How Much Money You Need to Make in St. Cloud to Earn a Livable Wage

HOW DO YOU STACK UP AGAINST THE ECONOMY?

Well...this explains a lot. I've been busting my tail for the past 10 years as a single parent raising three sons, working full time and playing music and doing extra voice work on the side, just to make sure my kids have a decent shot at saving up their money and getting a good start in life once they are out on their own.  Granted, they are all now in their 20's so it's time for them to start paying for things on their own, but I'm still shocked at the cost of living in St. Cloud is well above what a single parent here can do.

Get our free mobile app

THINGS HAPPEN

Obviously, I had no plans of being a single parent when I had three children. That's just the way things worked out. I was feeling overwhelmed this morning, wondering what else I could possibly do to be able to put back money for retirement.  I was feeling bad about myself because I feel like I'm never doing enough. When you start to feel overwhelmed it can cause extreme anxiety and depression; I feel like there's no way I can ever do enough, so why keep fighting?!

I checked out the figures at Livable.com, I realized that I'm actually doing okay compared to the rest of the single parents out there. This doesn't necessarily make me feel any better about the situation, but I'm not all alone in this sinking boat. I don't know that it's necessarily good news, but it did make me realize...it's NOT me...it's the unbearable economy.

LIVABLE.COM

Wondering how you match up with everyone else in St. Cloud? Maybe you live somewhere else. At Livable.com you can type in a zip code, and it will give you a breakdown of what a single parent with 1 to 3 children has to make to earn a livable wage, as well as the difference two working parents make compared to one.  The breakdown for St. Cloud showed the following:

• A single parent with 3 children needs to make over $52 an hour to earn a livable wage,
• Two adults with one working parent and three children need to make over $39 an hour to earn a livable wage.
• Two adults with two working parents and three children need to make over $26 an hour to earn a livable wage.

The site also broke down what expenses were, including housing, food, childcare, transportation, income before and after taxes, and other details.

WHAT ABOUT SINGLE PEOPLE WITH NO KIDS?

If you are an adult with no children living in St. Cloud, a livable watch is slightly over $16 an hour. If you are two adults with no kids and one of you is working, then a livable wage is slightly over $26 an hour. Two adults both working with no kids only need to make slightly over $13 an hour.

I found this site helpful for a few reasons. If you are someone that is thinking about getting married and having children, or maybe not getting married and having children, you will be able to realistic cost of living. I'm hoping having this information will help you make financial decisions that will keep you from getting in over your head. Good Luck! Share this information with your kids, as it may help them make smart financial decisions.