Ask HN: How are people not making tech salaries getting by?

I live in a small town in New York state. I collect SSI and "make" about 10k a year. My rent is adjusted down to $103 for a 1 bed 1 bath 1 kitchen 1 living room apartment. I get more SNAP for food than I can physically eat. I can literally not do anything for the foreseeable future and be 100% fine although I don't and am constantly doing random projects (for free, making money or "hustle" is never my goal) and burning myself out. I have gigabit fiber for $65/mo. My utility bill is adjusted down to usually 20-something bucks a month. My meds are free and covered by my Medicaid? Meda-whatever, I confuse caid and care and forget which is which. I buy my groceries on Amazon which accepts my SNAP. I don't have a license or own a car. I have a nice computer (multiple). I have a big 4k TV. My life is pretty great.

I mean, my case is unusual because I jumped through tons of hoops to get the correct assistance for my situation and most wouldn't do any of this... Pride or something irrational. I wish you didn't need to be legitimately disabled to get this kind of help. I wish basic income was universal.

Edit: I don't travel. I haven't vacationed ever. I also cannot legally save money due to this entire situation. So there are downsides to collecting SSI. I can't really invest. I can't have more than $2,000... I also can't have roommates or a loved one live with me and keep the same adjustments.

This is my opinion, and mine alone (as near as I can tell).

The real reason for inflation is this-- we bail out wealthy people who then go buy up assets poor people need to live to hedge against inflation. We also allow foreign investment in real-estate, which means local wage earners are now competing with international buyers for homes... which is absolutely scandalous.

The living standard of the poor is reduced by that much, and then living standard of the wealthy is increased by that much.

This cycle happens every 8-to-10 years... 4 times in my life-time at least. And each time wealth is transferred up.

Economists call this the Cantellion effect: https://mattstoller.substack.com/p/the-cantillon-effect-why-...

I am assuming you are talking about the U.S.?

I can't really comment on the situation in the U.S., as I'm from Europe, sorry.

I just wanted to say, that I find it rather irritating how you are trying to put blame on "the current government". First of all, this makes the post feel politically motivated, rather than being a genuine question - secondly, if the depression you are describing is coming, then the root causes of it are highly likely to go back a lot further than just what one government did "the last few years". A depression that lasts for decades, typically also has has been in the making for decades before it's start.

And when it comes to the triggers that might start a long-looming depression - the pandemic (esp. money printing for stimulus packages), and supply chain crisis seem the most likely candidates.

I don't think he is putting the blame on the current government. He is saying he thinks they will lose, which is an observation not a condemnation. He is not commenting on their policy.

I think the best thing you Americans could do right now, is to stop trying to divide the country even further, stop shifting blame, but unite and work together to effect actual change.

These calls for unity and bipartisanship are precisely the wrong approach. In time of crisis there are certain issues that need to be solved one way or the other.

The US should effect regime change in Russia or it should not. Housing is an investment vehicle or a necessity for life. Wokeness is a strategy to fight systemic racism or a strategy to divide the working class. These are all reasonable but incompatible positions.

The government must choose one and go forward to see how it works. But bipartisanship is just limping on both legs.

Too bad it'll never happen.

I'm on a low income bracket, and have forced myself to live frugally. I do couponing, cook all my own meals, limit the amount of electricity I use, and rarely sign up to online subscriptions that drain your account without you even noticing. I also don't own a car, & cycle everywhere. I make a little wishlist at the start of the year for things/gadgets I need and buy them near Christmas when I have extra money.

From the metrics I am seeing reported, I don't think it's so bad, at least certainly nowhere near the great depression. Inflation is indeed way up, but unemployment is way down.

I think what we are seeing is a great shortage of things, hence the increased prices, I very much think it's still part of the pandemic and the inflation will eventually subside, on the bright side if it doesn't you can stop worrying about debt (your or the country's).

Disclosure: I don't live in the US

Being employed doesn't exempt you from poverty in USA

It sounds like you have the perspective of someone living somewhere unusually expensive (like NYC) and don't know anyone outside tech.

Rent is not even close to $3k for a single person in most of the US, even in many large cities.

Non-tech salaries in things like accounting, sales, and marketing are still often better than $70k.

I agree that inflation is painful and Democrats will be blamed for it, but white collar workers are still doing very well.

>> Rents are easily near $3k

Presuming this is in SF? Remember rents are much lower elsewhere, as is buying.

Things aren’t great now but due to external factors like a 2-year global pandemic + an unexpected war. Economically things were much much worse during the Great Recession in 2009.

Inflation in 2009 was almost 0%. With Yuan becoming new petro dollar, Stagflation is more likely. Everything imported will cost more.

Inflation doesn’t matter much when you’re unemployed. Things may cost more now but at least most people have jobs and can buy the essentials (even if they have to make big compromises at times). That’s different to being out of work for years with no end in sight.

70k is a huge salary in UA. Milk costs $1 per liter and $3k rent per month is a cost of great flat and some pretty hookers every Sunday. I know a guy who use to live having <1k and he doesn't seem to have an unhappy life.

This is a problem for high cost areas, as they end up lacking “support people” who are priced out. Cops, fire, teachers, med techs, nurses, daycare, …. All of the things that make the higher $$ lives easier, keep them going and teach the little critters. These end up with staggering commutes or just give up and move. So the techies just do without or pony up big salaries to keep them there.

But then people keep proposing solutions for this that’s get derided as unions or big government. Guess the FAANGs will hire their own staff to cover the gaps? Conservatism and libertarianism is great until you have to man the hoses.

Guess there's lots of Cons and Libertarians reading NH as every time I point out nasty issues with things SV I get an instant downvote that occasionally trickles back up to 0 or 1. Pointing out that the sheer explosion of housing and salary in SV and environs really puts the screws to the normal people/staff that make society work isn't politics - it's the nasty reality of SV. It was that way in 2000, and the trend was going that way beforehand.

You can bemoan the lack of nurses/teachers/..., go a distance for services, truck in services or pony up and pay them. Your call.