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Posts tagged economy

Interesting report from the Life, Inc. blog about Americans living on $50,000 a year - which is the national household median income as reported by the Census Bureau.
This week, they’ll be profiling people from across the country whose annual household income is about $50,000.
We are the median: Living on $50,000 a year

Does $50,000 a year seem like plenty to live on, or not nearly enough?
If you said somewhere in between, that makes sense because $49,445 is the national household median income, meaning about half of all households live on more than that and half on less. The figure, based on 2010 calculations, was reported in September by the Census Bureau as part of an extensive report on income and poverty…
…Many of the readers who wrote to us say that on $50,000 a year they can put food on the table, pay for necessities and even splurge occasionally on a dinner out or a game for the family.
But others told us they have to watch their budgets closely and occasionally make sacrifices to get the bills paid.
“It’s not poverty. We don’t miss meals and we make MOST of our bills. However, we live paycheck to paycheck, and we carry debt,” wrote Brett Jones, 37, who lives with his partner in Texas.

(photo of Nathan Palmer, left, and Brett Jones at their home in Victoria, Texas, by Eric Kayne via Life Inc.)

Interesting report from the Life, Inc. blog about Americans living on $50,000 a year - which is the national household median income as reported by the Census Bureau.

This week, they’ll be profiling people from across the country whose annual household income is about $50,000.

We are the median: Living on $50,000 a year

Does $50,000 a year seem like plenty to live on, or not nearly enough?

If you said somewhere in between, that makes sense because $49,445 is the national household median income, meaning about half of all households live on more than that and half on less. The figure, based on 2010 calculations, was reported in September by the Census Bureau as part of an extensive report on income and poverty…

…Many of the readers who wrote to us say that on $50,000 a year they can put food on the table, pay for necessities and even splurge occasionally on a dinner out or a game for the family.

But others told us they have to watch their budgets closely and occasionally make sacrifices to get the bills paid.

“It’s not poverty. We don’t miss meals and we make MOST of our bills. However, we live paycheck to paycheck, and we carry debt,” wrote Brett Jones, 37, who lives with his partner in Texas.

(photo of Nathan Palmer, left, and Brett Jones at their home in Victoria, Texas, by Eric Kayne via Life Inc.)

SPENT is a game from the Urban Ministries of Durham that takes you through a virtual month in the life of an unemployed  American and forces you to make tough decisions to help your family  survive. It’s probably the most depressing game I’ve ever played. I  finished the month with $12 left and felt like a champion. Every choice is difficult and there’s no right or wrong answer in the conventional sense.
Over 14 million Americans are unemployed. Now imagine you’re  one  of them. Your savings are gone. You’ve lost your house. You’re down  to  your last $1,000. Can you make it through the month?
About UMD:

UMD distinguishes itself from other organizations that care for  Durham’s  homeless and indigent population by serving as a comprehensive  service  provider of food, shelter, clothing and supportive services  for over  6,000 men, women and children annually. We offer an inclusive  acceptance  policy, welcoming clients with mental illnesses, active  addictions and  those seeking outside employment.

Learn more about UMD here: http://www.umdurham.org/

SPENT is a game from the Urban Ministries of Durham that takes you through a virtual month in the life of an unemployed American and forces you to make tough decisions to help your family survive. It’s probably the most depressing game I’ve ever played. I finished the month with $12 left and felt like a champion. Every choice is difficult and there’s no right or wrong answer in the conventional sense.

Over 14 million Americans are unemployed. Now imagine you’re one of them. Your savings are gone. You’ve lost your house. You’re down to your last $1,000. Can you make it through the month?

About UMD:

UMD distinguishes itself from other organizations that care for Durham’s homeless and indigent population by serving as a comprehensive service provider of food, shelter, clothing and supportive services for over 6,000 men, women and children annually. We offer an inclusive acceptance policy, welcoming clients with mental illnesses, active addictions and those seeking outside employment.

Learn more about UMD here: http://www.umdurham.org/