[Mears]

“earning just around $27,000 a year and supporting two to four children”

—

I’m sorry,but this would be virtually impossible today.

.

[grania]

$27,000 a year with children would mean next to no taxes. That's over $2000 a month. It's doable. I know people who do it. It means an apartment in an imperfect neighborhood, public transportation, choosing a grocery store with bargains on healthier foods, not many extras at all. A vacation? Free day at the zoo or a bus ride to a public park, bargain menu choices at Rally's or McDonalds.

You know what? They're pretty much incredible people.

[wally_bert]

A few years ago, I was making $29k at a little gov-co job and it was just me.

I sort of lived a basic existence. $5 a gallon fuel didn’t help.

I am at about double that and at the end of the of it all, feels about the same. Inflation is the cruelest tax of all.

[kearnyirish2]

Here in NJ one would struggle on three times $27K to raise a small family. My wife and I bring home far more than $27K, and for the most part we are “too poor to shop” for anything of consequence. A lot of no-frills foodstuffs, Wal-Mart shopping for groceries, etc. - but no major purchases (including vacation this year). We should have been living like this years ago, but few people understood how much the dollar would be de-valued back then.

If I worked for 1,000 tons of grain 10 years ago, today (even with annual raises) I’m working for 900 tons...

[ConservativeMind]

I’m sorry, but you don’t know the circumstances of these people, plus, this is their net income.

Step out and get to know people in rural areas and you will see this “is possible.”

This is “very possible,” but “very difficult.”