Submitted by Total-Group-9364 t3_100pw40 in Washington
Bamcfp t1_j2j7x0e wrote
Depends on a lot. Cost of living and work experience mostly. I live in silverdale and I feel like 20/hr is fine for entry level, it can pay the bills but it's stressful. 25/hr is good, you can have a little breathing room if you work full time.
kwiknkleen t1_j2je6mq wrote
$20/hr pays bills? I make that and if I didn’t share a house with my brother I couldn’t afford it. Rent in Washington state is outrageous. Glad I have a home.
manos_de_pietro t1_j2jet4t wrote
Same down here in Vancouver. Fortunately I am married to a brilliant woman with a PhD and a senior-level public sector job, bc my $20/hr wouldn't be enough for me to live on my own.
toobadkittykat t1_j2jkhgp wrote
vancouver is a whole different ball game than king or most of western wa counties . there you have no income tax , jump the river and shop with no 10.2% sales tax . sounds pretty win win financially .
manos_de_pietro t1_j2jxtcv wrote
"Jump the river" is easier said than done for day-to-day shopping. Local sales tax is 8.4%. Buying a home? $400k and up. Rent is still high, forget about even a 1-bedroom apartment for under $1k per month.
toobadkittykat t1_j2jy969 wrote
where local , portland ? or in vancouver ? i don't understand that local . oregon doesn't have any sales tax last i heard . 0$
manos_de_pietro t1_j2jznly wrote
Vancouver. Washington. Where I live.
Where did that 10.2% number come from anyway?
toobadkittykat t1_j2k06ko wrote
that's what the wa state sales tax is , isn't it ? it was 10 until recently it went up .2 more . yes i knew which vancouver we were talking about from the beginning . i used to live in portland and there is no sales tax there , at least there wasn't a couple years ago .
manos_de_pietro t1_j2k0idr wrote
https://dor.wa.gov/education/industry-guides/private-mailing-business-tax-guide/retail-sales-tax
Base rate is 6.5%. Counties and cities can add to that for reasons.
toobadkittykat t1_j2k196u wrote
my bust totally , i stand corrected . must be king county thing . still detracts nothing from my original comment . for small purchases , grocery etc wouldn't be worth driving 50 mi round trip but for large items would certainly be worth the effort imo .
manos_de_pietro t1_j2k4l4k wrote
It's a built-in situation at this point. We live within 2 miles of Costco, Wal-Mart, Safeway, Fred Meyer. Best Buy, Ikea, etc are all in Oregon. Then again, we don't buy brand-new appliances. Honestly, it doesn't really enter into our decision-making very much. I don't mind paying taxes when I get to live in a functional society.
Bamcfp t1_j2jfnod wrote
Yeah I was able to do it on 16.50. I payed $850 in rent. I live paycheck to paycheck my whole life and only had to be late on rent 2 very desperate times when I got laid off.
kwiknkleen t1_j2k0une wrote
Living paycheck to paycheck is not living.
Bamcfp t1_j2kf899 wrote
Well that's the reality for most Americans. Its plenty good. My bills are paid, I own my cars, still have a bit left for hobbies or vacation. Only downside is more stress from no safety net. Also getting laid off is terrible.
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