#because 'they don't have state income tax and the cost of living is so much lower'

[captainjonnitkessler]

Every time I’m forced to listen to a coworker preach about how Jordan Peterson or one of those other grifter assholes “changed his life” and “you have to listen to this podcast, I swear, you’ll never go back” I should get four hours of overtime added to my paycheck

[phoenixyfriend]

I think one of the things that makes it possibly not... super clear why I'm so anxious about finding a job that pays enough. So uh. Here's the thing.

"In December 2022, 51% of people who earn more than $100,000 reported living paycheck to paycheck. [...] After taxes and adjusted for cost of living, $100,000 amounts to just $35,791 in New York, New York." - Time Magazine

Now... a lot of these people probably have dependents. Some are probably paying off student debt. Some may have medical debt. There are lot of reasons for a person to be living paycheck to paycheck.

But to pay off a most basic apartment in an outer borough, utilities, insurance, transportation, all taxes, and food, a touch of medical or dental, basic hygiene needs, the occasional treat? I need a 70k salary.

I could sell my car, in theory; the transit infrastructure is good enough, if I find a place near a subway station, even if I cannot do anything without it where I am now. I could get a roommate in a 2b instead of going solo in a 1b. I could live in the spare room of my parents' friends, even though I know from a friend that it's suboptimal. There are ways to make this work, obviously. There are people who make this work, millions of people in NYC who have been doing this for generations, and I am willing to compromise the way so many people do, sure, but...

Well, I'm bad at people. Getting a romantic partner isn't in the cards, really, and finding a roommate online is theoretically possible but fills me with anxiety to think about. It sucks that the rent is such that I have to. That health insurance is such that I have to. That I can't reasonably think about grad school until I've stockpiled some savings up again, just in case there's an emergency, because of the aforementioned health insurance situation.

People do it, sure, but there is not a single county in the entire United State where the minimum wage is enough for a single adult to live alone in an apartment. That's not really okay. Why should so many of us have to give up the most basic and affordable of luxuries because the economy favors those who came from wealth?

NYC might have a higher minimum wage than most, but a $15/hr minimum wage still doesn't mean much when the living wage is $25/hr for a single adult with no dependents.

(Did you know, the advice used to be that your rent should be no more than 20% of your income?)

IDK where I'm going with this. It's not a situation with an easy answer, and I'm not in a place to change anything directly. All I can do is keep looking for a job that pays me enough to survive, find someone I don't think is going to be a horrible roommate... or look into doing Chicago instead of NYC, I guess.

I just know that I can't stay in the suburbs forever. This place is killing me.

[bakafox]

Considering how I've been treated and seen people treated by their close communities- sorry if I just do not understand anarchism etc, but I would much rather fight for reforms where there is an institution/government that takes human rights into account, fight for reforms where the rich are taxed and that money then goes to UBI for all, subsidized healthcare for all, and better handled social security and other safety nets, where right now the problems are lack of funding and unfair gatekeeping as to who gets any help at all and a lot of people falling through the cracks based on race, gender, age, location, perceived income or ability etc-

Than fight for, what is it exactly? Hoping that my immediate community of people don't find reasons to gatekeep and refuse to help or can't afford to help so that people are falling through the cracks based on race, gender, age, perceived income or ability, but it's also more individually networked so that location also becomes even more of a dire reason that folks may fall through the cracks because their local groups just don't have the same resources as the local group down the road- having to pray that the local groups will play nicely when there's no real set of guidelines or rules agreed upon on how to spread the wealth and all the various needs that are rights?

Like, the more territory an agreement/social contract can cover, the more that is distributed, the more people it will help, but by the time you've got social contracts set up so that people in New York City are also seeing to it that there's help for people in Las Cruces and there's an even distribution of what's needed to all, and it's even over time and not just a week by week thing- doesn't that just mean it's basically laws and government?

Like, community action and goodwill towards others is super important, there is NO substitute for it- but it feels like there logically are some serious limitations on what can be done through community action.

In absolutely no universe would UBI at a federal level and probably even reformed medicaid for all and disability payments additional to UBI mean there's no need for volunteers or community, and no room for charity, but I can't see how people who focus solely on direct community action and say no one can depend on institutions and government at all can make up for the stable platform that a larger organization or institution/government can do if directed properly.

Like, current SSI sucks, it isn't really enough with today's cost of living, makes me jump through hoops to keep getting it every year or two, and a lot of people who need it are left out. But once approved for the current cycle, I don't have to go to church, I don't have to limit what types of food I eat beyond what I can afford on it, I don't have to be straight or otherwise seem 'normal', and in theory I could get the same $900 a month if I were black, or if I were older or younger than I am.

It also doesn't matter to SSI that my yard looks like a mess, I don't have to leave my house or stand in lines for it on any regular basis, I can be unshowered and sweaty and be in my worst mental state ever and I'm getting $900 a month even if no one outside of the computers at the SSA know I exist. I don't have to keep networking or be likeable in any way, shape, or form like trying to rely on people's kindness, on private charities or gofundmes.

The hoops I'm forced to jump through for SSI need to be gotten rid of, but even while they're here- they're... more able to be understood and countered and are well known, compared to knowing what it will take to get help elsewhere.

What replaces something like SSI better if it gets torn down, than trying to hammer out the dents, keep it functioning/standing, and making it work more fairly for even more people?

[walks-the-ages]

"I did not mean to derail this post"

so why are you still leaving paragraphs and paragraphs and paragraphs ignoring every single thing that was said before by the people you decided to argue with by saying that it's

"better to keep Democrats in office to hold them accountable for their actions, because if they lose office they'll just blame Republicans for the things they did"

????

"Why are you telling me your finances, do you seriously think I'm not also working class?"

I mean, if you actually fucking read my response where I spelled out my finances and engaged with it properly you would have seen the giant glaring message that I am spelling out my (and thus, 90% of American's reality) financial situation of 99% of my paycheck going towards basic living costs even before actual food is on the table because I'm pointing out how much fucking rediculous money politicians make when they hold the highest office in the Country ($400k per year + a $50k Expense Account) ,and thats what you're advocating to pay these people for them to continue to commit genocide.

you think its a good idea to keep Democrats in office because you somehow think that them staying in power and making life-changing amounts of money off of our tax dollars to continue that genocide with, because you think somehow you can hold them accountable even as you acknowledge its impossible to push them Left once they're elected into office???

make the fucking cognitive dissonance make sense.

You acknowledge Democrats are committing genocide

You acknowledge Democrats cannot be "Pushed Left"

You acknowledge that its a good thing for people to Vote Third Party ""if they believe it will work"".

But you also demonize people who choose not to vote even if you deny that "demonization" accusation as you continue to insist people who don't vote aren't doing anything at all politically.

You do all this......... as you then turn around and insist we actually need to keep Democrats in power, otherwise they'll just blame Republicans for Democrat's actions while in office, and somehow that will magically brainwash millions of Americans into...... uhhhhh caring about Palestine finally, because it will have been done by a party in red instead of blue?

"Democrats will just wash their hands of the blame for Palestine if they lose the election"

I mean, if you let them, sure! And you know how you let them wash their hands of the blame? by fucking voting for them. by endorsing them despite their genocidal actions and crimes against humanity.

The only people who are letting Democrats wash their hands of these atrocities are the people who vote for them despite knowing there's a dozen other options .

You can reblog as many donation posts as you want, but if you're advocating to reward Democrats for being genocidaires by keeping them in power against ALL advocacy by actual Palestinians and Arab Americans, including arguing with these people on their posts where they talk about how they're directly impacted by the Democrat's genocidal campaign... do you actually care about other people, or do you care more about maintaining the status quo??

Anyways. Vote Jill Stein for a Free Palestine.

Do not re-elect Genocidal warmongers.

Don't forget your daily clicks

And if you have any kind of disposable income , please donate directly to vetted Gaza funds if you can!

[judgedarts]

hi!! proud owner of i think 5 atp jojo chibi charms and VERY new artist alley vendor here and i was just wondering, how do you budget/manage costs for non local cons that might have high transportation costs or more expensive tables? do you usually make back what you spent on transport + table/tickets + merch production/ordering + etc at the con or is there a slight loss? this is mainly for my own reference asking someone successful so ty for answering!!!

hey! congratulations on becoming an AA vendor :,) im very honored that you've bought from me before and that you consider me a 'successful' vendor haha!

i'm really passionate when it comes to talking about AA stuff so I'll be putting my answer in the read more since it's pretty long lol!

to be honest, I'm in a very lucky position to be able to travel to conventions beyond the east coast because it can really get expensive T_T i think the most honest answer i can give you is that your first couple of cons most likely are going to be a slight loss for you income wise if you are planning on traveling for a convention - tbh, i generally don't recommend doing a convention out of your state/out of your means if you're very new to tabling. my very first conventions were in driving/public transport distance (i love you new york and new jersey!!!) so i never spent money other than the table cost and ordering product. so if you're starting out and live in a state that has local cons, id HIGHLY recommend doing local events to get experience and cutting down costs as much as you can so you can get the most out of it! if you do intend on doing out-of-state cons because your state doesn't have many small local cons, i totally get it, but again, just try to keep your costs as low as possible. here are some suggestions and things to keep in mind:

1.split costs with a friend

split the table, split hotel fees, split ubers, etc! if you have family/friends in that state, consider crashing at their place for the weekend! maybe treat them to dinner haha

2. save up funds

honestly, there's really no getting around it - you might have to get income from somewhere else besides selling merch @ cons! i worked a part-time job throughout college, did commissions/freelance, and had my store open to save up for cons.

3. remember to deduct all expenses for your business

keep in mind that table fees/travel and hotel fees/products/meals are all deductible. these are considered investments for your business and they're completely necessary for you to run said business so when it comes tax time, you'll be able to breathe a little easier haha.

4. know your limits and be cautious

unfortunately, not all cons are going to be successful or will go your way no matter how much money you pour into it. if you know a convention is going to be out of your means, you can always apply the following year. I've had plenty of cons i couldn't go to because i simply couldn't afford it at the time, but the more money you save up, the more experience you get, and the more connections you make, you'll be able to afford to go and be successful! i'd also do plenty of research about the convention (especially the attendance #s, how previous vendors feel about the con, etc) before you decide to go. 5. have fun!

even though the upfront price can be intimidating, you are still paying the price to travel, visit a city you've never been to, meet new people, fans, your friends, and make connections! not to mention the really inspiring and motivating atmosphere that artist alley can be. i hope that regardless of the money you make you take the time to enjoy the experience to the fullest and appreciate that you are sharing your awesome art with others :,)! i try to make the best out of a con even if i barely make even, and make new friends and connections because trust me, they are so meaningful ^^<3!

besides all that, i highly recommend joining the Artist Alley Network discord if you haven't already - there's a plethora of info, advice, etc that you can take away from there. https://discord.gg/artistalleynetwork i hope this was helpful! if you have any more specific questions I'm more than happy to answer them for you. if they're too specific or i don't feel comfortable answering, i hope you can understand too! good luck with all your AA endeavors - i believe in you and i really hope we will table at the same con soon!

[hotsugarbyglassanimals]

guys i don't think karl marx would have had enough foresight to accurately predict which social class freelance artists would fall into in the modern day with factors such as "they don't get health insurance, benefits, or PTO" ... "they pay nearly double the amount of income tax due to freelance tax" ... "art is much harder to make a living off of due to it's importance being heavily devalued" ... "the average person cannot afford luxuries such as art, therefore commissions are scarce and undervalued" ... "it's some disabled people's only option to survive"

So no, I don't think freelance artists fall within the petite bourgeoisie category, the same category described as willing to backstab the working class for a cut of the pie. you guys seriously think freelance artists would willingly uphold capitalist systems? where many of them can hardly put food on the table because they know if they work a stable 9-5, they won't have time or energy to engage with their passions? Many of them being disabled? It's really obvious that some of you think artists live lavishly lol

Let's say a furry artist* living in California puts up an auction for a design and the bids reach 1k. That's a 30% income tax, so it's down to 700.(That is only 200 dollars more than my part-time retail paycheck). The average cost of living in California is 53k a year. That artist would have to make 75 designs a year and hope that all of them would reach 1k in bids. Even if they don't burn out from pumping out designs of lowering quality, chances are all those auctions won't even be close to reaching 1k because that's rare. That would require around 75 people willing and able to spend 1k on a design, which I already mentioned is a luxury that few people can afford. 53K in of itself would be the absolute minimum to cover necessities, so I wouldn't call that living lavishly at all. I wouldn't even call that well-off, that's someone's head barely floating above water. I didn't even factor for payment processors taking a cut of the money, too.

The jokes about furry porn artists with 100k on patreon are the exception, not the rule. That's extremely rare compared to how many freelance artists there are online. Many freelance artists state that they make 20,000 a year, only 5k above US federal poverty level. That livelihood is far more precarious than the mom and pop shop that opened on a street corner. Opening a physical business with products and such requires some level of pre-established wealth and capital. All you need to be a digital artist is, at minimum, an ipad or a phone, which makes it more accessible for people in poverty. Chances are an artist is starting off in a severely disadvantaged position. The majority of artists that I see living in stability have a partner that's the breadwinner, or they live with their parents.

When I had my first job working retail as a late teen, I had taken art commissions a bit prior. I got my first paycheck and thought "I made much more just showing up and standing around doing nothing than I did working my ass off to draw someone's character" and I think that speaks to the trade-off of being a freelance artist more than anything

*Furry artists and adoptables were picked as an example because I saw this exact sentiment expressed towards them. Not at the artists who have their works put up in museums and auctioned off for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

[captain-kit-adventuress]

Hang on, the math on this is wrong and so are some of the explanations.

$7.25 x 40 = $290

$290 x 4 = $1,156/month.

Working the original equation backwards yields a typo of $7.85 per hour, which is incorrect.

Not only that, but the three times rent requirement is based on gross income, while the amount of money you actually have to live on (take home) is net income. Net income for hourly individuals is

hourly wage x number of hours worked - taxes - other deductions (insurance, 401(k), etc.) = net income

So they're basing both the 30% requirement and the three times requirement on an amount of money you don't actually have; and it assumes a relatively low average amount of state and local taxes across the country. The problem is, this standard was written nearly a century ago, and American economics have, er, changed a bit since then. State tax amounts vary wildly across the country, so again both rules don't capture things like people who live in high-tax jurisdictions trying to survive on minimum wage, for example, which is going to skew these numbers even more dramatically.

If we assume an individual Federal tax rate of 12% and a state tax rate of 5% (state tax rates are often more complicated but for simplicity's sake), that makes it, assuming a pay period is one week

$7.25 x 40 x 52 = $15,080 gross pay

$15,080 x 12% = $1,809.60 annual Fed tax

$15,080 x 5% = $754 annual state tax

$1,809.60 + $754 = $2,563.60 total annual tax

$2,563.60 ÷ 52 = $49.30 annual tax allotted to one pay period

$7.25 x 40 = $290 weekly gross pay

$290 – $49.30 = $240.70 net (take home) pay

I'm not assuming any health insurance or 401(k) for simplicity's sake, and I'm assuming all income is taxable, even though that's generally not true, because the way our tax system generally works is that you get it back after the tax year is over, so it doesn't make sense to include it as monthly income when you don't see it as such.

So what you actually earn in a month is $962.80. If you multiply that by 12 months, you get an annual net income of $11,553.60.

If we take 30% as the rent guideline for net income, which is more reasonable as it is the amount that actually is deposited into your bank account, rent that is 30% of your monthly net income should be no higher than $288.84 per month, assuming no other income whatsoever. Even if we still went by the gross income standard, 30% of single-job minimum wage is $348.

I don't know when the original tweet was posted, but the most reliable source I could find showed the median rent (different from average) in 2022 being over $2k per month. So if we take that as our guide, someone would have to work at minimum three full-time jobs at $7.25 per hour and would barely make rent. So realistically, we're looking at a single person maybe having to work four minimum wage jobs, all at 40 hours per week, just to reliably be able to afford to survive.

What you may have noticed from all of this is that working four full-time jobs is not actually physically possible. Hell, working two full-time jobs is not really physically possible, and it certainly shouldn't be a requirement. Rents and other living costs are not becoming unliveable, they are wildly unliveable already at minimum wage. As you can see, they're not even survival wages. $15 an hour minimum wage isn't even close to being liveable in most places, either, it's something closer to $25 an hour now because we've been having the "debate" for so long.

The problem has been here for decades; it's just now starting to creep up to people who would otherwise be middle class without rich people greed. And to remind everyone, a good working definition of middle class is comfortable. If you don't have disposable income, or you don't have much of it, if you're living paycheck-to-paycheck, if you're one flat tire away from total catastrophe (even if you own a home), you are not middle class.

Friendly reminder that a lot of people used to be able to meet that definition, with spouses and children, on a single income. A single income can't even support one person in most cases today.

[originalleftist]

So Donny Dipshit went on Joe Rogan and they apparently floated abolishing income tax.

A few things on this:

This wouldn't actually save most people much, if any money. Why? Because the shit all those taxes pay for, that people rely on, would either have to be scrapped... or paid for by some other means.

That might mean they simply don't exist any more. Or it might mean privatization- your schools, roads, parks, etc being run by a for-profit company (probably owned by a Trump donor), who would charge you for them and then likely sacrifice quality to cut costs and maximize profit. Basically, another wealth transfer from the working and middle class to the super-rich, disguised as a "tax cut".

Alternatively, state and local governments would have to pick up the costs as well as they are able, which means more taxes at those levels, at least if you live in a Blue state. Red states would just go without a lot of stuff people currently take for granted. Republicans can then point to the "lower taxes" in red states, without acknowledging the gap in services.

And, of course, some things would just get scrapped.

2. This is, of course, assuming Trump actually acts on any of this, which is... doubtful, given that he is consistently both dishonest and incompetent. His staff have already partially walked back this particular idea. Remember how he was going to build a border wall and make Mexico pay for it? Or his alternative to the Affordable Care act that was forever on the brink of being unveiled?

This is a cheap, desperate 11th hour ploy to bribe millions of voters into backing him with the temptation-not even the promise-of a tax cut that will never actually be followed through on.

(Also, at least one of Trump's proposed tax cuts, eliminating taxes on tips, is something Harris also supports, and is more likely to actually follow through on because she's not an imbecile with Elon Musk's hand up their ass.)

[thenewpathfinder2024-2034]

let's look at the retirement expenses

Housing

Real Estate Taxes

Electric

Garbage

Water

Natural Gas

Internet

Cell Phone

Security System

Home Improvements

Furniture

Yard Maintenance

Loans & Liabilities

House Mortgage

Auto Loan

Boat Loan

Credit Card

RV / Camping Trailer

Food & Personal Care

Groceries

Restaurants

Spending Cash

Haircuts 

Dry Cleaning

Gym Membership

Clothes and Shoes

Chiropractor

Insurance & Medical

Auto Insurance

Home Owners Insurance

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Life Insurance

Long Term Care Insurance

Medicare Supplemental Insurance

Vision & Eyecare

Medications

Vehicles & Transportation

Annual Tuneup

Fuel

Oil Change

Maintenance

Tires

Repairs

Memberships

License Renewal

Public Transportation

Travel & Entertainment

Vacations

Birthdays

Christmas

Amazon Prime

Hobbies & Lessons

Magazines and Newspapers

Software Subscriptions

Netflix

Movies 

Giving & Miscellaneous

Tithes & Offerings

Missions

Charitable donations

Financial Adviser

Tax Preparation

Remember To Include Taxes include both state and federal taxes in your retirement spending planning.

There are a few ways to reduce the amount of taxes you'll owe in retirement. One is to consider doing ROTH contributions and conversions as you prepare for retirement. Another is to carefully plan your withdrawals from those accounts so that you don't end up in a higher than necessary tax bracket.

Essential vs Discretionary 

-Essential expenses are those that you need to live, such as food, shelter, and clothing.

-Discretionary expenses are those that you can live without, such as entertainment and vacations.

The Goal Of Retirement

The goal of retirement is cash flow. It's all about making sure you have enough income to cover your expenses. You can start to project how much income you'll have in retirement and then compare your guaranteed income to your costs. Some of the most common sources of income in retirement are social security benefits , pensions, annuities, or rental income.

The Gap

Normally, your income sources will not cover all of your expenses in retirement. This is where your retirement savings come into play. You will likely need to supplement your income with withdrawals from a 401k, IRA, or other retirement accounts.

After entering all of your income and expenses into the calculator let's say you discover that you will have $50,000 dollars of income every year But your expenses are $90,000 per year. The gap in this scenario is $40,000. It is the difference between how much income you have compared to how much you plan to spend.

Have You Saved Enough To Cover The Gap?

The general rule of thumb is that you will take the gap number and multiply it by 25. This is based on the 4% rule that says you can safely withdraw up to four percent of your retirement savings each year without depleting your account. In the example above, you would need one million dollars saved to cover the forty thousand dollar gap.

Asset Allocation

If you are going to use the 4% rule you will want to make sure you have the correct asset allocation of your investments. The goal is to have a mix of stocks and bonds that will give you the best chance to not only cover your expenses but also keep up with inflation.

The research on the 4% rule found that a 60/40 mix of stocks and bonds is the sweet spot for most investors. This means that if you have a one million dollar portfolio, $600,000 would be in stocks and $400,000 would be in bonds.

Even though this combination has been shown to work, it does not factor in your risk tolerance and it's vital to note that past success is no indicator of future performance.

Withdrawal Order

How you choose to take money out of your different accounts could play a role in how long your money will last in retirement. The conventional wisdom is to withdraw from taxable accounts first and then move to tax-deferred accounts like a 401k or traditional IRA and save your tax-free accounts to last.

However, this is not always the best strategy because how much taxable income you have can impact other things such as how much you will pay for health insurance in the years leading up to age 65 or how much of your social security will be taxable.

 Experiment with different withdrawal strategies to figure out what would be the best approach for you.

[lonita]

B roll - 2020 09 24

24 - I was just speaking with a friend who runs a business and he was not able to bring anyone back full time. He had his staff decide amongst themselves how they wanted to split the hours he could offer. But he agreed that the kneejerk "just go get a job" response these days is nuts.

24 - I find it particularly disturbing, in a just stepped barefoot in fresh dog shit kind of way, when a person's only method of measuring their worth is by comparing it to the monetary wealth of another. That seems terribly constricting, narrow, and sad.

24 - Home Ec used to be very gendered at one point. Only women used to take it. Historically, it had very nasty gendering. I think everyone's equally capable of cooking, cleaning, etc., and should be taught equally.

24 - Why make education a privilege? Doctors are necessary, lawyers too. They are tools. We require them to function. If you expect your society to have doctors to serve it, then you need to make that happen.

24 - One simple thing that actually could help to mitigate poverty, burdens on the health care system, burdens on the welfare systems, is making post-secondary education free. Make it easier for people to get trained and educated, and don't burden children with unnecessary debt.

24 - I don't give a flying fuck at a rolling doughnut if people are rich. I honestly don't. I care about the rapaciousness brought on by wealth when so many are starving, homeless, and uneducated in wealthy countries where that doesn't need to happen, nor anywhere else for that matter.

24 - I don't need to have a deeply personal stake in a situation in order to be concerned about it.

24 - Not everything is about choice. Answers for one person aren't necessarily going to serve the problems of another.

24 - Choices don't exist so readily for everyone. If you think that people on low incomes or social assistance aren't already sacrificing everything possible, then you're living in a fantasy.

24 - Try living on $1169 a month and then tell me you don't think that ODSP needs expanding.

24 - Moving disabled people away from their supports seems senseless. Moving the poor away from low-cost rapid transit doesn't make much sense either.

24 - The state of rents in this country is to the point that there is nowhere 'cheaper' to live. Market rents where I am are $1200 at the bottom for a one-bedroom. Rents are grossly outpacing people's ability to pay them. Wages are not keeping up.

24 - Financial punishments for those who offshore their money in tax havens instead of investing in the economy they live in and profit from. Sounds good to me.

24 - My left big toe does this weird clicky thing when I bend it.

24 - I have dill havarti. It is glorious.

24 - If you presume good faith, then don't accuse people of telling lies.

24 - Most people have no idea how much money is NOT being put back into this country by the people with the most. And are instead taught to blame and scapegoat those with the least.

24 - It's not wrong to help people, and it's not wrong to need help.

24 - I recall reading years ago that adventure stories for girls in the era of Green Gables, Becky Landers, et al, used to be written by men because they didn’t think women were capable of writing about women.

24 - When something falls off your salad plate and you didn't realise it until you step on that cold, wet thing the next morning.

24 - Last time I cat sat for a friend in town, I stepped in her cat's fresh hairball. Ewww.

[ladyjmontilyet]

I've said this on Twitter before and I'll say it here - this is GREAT!! However, not if you're a creative on disability. Because for someone like me the Disability Allowance is €220 a week. So because I am not capable of full-time employment I receive €105 less per week than people on the new arts scheme.

It's a good start in the right direction, but this isn't enough for either artists or those of us on other social welfare payments. €325 per week over a year is €16,900. Whereas €220 per week over a year is €11,440. Obviously, there's a lot I could do with an extra 5k a year. One of our registered charities states that: "Updating that to 2021 levels, the relative income poverty line is at €286.48 for a single adult in Ireland." So Ireland is keeping the majority of the country who are on social welfare payments purposefully under the poverty line. During the pandemic workers were able to receive €350 per week to support themselves. Both the artists' payment and the disability payment are below this.

Also, in our cities, where the majority of our artists are forced to work, €16,900 per year qualifies them for social housing as well (any solo income under 40k qualifies). Now, many of our social housing waiting lists are like 5-10 years long depending on the area, but it really speaks to me that even on the highest paid State welfare program they still don't expect you to be able to afford rent by yourself. Currently the cheapest rental accommodation in my city is €848 per month to live in someone's house extension. As a person on disability I would only have €32 left over if I tried to rent this, and someone on the artists' programme would have €452 left over (which, let me tell you, will not go far in Ireland with our current inflation).

I want to be happy about the artists' programme but it's just another example of how our TDs do not live in reality and don't know how much everything costs. 1 in 6 TDs are landlords and benefit from the housing crisis so I don't expect them to raise the limits on any social welfare programme to something livable. It's just so painful that there's no way out of this hole they've put us all in.

P.S. i completely missed that the arts payment is taxed and i'm not about to rewrite all that. that total €16,900? probably a lot less once it reaches your bank account.

“The Irish government is offering a €325 weekly basic income trial for artists which will last for three years. As part of the trial 2,000 artists will be randomly selected from all of the applicants. The government definition of artists is broad and covers any creative or interpretative expression, including: visual arts, theatre, literature, music, dance, opera, film, circus and architecture.

The trial hopes to minimise the loss of skill and experience from the arts sector whilst also recognising the value that artists contributes to society. In addition, the trial is aiming to prove that a basic income enables artists to focus on projects without their projects being impacted from the stress of needing to look for work in other sectors to sustain them. Artists who receive the payment are also free to obtain additional work if they please without affecting the payment, however the payment is taxed so additional work may change their tax rate…

The policy was announced by Ireland’s Minster for the Arts Catherine Martin who is a member of Ireland’s Green Party. The Green party are one of three parties in a coalition government in Ireland. When launching the policy Martin said,

“I believe that this scheme is the start of a fundamental change in the way Ireland supports and recognises her artists and arts community.”

Martin went on to say,

“This pilot scheme represents a groundbreaking opportunity for us to explore how the role of the artist in Irish society can be protected and nurtured so we can continue to be inspired by great art for generations to come.”” -via The Good News Hub, 4/30/22

[shawllarlife]

How to live off the grid?

For some people, living off-grid simply means being disconnected from the utilities. For others, off-grid living means living a completely self-sufficient life where you can meet all your needs - including electricity, food, and medicine - but using modern technology to help you do so.

For others, going off-grid means living a primitive lifestyle without any modern technology. Shawllar's portable solar panels use the most advanced MWT technology available, with a conversion efficiency of up to 23.8%, to provide you with energy in time for your off-grid lifestyle. Compatible with the most commercially available power sources, you don't have to worry about matching them and you can enjoy off-grid living with peace of mind.

In this article, we look at the costs of living off-grid and what you need to get started.

1 What does it take to live off-grid? Unless you are living a completely primitive lifestyle, the cost of going off-grid may be higher than you think. The main initial costs include land, house and outbuildings, electrical system, digging a well, septic tank, and equipment. If you do most of the work yourself, a rustic off-grid home on cheap land may initially cost as little as US$10,000 to US$20,000. However, most people will end up spending at least $100,000 on their off-grid properties and homes.

If you want to be able to live self-sufficiently or profitably on your own land, you will need higher quality land, larger areas, and more complex systems, so expect to spend at least $200,000. Note: These prices come from many off-grid forums where people have discussed how much their projects have cost. Costs vary greatly depending on location, the technology used, etc.

Recurring costs of off-grid living Even when everything is set up and running, there are still many costs associated with living off-grid. Some of the recurring costs you may have to pay include property tax septic tank pumping every 1-3 years Equipment replacement parts Decreased efficiency of solar equipment Vehicle fuel propane wood for heating Insurance (property and health) Equipment/machinery rental Generally, these costs are cheaper or comparable to what you would pay if you were connected to the grid. However, they can often come as a surprise. For example, you may be surprised to find out how much more petrol your vehicle uses, given that you live in a remote location and often need to transport supplies. This is why it is vital to have a source of income when living off-grid.

What do I need to live off-grid?

Land Land is the most basic need for off-grid living. Unfortunately, finding suitable land is often not easy. If you want to live off the land - for example by having a garden or raising livestock - you need to find land that is large enough, water-rich and fertile to support these activities.

Shelter Most people probably think of a rustic cabin in the woods when they think of off-grid living, but there are many options for off-grid housing. Unfortunately, some of these options are not always legal. For example, most counties do not allow people to live in tents, yurts or caravans for more than a few weeks of the year (yes, even on your own land!) .

Water The average American household uses over 300 gallons of water per day. Because this water comes from the tap, most people don't think much about it. However, when you have to supply all your water while living off-grid, it can be quite a challenge. If you have limited water on your land (which is the case in most western states), you will have to take drastic measures to reduce the amount of water you use. This may make it impossible for you to grow certain crops or raise livestock.

Power supply Although it is possible to live off the grid without any power supply, this is not convenient. You have to do things like fetch water by hand from a well rather than using an electric pump. I can think of a dozen other chores that would be a better use of my time! Also, remember that it gets dark very quickly in winter. If you don't have power for lighting, you will have to stop working when the sun goes down. You can, of course, use candles for lighting, but unless you keep bees, you will have to buy wax. Wouldn't it be easier to use renewable energy? Solar, wind, and hydropower are the main sources of off-grid electricity. Even with these systems, living off-grid still means learning to conserve. You probably don't use your air conditioner as often in the summer, nor do you use high-energy appliances such as hair dryers. This is a major lifestyle change, but one that many people will eventually enjoy as they simplify their lives.

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[onthehighwaytomel]

Man...I gotta be honest, it's feeling more and more hopeless and disillusioning to be a working class woman with a not-sterilized(-yet) reproductive system in the U.S.

I'm dreaming about finally getting my first car (that I'd own) this year, and I'll be 31 in the summer. I have more credit card debt than I ever imagined myself having, and there's never enough leftover after bills to make more than the tiniest dent in it. Ever owning property or retiring seems like a pipe dream.

I want to get sterilized because I know I never want children. But that's another major expense (even with costly insurance), and how am I going to take the time off work for it? While at the same time, knowing that I likely have a narrowing window before that too becomes illegal, because the rising Christofascism demands that women be brood mares to make more wage + tax slaves on a dying planet.

And I don't have a long term partner I could combine incomes with, or share a car with, or who could support me while I take care of something not-work-related. And I truly don't believe I'll find such a partner until I move out of the town I live in. (Believe me, I've tried... I'm not the woman these Southwest PA manchildren want as a partner, nor do I want 99% of them.) The very town that I can't afford to leave anytime soon, because moving is expensive, and most other places cost more. Never mind ever getting to a country that actually gives a shit about its non-wealthy citizens. You see my predicament.

I have friends, but I don't really have anyone else I can rely on for anything more substantial than one-off small favors, or true emergencies. It's just me, taking care of me, like it's been for the past 8+ years. Neither of my parents can help financially. I can't even afford the new dresser that I desperately need, because it's either pay at least $200 for a flimsy one from Ikea (whose drawer bottoms will fall out under the weight of my clothes, like what happened to my current one), or try to find a local one for sale cheaper, and then pick it up...in the car that I don't have.

That's not even touching on student loans...these pauses have been a godsend, and I'm still behind.

And despite all this! I'm still pretty damn privileged! And my heart breaks for the trans community, and everyone subject to the onslaught of appalling, violent laws being put forward to state legislatures over the past several months. It just all feels so overwhelming and hopeless sometimes.

I really resent being born in a time where those in charge are, with isolated exceptions, ineffective or parasitic. Being born into such an economically fucked generation. And being born into a country that does not care about you, unless you're a wealthy straight white Christian man.

I have so much to offer, and I don't mind contributing, but in my adult life, it feels like I was never even given a fair chance at anything but subsistence living.

[callmearcturus]

When I was having a massive mental health crisis in 2014ish and had less than 80 bucks in my bank account and needed to go back to my family

It was a millionaire who helped me

Because I was friends with someone who worked in California and they had enough disposable income to give me some and that is the only reason I got out and that I'm here today

A million dollars is frankly not as much as we dream it is. It tricks us because it sounds like a "billion" and so we instinctively think they're the same thing, but they really, truly are not.

When my ~*millionaire*~ friend helped me out, that wasn't insignificant. That wasn't a drop in a barrel to them.

But that same person explained it thus: a medical crisis will still leave a millionaire destitute. Especially for someone who lives in California or another high cost of living state, they have to work to live. Yeah, obviously they are more comfortable than people who aren't millionaires, but if our movement is to say "fuck everyone who is more comfortable than I am" then I don't want a part of it! Because I want to be comfortable someday and I want YOU to be comfortable someday, and you know what? When I have needed help in the past, it's those people who have reached back and helped me. Because a fucking lot of them also come from low class and low income, and they know wtf its like.

As someone who grew up in a trailer park and who lived under the poverty line for LITERALLY 80% of my life: I am fucking begging people to actually learn the difference between a millionaire and a billionaire.

Mainly: you can legitimately earn a million dollars. You cannot EARN billion dollars.

Enough stupid infighting already. The problem with our country is not someone who hires a maid to clean their house, it's the system that allows for a maid to be disgustingly underpaid. It's that we aren't taxing the shit out of the rich.

[skaldish]

Hey, how much does it cost to move to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden since the land of opportunity (America) isn't really that good of a place to live anymore? Sounds like an excellent place to move to because my great grandfather comes from there, the healthcare and unionization are good, and I've got family members from Denmark.

So in a way, I'd be going, "on a Viking" and settling there.

Pretty expensive. Rent in Copenhagen I know was in the thousands for what equated to being a studio apartment (they measure by square footage as opposed to rooms there so it's tough to say), and a nice little house by the sea will easily run you over a million or two million.

But the overall cost of living in any of those places didn't strike me as being any worse than, say, Chicago or New York, or some places in California (like Burbank). Even with the 25% food and goods tax in Norway, things only were slightly more expensive than what I'm used to here in the states (speaking as someone who tries to buy organic, so mileage varies here. I was also only in these countries for a few days each).

Honestly, the largest expense would be the gamble of getting there and staying there. You'd lose a lot of money transporting yourself and your belongings across the Atlantic only to be sent back home six months later. But once you've established yourself there, your work visa and income will give you opportunities. Just don't expect gas prices to ever look nice.

I hear there's a demand for people in hospitality right now, like hotel cleaners and other such staff.

Also, unless you have family over there right now, having a grandmother or grandfather or such from Scandinavia isn't enough to qualify you for citizenship, at least for Norway.

[doberbutts]

i might be mixing you up with someone else i follow, but didn’t you just buy a house?? i want to but Don’t Know How, and was wondering how i go about getting pre approved. i have a couple credit unions/mortgage companies i can call, but like what do i say? “yes hello can i please have a note saying you’ll give me money if i need it?”

I am currently in the process of buying a house. At this point there's like 3 more things that need to happen and then I close on the house, sign the paperwork, get the keys, and I'm golden.

In order to get pre-approved if you have never bought a house before I would also wager you likely don't have 20% of total cost of the house PLUS closing costs saved up, as that'd be somewhere around 30k USD for a house costing 100k USD and that is considered fairly cheap in my area. This is what stops a lot of potential first time home buyers because unless we have wealthy parents or super well paying jobs, almost no one in my age bracket and earlier has this.

Luckily there are multiple solutions formed by the government to help you with this. First is FHA, which I'm using to buy my house. This allows someone with a decentish credit score to put down only 3.5% of the cost of the house (so, that down payment is 3.5k USD plus closing which would be somewhere around $7k USD total for that 100k USD house by comparison). You only qualify for it if you are a first time home buyer so since you have never bought a home before, provided your credit is alright this option is available to you. FHA does have a longer process because it requires a state-approved appraisal that YOU get to pay for, and the appraisal can fail a house for a number of reasons as it's intended to verify the house is relatively safe and intact to live in. Peeling paint, broken windows, and wires not safely grounded in the basement are common points of failure, but a house will also fail FHA if it has any major mechanical or structural issues such as a leaking roof, a bad foundation, plumbing or electrical issues, etc. It's somewhat annoying but it's meant to protect you as these problems can range from easily fixed with a 50USD part to a major health and safety concern with your house crumbling down around you while you're still on the hook to pay off that loan.

Most states have assistance for people with lower income to purchase their first house. The house must still pass FHA standards but states with these programs will also sometimes straight up give you or loan you the down payment and closing costs if you give them a nominal amount of money. Here in this state, it's 1k for that type of assistance. Unfortunately due to the way income works in this state, despite me making over the required amount because I make it in commission and tips it doesn't 'count' towards income to be weighed against the cost of the house. Super annoying because I pay taxes on that income regardless of if it 'counts' but whatever. So this option was not available to me but may still be for you. My state tacks the amount you're short onto your mortgage loan, so technically you're just saving up 1k USD to get your house. As said there are income limits with this and stricter credit limits but it can be a lifesaver if you qualify for it.

There are also programs through the USDA for development of agricultural land if rural is more your thing. I had considered this but income limits seemed very strict and I didn't want to fuss with it. Certain USDA programs allow you to qualify for a mortgage putting NOTHING down on the house, while others it's a significantly lower amount than the average, so if you like agriculture I would look into that but I don't have much experience with it myself because it didn't seem feasible for me. Some programs require you to have an 'income generating farm' so if you want to live out your cottagecore dream that's a nice foot in the door, others just want rural land to continue to be lived on and maintained so if you just want to live out in the sticks somewhere (me me me me me) then that's what you're looking for.

Overall my advice is to figure out which, if any, of these programs can be applicable to you and look into them. If you decide on one, then you must find banks that work with these types of loans (they MUST be certified to do so, if they are not they cannot help you and an honest bank should be able to tell you yes or no). From there be prepared to give them a shitton of paperwork proving residency, income, employment, debt, etc because they look into eeeeeeeverything. In the mean time clean up your credit as much as you can and try to lower your debt amounts if possible as income-to-debt ratio is killer with this stuff.

Good luck! It's a bad market for buyers right now but it's doable!