What's the bare minimum

[Stormieweather]

Well, I think the minimum people should have to get by is:

a) housing, incl electricity & water
b) transportation
c) some food
d) affordable insurance
e) a little extra for clothing, etc.

I don't think people necessarily need a phone, or cable, or tv, or internet. To me, those are luxuries and ones I did without for many years. But I would consider electricity and running water to be minimums due to sanitation/health/safety reasons.

Transportation can be anything from a bike to the bus to the train to a car. As long as you have the ability to get from point a to point b, you're ok. I've only owned one brand new car in my life. Most of them were beaters that were pretty darn embarrassing (and unreliable).

I say "some food" because there are always options to supplement one's food supply. Co-ops, food ministries, bulk buying, dents stores, grow it yourself, etc. Some things will cost money regardless, as a city person, I do not have the option of having chickens or cattle. But I've made due on what seems an insanely small amount of money...and fed my child as well.

Affordable insurance, because health issues are the one thing that can demolish a family's fragile finances. If we are to be required to purchase it, it damn well better be something affordable (and useful).

And since we aren't allowed to run around naked, we need to be able to afford clothing and other minimal necessities (ie: soap, tampax). I've bought clothing at Goodwill, Salvation Army, Platos and Walmart for many years. There is nothing wrong with that if that's all you can afford, but you need to, at a bare minimum, have enough to buy necessities from inexpensive stores. Also flea markets and Ebay are good deals!

The dollar amount that these will cost depends upon the number of people in the family, the laws in their region, and the region itself. Urban, rural, high cost of living, insurance laws, minimum wage laws, etc. will all impact how much this minimum would cost.



ETA: I have worked 2 jobs for the last 12 years to jack myself out of this sort of minimal existence. I don't have patience for people who could, but don't, work their asses off to make ends meet. But I also sympathize 100% with those who are stuck and cannot find a way out of the sucking muck of poverty. It's such a terrible, vicious cycle.

I forgot education!! Primary school education should be provided with taxes. That would be through high school, as that is the minimum required for almost all jobs. I would say that college should be affordable, but not free. Maybe the cost would best be calculated on a sliding scale (determined by the family income).

My personal opinion, of course, and not based on any facts, other than my own history.