Survey: Nearly half of U.S. lives paycheck to paycheck

[LiberalNation]

That's not good but then if you want to buy you have to spend. Americans want to buy and live well for it if not debt free.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/12/lif...eut/index.html

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Four out of 10 U.S. workers often or always live from paycheck to paycheck, according to a survey released Monday.

Women are more likely to live paycheck to paycheck, at 47 percent, than men, at 36 percent, according to the survey conducted for CareerBuilder.com, an online job site based in Chicago.

Overall, 41 percent of workers say they often or always live paycheck to paycheck, it said.

Also, 41 percent of women say they do not have enough income to live comfortably, compared with 29 percent of men.

U.S. government and other research reports have found that women earn about 77 cents for every dollar earned by men for comparable work. Women are also more likely to be single parents.

The new survey said 19 percent of workers who earn $100,000 or more annually often or always live paycheck to paycheck.

It found 58 percent of respondents report they set a budget each month. But one in five say they typically spend more than their budget, most often blowing it by eating out.

The survey also said one in five do not set aside any money for savings each month. Of those who do, 14 percent save $500 or more a month, 28 percent save $100 or less and 16 percent save less than $50.

It said 26 percent of women do not set aside any savings, compared with 17 percent of men.

The survey of 6,169 full-time adult workers was conducted between November 17 and December 11, 2006 by Harris Interactive and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percentage point.

[shattered]

Women are more likely to live paycheck to paycheck because they *have* to spend more money than men just on personal products alone. A bar of soap and a stick of deoderant just isn't going to cut it. A pair of jeans and a t-shirt just isn't going to cut it.

Now..they'd probably have MORE money if they didn't pop $50 to get their nails DONE every 6 weeks, and instead grew their own nails, and paid $5.00 for a bottle of polish. They'd probably have more money if they didn't spend $75 to get their hair dyed every month. Leave it natural for crissakes - you can't fight old age.

[LiberalNation]

U.S. government and other research reports have found that women earn about 77 cents for every dollar earned by men for comparable work.

Just thought I'd point this out. In this day an age this shouldn't be.

[shattered]

Just thought I'd point this out. In this day an age this shouldn't be.

<b>Comparable</b>; not <b>identical</b>.

[MtnBiker]

People can learn to budget their money better. Spending less than you earn is not difficult.

[Hobbit]

Just thought I'd point this out. In this day an age this shouldn't be.

That statistic figures in studies from NOW, an organization notorious for skewing its studies (getting leered at does not count as rape). That figure fails to account for seniority and experience, which is also down among women, because they tend to take a few years off to raise children, while men work pretty much all the way through retirement.

[manu1959]

Just thought I'd point this out. In this day an age this shouldn't be.

not pole dancing

[gabosaurus]

The number will continue to grow until Bush leaves office. Because he enjoys that type of stuff.

[manu1959]

The number will continue to grow until Bush leaves office. Because he enjoys that type of stuff.

the number will continue to grow because those that can not control themselves continue to live beyond their means

[stephanie]

Just watch and see, if a Democrat is elected in 08...

We'll start seeing a lot less of our money...

Mark my words..

[Hobbit]

Just watch and see, if a Democrat is elected in 08...

We'll start seeing a lot less of our money...

Mark my words..

In other news, sky is found to be blue.

[stang56k]

Sorry, I cant feel sorry for people that live beyond there means. Its not hard to live paycheck to paycheck when your...Buying 24 inch Rims for your 07 Escalade that you use to carry around 4 of your illegitmate kids to pick up a welfare check.

Kind of an exagoratied point but...

[5stringJeff]

I'll second what MtnBiker said. How many of these people living paycheck to paycheck have cell phones? Cable TV? A car payment? High-speed internet? How many go to the movies or eat out more than once a week?

It's not hard to save a little money each paycheck, but it means temporarily denying yourself something now to gain something later - a concept which is far less common than it should be.

[Birdzeye]

Women are more likely to live paycheck to paycheck because they *have* to spend more money than men just on personal products alone. A bar of soap and a stick of deoderant just isn't going to cut it. A pair of jeans and a t-shirt just isn't going to cut it.

Now..they'd probably have MORE money if they didn't pop $50 to get their nails DONE every 6 weeks, and instead grew their own nails, and paid $5.00 for a bottle of polish. They'd probably have more money if they didn't spend $75 to get their hair dyed every month. Leave it natural for crissakes - you can't fight old age.

Has it ever occurred to you that there are people who don't "pop $50 to get their nails DONE every 6 weeks" and still have a hard time making ends meet even when buying only the basic necessities and at the lowest price available? Been there, done that.

[CockySOB]

I'll second what MtnBiker said. How many of these people living paycheck to paycheck have cell phones? Cable TV? A car payment? High-speed internet? How many go to the movies or eat out more than once a week?

It's not hard to save a little money each paycheck, but it means temporarily denying yourself something now to gain something later - a concept which is far less common than it should be.

How about LCD or plasma HDTV's, game consoles, and designer names on their clothing labels?

Most consumers have a problem discerning the difference between "need" and "want."