your monthly responsiblities so that those annoying calls threatening to garnish your slim wages don't start coming in daily. When you ask yourself if you can live without one thing or the other chances are that you'll be able to do without a lot more than you think when it comes down to the choice of surviving or starving on minimum wage.

Clothing and food are things that you have to provide for your family. You can shop clearance racks and used clothing stores for a nice reduction in the prices and still find new or virtually new clothing to suit your needs. Your children don't need designer clothes but they do need food and if you spend too much on their clothes you will find that you're going to have trouble keeping food on the table.

The weekly trips to the grocery store should be planned out to ensure that you're not over spending. When you take the time to plan out the family meals in advance and find out what you need and what you can substitute for the more expensive items on your list so that you can be sure to have meals all week long.

Researching the resources that are available to you in your area such as discount clothing and grocery stores can cause your budget to stretch further than it would otherwise. You want to take your family on outings but you don't want to spend too much. Fact is it doesn't fit into your budget. Do some checking to find free activites for your family to enjoy so they can fit into the budget. It's possible to survive on minimum wage but you must prioritize.

Remembering to check for facilities that aid low income families in your area is one of the best ways to ensure that you survive on minimum wage. Also getting into trading for what you need can help to ensure that you do not do without the basic needs for survival.

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