you are out to lunch. please tell us how a person can survive off that in Vancouver or Toronto? good luck. let me guess, you're answer is move to buttfuckville, ride a bike, eat toast all day, dont buy a coffee, actually dont buy a thing because no matter what it is people like you call it a luxury. Dont have kids. you're basically saying dont have a decent life till you're almost dead.
I can count on one hand 15 dollar an hour jobs that pay ANY benefits that are worth fuck all, nevermind the rest which are zero. Go fix a tooth with no benefits. There goes half a weeks pay. need braces, 10 grand right there.
save for retirement? lol how many years do you have to work to save for a decent retirement with a 15 dollar an hour wage? and what kind of retirement will that be.
what I was saying two ppl who make $15 an hour could live an OK "American life" in middle america - San Antonio Texas, St Louis, Tuscon, Decatur Ga - of course they cannot live in on an expensive city on the coast.
$150k $200k a year is middle class income in NYC or SF!!!
a couple making $60k a year is middle class income in a Springfield, IL and someone can survive on that just fine.
the main point of my rant is this... those who make min wage generally are stuck in the minimum wage mindset, make poor financial decisions all around and increasing min wage is not going to do much to improve these ppl's lives since they will continue to make poor financial decisions if they make $12 an hour, $15 an hour, or $18 an hour..
being good with money is all will power and making good decisions. (both saving money and making more money)