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Kudos to LA Indymedia for pointing out this amazing fantasy that the LA County AFL-CIO is living in. According to the LA Union website (who are trying to fight for higher wages in LA), they believe that a single adult needs to only make $13.52 an hour ($28k a year) to "support a modest standard of living in LA".
The AFL-CIO has broken it down to explain to live modestly, one would be able pay $843 for an apartment, $400 a month on transportation, and $211 a month on food.
First of all, who do you know that has found an apartment - or even a studio in LA - for $843? Further the AFL-CIO's example for what it takes to be a single parent includes having a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment for $1,269. Another dream that LA Indymedia scoffs at:
According to Craigslist, however, the $843 rent and utilities for a small apartment underestimates the rent by around $100, unless you're looking for a very small studio with free electricity.Perhaps we at LAist and they at LA Indymedia are not on the same page as the AFL-CIO on the definition of "modestly". Clearly they mean a modest step above living in a box on skid row.And $1,200 for a 1 or 2 bedroom? Good luck. Maybe in extremely modest parts of South Central LA.
photo by manmadepants via LAist Feature Photos
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great post tony! so according to the AFL-CIO rent, barely eating, and transportation are all any grown person spends money on? that's reasonable. i guess that kind of living also means you never leave your "modest" apartment, never eat out, and never make a purchase. sounds like fun!!
While I essentially agree with what you're saying, I live in a perfectly good apartment in a nice part of Sherman Oaks, and I'm moving to another perfectly good apartment in a nice part of Sherman Oaks, and both 1-bedroom apartments are less than $1200. And I found 330 listings on craigslist for 2-bedrooms with a $1200 cap. Surely some are listed misleadingly, but plenty aren't.
Don't get me wrong: I'm very pro-union. However, from someone who has successfully lived modestly making well under $28k (not that I ever want to again), you just sound like a spoiled brat.
For the last 3 years I lived in a 1 br (not studio) apartment in Thai Town (right near Mayfair Market, Birds, La Poubelle, etc) and never paid more than $825 /month. And of course, I split that 1 br (made the living area into a second br) with another person, so my rent was only about $400 /month. Living car-free in LA your transportation costs need not be much more than $100 /month.
For example, here's a place in North Hollywood, looks like a roomy 1 br for $1050. It's walking distance to the Red and Orange line, and thus tons of $13.52 /hr jobs. Let's say you get an EZ Transit Pass ($70) and a use Flexcar a few hours each month (let's say $30). That's $100 in transpo costs. Let's say you pay $200 /month in various utilities. You pay $300 /month in food. $451 in taxes.. which leaves $243 for whatever else.
Oh wait, here's a studio for $895 /month. That leaves you with $398 left over.
Ohh here's a Hollywood studio for $700 /month all utils included, adjacent to the Red Line. That leaves you with $793!
It's really not that hard to live modestly in LA, you just have to be willing to live modestly. Maybe. I live in one of those luxury downtown lofts with shiny cement floors, tall ceilings, new appliances, roof top spa and gym, city views, and I pay less than $700 /month because I'm willing to live modestly (aka w/ roommates).
For the last 3 years I lived in a 1 br (not studio) apartment in Thai Town (right near Mayfair Market, Birds, La Poubelle, etc) and never paid more than $825 /month. And of course, I split that 1 br (made the living area into a second br) with another person, so my rent was only about $400 /month. Living car-free in LA your transportation costs need not be much more than $100 /month.
For example, here's a place in North Hollywood, looks like a roomy 1 br for $1050. It's walking distance to the Red and Orange line, and thus tons of $13.52 /hr jobs. Let's say you get an EZ Transit Pass ($70) and a use Flexcar a few hours each month (let's say $30). That's $100 in transpo costs. Let's say you pay $200 /month in various utilities. You pay $300 /month in food. $451 in taxes.. which leaves $243 for whatever else.
Oh wait, here's a studio for $895 /month. That leaves you with $398 left over.
Ohh here's a Hollywood studio for $700 /month all utils included, adjacent to the Red Line. That leaves you with $793!
It's really not that hard to live modestly in LA, you just have to be willing to live modestly. Maybe. I live in one of those luxury downtown lofts with shiny cement floors, tall ceilings, new appliances, roof top spa and gym, city views, and I pay less than $700 /month because I'm willing to live modestly (aka w/ roommates).
Of course, $13.52 is not minimum wage, and I'm not saying LA is cheap by any stretch, but it IS possible to live modestly off 28k a year or less. You just have to actually live modestly. But that doesn't mean you have to live in skid row, as I showed above you can even have your very own 1 br apartment with hardwood floors and a pool. Not exactly "modest".
For the last 3 years I lived in a 1 br (not studio) apartment in Thai Town (right near Mayfair Market, Birds, La Poubelle, etc) and never paid more than $825 /month. And of course, I split that 1 br (made the living area into a second br) with another person, so my rent was only about $400 /month. Living car-free in LA your transportation costs need not be much more than $100 /month.
For example, here's a place in North Hollywood, looks like a roomy 1 br for $1050. It's walking distance to the Red and Orange line, and thus tons of $13.52 /hr jobs. Let's say you get an EZ Transit Pass ($70) and a use Flexcar a few hours each month (let's say $30). That's $100 in transpo costs. Let's say you pay $200 /month in various utilities. You pay $300 /month in food. $451 in taxes.. which leaves $243 for whatever else.
Oh wait, here's a studio for $895 /month. That leaves you with $398 left over.
Ohh here's a Hollywood studio for $700 /month all utils included, adjacent to the Red Line. That leaves you with $793!
It's really not that hard to live modestly in LA, you just have to be willing to live modestly. Maybe. I live in one of those luxury downtown lofts with shiny cement floors, tall ceilings, new appliances, roof top spa and gym, city views, and I pay less than $700 /month because I'm willing to live modestly (aka w/ roommates).
Of course, $13.52 is not minimum wage, and I'm not saying LA is cheap by any stretch, but it IS possible to live modestly off 28k a year or less. You just have to actually live modestly. But that doesn't mean you have to live in skid row, as I showed above you can even have your very own 1 br apartment with hardwood floors and a pool. Not exactly "modest".
Note that they said "modestly," not "comfortably." A studio apt would fit the definition of living modestly. I think you can definitely live in LA modestly for $28k.
You can LIVE in LA for $13.52, but not very well. Entertainment and other things are going to be at a minimum. Unless your ass is grandfathered in (ie: you're on rent control in a great area for a great deal) you are going to be scraping for that rent every month and budgeting the hell out each paycheck (Like me!) or you live in a crumby neighborhood or live with a roomie. I guess the best solution is to make above $15 an hour. Like $25 an hour would be a lovely start. Right?
Or, fuck it, let's all just call mommy for that rent each month and get loaded at the Geisha House!!!
Not to mention:
Health insurance
Car insurance (I guess that's transport)
Other utilities (internet, phone)
Student loans
unforseen expenses like car repairs, etc.
Even with a great deal $13.50 is just enough to get buy if you never buy anything unneeded like clothes, music, eating out, bars, etc.
Trust me, I know!
I know I sound kind of spolied, or just tell me what you guys think.
For most of my live I lived in Malibu as kind of the lower middle family (very rare around here). I moved to central california in the last year for my high school carrer and then moved back for community college (SMC).
Right now I am a freshman at SMC and barley able to make rent and pay for gas to even get to school. I do get help from my mother once and a while for rent, but it's only for rent and I very grateful for that. But I can't really do anymore than eat, go to school, and work at school (Federal Work Study).
I remember having the option of either staying in central california for two years and going to college there, paying around $800 a month for a two bedroom apartment! (wow) or living in LA in a studio with my girl friend with no paid utilities for $975 a month, in Korea Town. But hey, I guess that is what being a student is all about, right?
i think your biggest problem and LA's in general is that fact that you all consider $400 a month for transportation modest, which is of course absolutely insane.
Student loans!
Car loans!
Car insurance!
$40/week in gas!
Gas/electric!
Water/sewer!
Pet needs! (damn that luxury cat!)
Health insurance!
Toilet paper/tampons/toothpaste and alla dat!
Food!
Car maintenance!
Medicine!
Telephone!
Leaving the house every once in a while!
No way, no how, on $13.50/hour, especially when a third of that gets pulled for taxes (if you are a freelancer/independent contractor or if your work pays you via check and doesn't contribute to your taxes).
where is the category for "liquor," "weed," and "unnecessary but delicious imported gourmet foods"??
I mean, rent & transportation still cost me less than $800/month, so there's got to be a reason I'm broke all the time.
WOW you REALLY missed the point. The AFL- CIO is using this figure to show that even living modestly is f-ing outrageous (That you need $30K a year to support a single person's life, which does not include any type of entertainment, HELLO $10 a pop drinks whatsoever or any type of savings... The AFL CIO is attempting to demonstrate that people who work for local agencies aren't inefficiently taking up local government resources by making on average $77K a year (check out your own link). Basically they're not saying $30K or $63K for single parents is going to get you a bitchin' life like the gals on The Hills but instead that you're going to BARELY be able to get by, thus it's totally NOT unreasonable to think people need to make AT LEAST $77K a year or more... I think your gut instincts that the figuresmay be a little inaccurate (especially if one wants to live in LA proper) but c'mon, unions typically support good things! The AFL-CIO is attempting to demonstrate it's pretty expensive to live in LA and THE MAN should probably shell out some more bucks and/or stop complaining about these alleged huge salaries!! While $77K may get you a great life in say, Arkansas, it ain't happening that way in LA!
Yeah I agree with everyone above... It's totally possible to live in LA in a place that's less than $12oo a month... maybe no steel finished appliances or marble counters but you can live WELL.