Let’s say you live in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

$15/hr full time is $31,200 per year.

Between state and federal taxes, your take home pay is $25,884 per year.

Average rent for a 1 bedroom place in OKC is $855/month, not including utilities.

Meaning that you have $15,624 to live on for the entire year.

Including food. Including utilities. Including gas for your car. Including car payments and car insurance. Everything, from the tap water you drink to the bandaids you put on your elbow when you bash it into the kitchen counter, needs to cost less than $15,624. Everything.

And next year, you’re on the exact same budget…except that rent goes up, food prices go up, gas prices go up.