Published: 2026-02-25
Last Updated: 2026-02-25
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| Item | Amount |
| Wages, Income, Personal Revenue | |
| Paycheck | 3466 |
| Taxes | 762 |
| Pay | 2703 |
| Basic Essentials | |
| Rent | 700 |
| Food | 275 |
| Utilities | 150 |
| Car Payment | 235 |
| Car Insurance | 185 |
| Clothes | 175 |
| Going Out | 500 |
| 2220 | |
| Financial Stability | |
| Student Loan | 135.15 |
| Savings | 347.85 |
| 485 | |
These are full time wages that allow a worker to have their own place and a vehicle. It is considered humane and fairly basic. Some parameters can be slightly changed to yield different results. For example, rent can fluctuate or they might decide to stay home for the weekend for a month or two.
Savings will yield $62k over 15 years and they will need housing assitance after retirement. There is no money for mortgage savings or health insurance. Hobbies are limited to things year home and they need to be flexible with their "going out" money to do things like buying gifts or saving to pay for 1 college course.
These were the standard wages in the USA for 19 to 32 years olds for the past 35 years. There is an indicator that inflation should slow down or stop and that the US economy should be fixed at $20 or $40 per hour for hourly earners living on their own. Additional adjustments would need to be made for families and for those going to college but not yet attended.