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How to live on $432 a month in America

(shagbark.substack.com)
526 points cactusplant7374 | 3 comments | 23 May 25 16:40 UTC | HN request time: 0.418s | source
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TrackerFF ◴[23 May 25 21:22 UTC] No.44076735[source]▶
I looked through those numbers, and immediately thought to myself - hope you don't need to see a doctor for anything serious, or go to a dentist for that mater.

FWIW, I grew up in rural nowhere (population 150, nearest town 45 miles away) - and I honestly don't know how anyone can live out in the boonies without a car. Taking the bus that goes 3 times a day is one thing, needing to move stuff is another thing. I mean, obviously there are plenty of people that do manage - but sooner or later you'll become completely dependent on others for certain types of transportation.

Also, there's clothes, house maintenance, and lots of other things.

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fullStackOasis ◴[23 May 25 22:20 UTC] No.44077130[source]▶
> hope you don't need to see a doctor for anything serious, or go to a dentist for that mater.

That's the first thing I thought about.

His budget of $432/mo doesn't include health insurance. But $5K/y probably gets him Medicaid eligibility. Let's assume he's on Medicaid, then. In NY state, that covers quite a lot of dental care, if you believe this: https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/program/denta... Not saying it's a good option, but it's there.

> Taking the bus that goes 3 times a day is one thing, needing to move stuff is another thing.

What kind of things do you think he might be moving? He probably has just about no possessions with that budget (and a 600 sq ft house). In a pinch, perhaps he can rent a truck from Home Depot. Apparently, there is a Home Depot in Massena, NY, so maybe it's not quite so far out in the boonies as it seems.

Personally, I wouldn't do it - the lack of choice would get very unpleasant very fast. But it could work for some.

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1. sandworm101 ◴[24 May 25 00:35 UTC] No.44077887[source]▶
>> But $5K/y probably gets him Medicaid eligibility. Let's assume he's on Medicaid, then.

If he is on medicaid then he isn't "living" on 432/month. That would be living on 432/month PLUS whatever medicaid is worth, likely well north of another 500/month.

Then the kids need schooling, either in-person or remote. that is another 10k/year/kid. And you need some sort of local police/justice system to ensure nobody boots you off your homestead. But even once you account for all those local costs, there are things like national security. Living a peaceful life on a remote farm is only possible because the country is ringed by police and armed forces. Those things may be a thousand miles away, but someone still has to pay for them.

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2. RajT88 ◴[24 May 25 00:41 UTC] No.44077921[source]▶
> That would be living on 432/month PLUS whatever medicaid is worth, likely well north of another 500/month.

Well, not for long at this rate.

3. Diesel555 ◴[24 May 25 15:36 UTC] No.44081781[source]▶
That’s a fun topic. The US government pays just over 19k per person. This means you need to make 100-150k (I came up with 126 with a standard deduction and normal credits) to “break even.”