Realistically...what income do you feel is needed to survive monthly for the average person?

I need to get at least $417 a month. Quite less right? But the saddest truth is that I even get lesser than that a month.

:( Here in our country, we have low salaries. From the amount I stated, I only get 60% of that $417 and tax isn't yet deducted from that. :( All in all, from that $417, I only get half of that.

I'm a single person, so I don't have to pay for house rental. I don't have my own car too. People here can live without cars.So I don't have to pay for gas.

I only spend for the following: 1. Transportation fare 2.My own stuffs like snacks at work, or whenever I'm out 3. Internet connection fee 4.

Sharing a little amount at home 5.Cat food (for my little friends! Lol) That's pretty much everything. But what I'm actually getting now isn't enough.So sad... :( I won't get rich here.

T. T This is actually why I do Mahalo.It helps me a little. :) So, thanks Mahalo!

Well, as I manage to live on $600 a month, alone, paying rent ($200/month) and pretty much not eating meat (or anything expensive for that matter) I have to say that "survive" is a VERY subjective term. Would anyone consider not having a TV comfortable, having no car surviving, having only one pair of shoes and one coat ok? Its amazing what you can get used to and consider a surviving income, when you are put in a situation.No washing machine, fridge or bath are becoming rather tiresome though.

When your only extravagance is your internet connection ($120/month) and you depend on that entirely for your knowledge, entertainment and communication, it gets a little tiresome when people complain that they only have one car, cant afford to eat out more than once a week or have to forsake their daily Starbucks. Surviival income is really zero, you would be amazed at what you can find growing in the mountains that is edible and what is thrown away in the local dumpster.

If you really mean "survive" and you really mean "any country", think on this... there are plenty of people on the planet living on the equivalent of $300 a year. By plenty, the stats change over the time, but we're talking something like 500m - 1 billion people. If you adjust for cost differences between countries we'd still be talking in the ballpark of $1000 a year.

They're not dead, so in some sense they are "surviving" on that. Here's the story of a woman who makes around a $1 a day. youtube.com/watch?v=jaaDWRu4UfY This comes from a 30-minute video which is downloadable from the World Bank here: web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS... For people like that, and people worse off than that, there really is a question about surviving vs not surviving.

For the rest of us, it's about how much we need for a lifestyle that we'd feel is acceptable and think we'd be moderately contented with. Research suggests that the answer to that has got very little to do with the actual amount of money, and everything do with our attitudes and expectations. princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S15/15/0... money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneyma... If you really want numbers for what a particular person could just about manage on, there are also other circumstances to consider... - Will you need to pay rent, or would a friend or relative give you a roof over your head?

We're not asking if you'd like that, or they'd like that. But if it was a question of your survival, have you got anyone? People and relationships are as important as money.

- What transportation do you need to function? To get to whatever job you have, or to the welfare office, and to wherever you buy food and other essentials. If you live in a place where those things are in walkng distance, you need less money.

If it's not possible to even reach a place to get food without a car, you'd need more. - What are your own capabilities? Can you walk or cycle a reasonable distance?

Can you cook at all, or do you have to buy prepared foods to even have something edible? Are you healthy, or do you need medications? (Yes, if you need expensive treatments that you must pay for yourself, a hundred thousand dollars a year may not be enough to keep you alive.) - What assets do you have to begin with?

It matters whether you already own a car and a computer even if they're clunkers now, versus if you hardly even have any wearable clothes or a pair of shoes. Me personally, I think I could stay alive on something like $5000 a year, plus rent if I had to pay rent.

Im from rhode island and if you have to support yourself with food, housing and electric and phone I would say at least 1500 a month is needed. Throw in some kids and your talking another 1000. Housing about 700 electric 100 food 300 gas 100 phone 50 then you have about 250 left over for maybe tv, internet... this is all based on you already have living area like bed, coach, kitchen table... Mind you this is all for one person... Mike!

The following is intended as a discussion of costs in the US. There are many countries where the standard of living is much much lower, and where even $500/month could be a good living wage. The answer depends enormously on many details that are not specified in the question.

For example, if you live in a well-to-do suburb of Washington DC, where a typical home price is over $500,000, and you purchased that home with an 80% mortgage at an APR of 6%, you're probably paying about $2800/month. On the other hand, if you rent an apartment in a small town in West Texas, your rent may be as low as $700. In addition, the cost of most things you pay for depends (to a greater or lesser extent) on the cost of real-estate in the area you live.

This is because all the businesses where you shop, and all the service providers you use, have to pay either rent or mortgage payments of their own. A reasonable person should not be paying more than 25% of their income for housing (in areas with especially expensive real estate this may go as high as 35%). Thus, taking the two examples above as reasonable extremes, if you pay $700/month for rent in a low-cost area, you need to make at least $2800/month, while if you're paying $2800/month in a high-cost area, you need an income of at least $8000/month.

The size of your family also has a big impact on how much money you need. If you have kids in college that adds a substantial burden on your finances, as does any significant health issue faced by you or your dependents, especially if you don't have adequate health insurance. The bottom line is that a single person in a low cost area (in the US) can probably do reasonably well with less than $3000/month, while a family living in an expensive area, with one or two kids in college, and significant health-related expenses may struggle even with $10,000/month.

The cost of living for me as considered 'getting by' has changed over the years. When I was 16, I was homeless. 'Getting by' then meant just making sure I could eat something at least once per day and not freeze to death at night.

Then I got an apartment, and my standard of 'getting by' including hoping I had enough money to eat one really good, quality meal with meat once per day. Then it grew to 'getting by' meaning I might have enough money to get a two-bedroom apartment in an area of town I liked, and just maybe I could FINALLY afford a phone! Eventually, getting by meant I'd have enough to have cable, buy a new TV and afford Christmas gifts for me and the kids without having to go without paying a major bill.

And maybe I could add caller ID to my phone! Then getting by meant being able to buy a car and make payments on it. Later, getting by meant being able to save money up to buy a house, and being excited because I could afford to pay cash for a triple digit costing desktop computer and internet by dialup at home for the first time.

Then 'getting by' meant being able to put a down payment on a house, making a monthly mortgage payment, and being able to upgrade at some point to high-speed internet. Today, I'm blessed, because to me, 'getting by' means I can afford everything I need and most of what I want, and don't have to think too much about where or how bills will get paid--they just always do. My bare minimum cost of living, to keep everything I have right now, is about 2200 per month.

That includes being able to eat three meals per day, with meat, super high-speed internet, a nice car, insurance, mortgage, nice electronics, new furniture, etc. It's a far cry from having been homeless, and I still feel gratitude every day for how much better my life is. So for me, 'getting by' would require a minimum of 2200 bucks. But there was a time when I raised an infant daughter on less than 800 bucks per month, and she never wanted for anything.

Perspective is a fascinating thing.... I loved reading the answers to this question. It made me really think - $5 to some of these people is like 100 bucks to me, so it really shows the power 'tipping' on Mahalo could have profound impact to some people, especially those from other countries. Thanks for the great question!

Well, I just think that an average person (single and living separately from family) just needs $450 a month. I come from Philippines so that's my calculation based on our living expenses here. Of course, that won't apply to US.It still depends on what country one is residing in.

I live in San Diego. My rent over $2000/month. I have a horse, a car payment, about $400 in utilities a month.

I need to bring in $4000/month to live in my CURRENT living situation. These answers have been very eye opening. Everyone has a different standard of living, and other countries handle salaries so much differently.

Thanks for the interesting questions.

Even when I was working, I only brought home $1300 a month, and I survived, had satellite t.v. , a car, health insurance, and a little left over at the end of the month (but not much). I lived in fear that my old car would break down and that I would get really sick.

I was basically living hand to mouth, day to day. When I quit my job, I sold my car, shut off my satellite t.v. , cut all the bills to the bone, and now I only need about $800 a month.My town in the cheapest town in my area to live in.

I don't know how I could live cheaper. This is bare survival for me. I know there are places I could live cheaper, but I'd have to give up a lot of privacy.

$150 a week for room = 600 $10 a day for food = 300 $100 a week other expense = 400 Total = $1300 This is the minimalist life!

This would have a lot to do with where you live which would have a direct effect on how much you need to earn per month. Personally, I need about $700 per month to comfortably pay for bills and expenses.

As others have said it really depends on your expenses. Do you have kids, do you rent or have a mortgage, do you have pets, a car etc? I live in Los Angeles and it is expeeeeeensive here.By Example: Rent: $1500 Car: $350 Food: $100 week if you cook, more if you eat out Gas: $50 tank / 3 tanks week Auto Insurance: $170 --------------------------------- We're at $2570 already, and haven't really covered disposable income yet. And keep in mind, to take home $2570 you have to make considerably more before taxes.

I live in a small town in North eastern Pennsylvania. I have no car, living in town I can take a cab once a week to the grocery store or hospital. Usually the kids and I walk to the store and take a cab home.

I can live on about 800 a month. I have a house $419, natural gas $75 -150 depending on the season, water/sewer for $75, Internet (road runner) for $50 it is a necessity since I work from home. I control the food budget tightly as teenage boys can be eating machines.

I watch my grandchildren when my daughter works and she pays my electric bill, what a bargain there. Working from home I do not have transportation costs or health insurance. I get 200 a month child support for my boys but they are almost grown so that will stop soon.

I make my money right here on the internet and I enjoy it for the most part. I am a freelance writer and have worked my butt off for 2 years now on various web sites writing. If I can do this... so can any of you.

Truthfully even though I have only been playing on Mahalo for almost 3 months, this has quickly become the best paying web site for me.. I love it here.

This Summer my husband and I were able to cut our expenses down to $765 a month. Broken down it looked like this: $400 Rent $150 Utilities $135 Groceries $80 Phone & Internet That was very tough for us to do and we were only able to do it for six months. However if it meant surviving I'm sure we could continue living like that.

We live in Northern Utah.

That's impossible to answer without a point of reference of what city, state, or country you are talking about.

I'm gonna agree that cost of living of the location and family circumstance weighs heavily on the answer here. I'm from South Central Alaska Before I had kids I could survive on a budget of about 600 bucks a month. 450- Efficiency one bedroom apartment in town within walking distance of stores,work,etc.Utilities included in rent.

(You have to qualify for this housing) 150- Food. I did it for awhile, not a lot of fun.Now.. I have a son and husband. We have moved into a house my dad owns so we don't pay rent and are saving to buy a home but on a house this size (small 700 sq. Feet) that isn't 20 miles from town we would be looking at about 600 a month rent.

Our gas heating runs between 50-150 dependent on the season. Electric, mainly because we are plant people and basically use our home as a green house.. is on a budget pay of about 110 a month. Food we spend about 300-350 a month.

Gas and legal insurance for the car as with a kid car is no longer really a luxury in Alaska's winter 50 in gas (I drive a VW woo for good miliage) 50 for insurance which would vary for others by age/record/etc.That doesn't count cable or internet as I don't call those necessary. Looking at around $1200-1300 a month for a 1 child family in a small home with the bare minimums. The thing that gets Alaskan residents is freight cost increase on goods, especially food.

Where I live, you could easily survive on about 450 a month.. you can find a room for 300-450, and the rest is food and normal expenses. I went through a time in school where I paid 400/month for schooling, about 80 for food, 50 for my cellphone, and 100 for misc. 600 dollars maybe?

Now my expenses are roughly 1600/month. 700 rent (1 bedroom apartment) 500 tuition 40 gym membership 50 cellphone. 35 cable 35 internet 160 food (ugh, school food is expensive) 10 pet ferret and miscellaneous expenses.So much money when you don't have a job!

Even talking about my country, it is difficult to say what getting by means, especially when you have family and children. People make from less than $ 90 a month for lower come income to $1000 / month for upper managers. Generally, a new graduate working at an office earn about $150 to $250 month depends on the company.My former principal's salary was around $600 for the middle class private school.

Government's employed teachers should earn $400 + other bonus. (they fare a lot better than private schools teachers). Room rent for 1 person can range from $50 / month, to $150/ month, depends on the location.

At suburb a plain room without AC is $50, at city central with AC its around $150. You can survive quite well with $300 at suburb, but must live frugally if you live in the city center. Note that this cost is only for singles only.

Education expenses in this country is outrageous compared to its living cost. A middle class private school cost around $70 to $120 / month, plus pocket money, books, extra lessons fee. Registration cost around $1000 to more than $2000.

You have to pay such for decent education because state schools are usually crappy. The ones who aren't crappy will cost about the same.

It really depends on your bills. If you own a home with a mortgage,Have a car loan..have children. As a figure I would say a good income for an average family of 4 would be about $3000.00 a month to live comfortably without too much worry.

I think a reasable is 2500 because I live on.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.