Posted by sunny10 on August 18, 2005, at 9:20:30
In reply to Re: Some US gas information » NikkiT2, posted by AuntieMel on August 17, 2005, at 14:42:48
Problem with assigning a cost value is that I (lower middle class... ever closer to poverty every year with no raises, but cost of living still increasing) don't make as much as a billionaire. Though wage vs expenditures, I "made" more money last year...
So a cost of 40 weeks wage value for a car wouldn't actually be true for neither me nor the billionaire...
I've seen futuristic novels which speak of a point system rather than money, which would be adopted worldwide. Wages/points for the same job would be the same in every country- points for consumer goods would be the same in every country.
That would be the only way to say for SURE that everything evens out.
But whoever wants to test it out can use me as an example.
My monthly wage is USD 2798.46
My monthly rent is USD 875.00 (for a junior one bedroom apartment in a dumpy complex)
My monthly utility bills are USD 268.00 (and my heat and hot water are part of my rent- thus not included here)
My monthly car payment is USD 433.91 (for a Jeep)
My monthly insurance is USD 218.00 (as a loyal, long term customer with no accidents/tickets)
My monthly food bills are USD 450.00
My monthly gasoline expenditure is @ USD 140.00 (based on four week month)
My prescription insurance co-pays are USD 120.00
My onthly cigarette expenditure is USD 150.00
Which leaves me with a grand total of USD 143.55 a month for any savings, clothing, or leisure activities (which includes extra money to drive to a beach two and a half hours away- the gas expenditure I mentioned was a two mile commute to work, driving 30 miles to significant other's apartment once a week, and driving around town to buy groceries, et cetera. if my commute were longer, that gas expenditure would be increased!)All that from a base salary of $46,500/yr. I get $143.55 per month that is not already spent before it is paid out to me- a single person living alone.
So I challenge those in other countries to work the calculations. Wages vs out of pocket expenditures. USD vs whatever your monetary unit is.
Then let me know. I'd be very interested to hear the results. And if there's somewhere cheaper to live, maybe I'll move !!!!!
-sunny10
My guess is that they come out very similar
poster:sunny10
thread:542668
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20050813/msgs/543409.html