I make $6.24/hour. No, folks, you read that decimal point correctly–six dollars and twenty-four cents an hour. That is slightly more than minimum wage and nowhere near a livable wage. Let’s see, what would one hour of my hard work earn me? A McDonald’s Happy Meal. A pair of socks. A ticket to a matinee movie. I shouldn’t complain, though. I mean, there are plenty of people out there that work harder than me and earn the same (or less). I’m just saying…can somebody throw me a bone? Let’s look at what an hour of work won’t buy me. Allergy medication. More than a gallon of gas. A movie ticket after 5 p.m. Let me clarify–this is the first salary position that I’ve ever held. I had never bothered to do the per-hour breakdown because, frankly, it was more than I had been making previously and it was a full-time gig. Then I factored in taxes and health insurance and realized that my first retail job when I was sixteen paid MORE than I am making at this very moment. Now I will concede that my position shilling high-end blouses at the mall was only a part-time gig and I did not have any benefits, but seriously, it’s been TEN YEARS! Ten years and $150,000 in college/grad school debt later…here I am, scouring want ads for a SECOND job and considering selling my ovum so I can possibly fill my car with gas.
So, there you have…the sad truth that is my life.
