Financial_Hardships_in_Montana

Financial Hardships in Montana Susan Petersen EN106 Professor Karen Wilcox Outline Thesis: Although many people live off low income in Montana is it by choice or is it the economy lifestyle here in Montana' I. Wages in Montana a. Working on minimum wage b. Working with a college education VS a high school diploma II. Services available in Montana a. Who is eligible b. What kinds of services are there i. Food Stamps/WIC (Women Infant Children) ii. Medicaid iii. Day care assistance iv. Low income housing v. Unemployment III. Living comfortable on low income a. Is being on services worth it the hassle' IV. Conclusion: Is there a way for most to live a comfortable lifestyle without being on services in the future' Shandy Rivenes EN 106 Research Paper 1 Rough Draft Financial Hardships in Montana Many often wonder if they are able to live a comfortable life in Montana. Although many people live off low income in Montana is it by choice or is it the economy lifestyle here' Some will say both, but many think you should only be living the low income lifestyle and on services if you are in desperate need of it. How often do you hear of people abusing the system' But why would services be here if there was nobody in need of them. The Department of Labor say minimum wage in Montana is $7.75 per hour but it can also be as low as $4.00 an hour if the business you’re working for only earns $110,000.00 annually. Say you work 40 hours per week and get paid every 2 weeks with getting paid $7.75 per hour; your paycheck would be $310.00 bi-weekly but this is not including the taxes that get taken out. For arguments sake we will pretend there are no taxes so every month. Then you would be making roughly $620.00 a month. Could you live off $620.00 a month' Now let’s throw rent, utilities, car payment, groceries, and miscellaneous items you’ll need to survive. You can see how hard it would be to live off minimum wage barley scrapping by pay check to pay check. Now on top of all of that let’s throw in a child or going to school full time as well as working full time on minimum wage. It’s now hard to see how people are not living off services to help them live a more comfortable lifestyle here in Montana. If have a high school diploma or college education how much easier would it be to live in low income areas in Montana; well not much easier. With a high school diploma you can make anywhere from $7.75- $15.00 an hour (Industry, 2010). Even with these wages is it enough not to live pay check to pay check. If we go somewhat in the middle of these wages and say you make $11.00 an hour with the same scenario as before you would be making an average of $880.00 even with making that it would still be hard not to want some assistance. Many think that you would need a college education to live a comfortable lifestyle here in Montana. With a college education the average salary you make in Montana is $20,000.00-$50,000.00 (Industry, 2010). Making this amount of money should provide a little more stability in your life with living in here but if you ask around that is not always the case. “Noticing small changes early helps you adapt to the bigger changes that are to come” (Spencer Johnson, Who Moved My Cheese, 1998). A change is what most people want when it comes to their incomes in Montana but it’s hard to predict if anything will be different with wages in the years ahead. In every state there are services to help you get by when not making enough from your job or even if you are jobless. It’s different in all states how you are eligible to be able to benefit from these services but in Montana different services require these same main things: must meet the financial requirements, must be a Montana resident, and proof of US citizenship. Some other services require you must meet age limit, have children, or be pregnant (Services, 2010). It’s easy to see how most would want to be on services if they were eligible and needed a little extra help. Five of the most commonly used services here in Montana are food stamps/WIC (women infant children), Medicaid, child care assistance, low income housing opportunities, and unemployment. (Services, 2010) Food Stamps & WIC (Women Infant Children) Food stamps are federal assistance to low or no income persons or families to purchase food (Encyclopedia, 2010). There are still restrictions to what you can buy with using your food stamps card but not many. WIC stands for women, infants and children. WIC is another federal assistance program of the Food and Nutrient Services of the US Department of Agriculture for healthcare and nutrition to low income pregnant women, breast feeding women, and children under the age of 5 (Encyclopedia, 2010). WIC provides women with more than just help with certain food items such as: milk, cheese, fruit, vegetables, or formula; they also encourage you to take classes with them for breastfeeding or staying healthy. In Montana many women participate with this very helpful program to ensure theirs and their child’s health but once again you have to qualify to get the assistance. Medicaid Medicaid is another huge program that Montanans take advantage of. Medicaid is a US government system providing medical assistance to persons unable to afford medical treatments (Encyclopedia, 2010). In Montana the requirements for this program is financial requirements, Montana resident, proof or US citizenship, age, have children, pregnant, or have breast or cervical cancer (Services, 2010). It’s nice for those to have these services that have no means of seeing a doctor because of they cannot afford the bill. Child Care Assistance With child care assistance in Montana it’s the same as low income housing it’s all based on your financial situation. They look at how much you make and agree to pay a percentage of your bill if not all of it. It’s comforting for those who are single parents who did not plan to be single parents and get the help they need to get on their feet, so they can continue working or going to school. Low Income Housing As I said before low income housing is based on your financial situation. They look at what you make, tell you the percent you will be paying and what they will pay for. Many take this opportunity in Montana to find homes or apartments that are low income especially if they are only making minimum wage and trying to take care of a family as well. Unemployment The last of the five most used services in Montana but certainly not least is unemployment. Unemployment is where you can file to receive financial help whether you were injured on the job, fired, cut in pay or hours, or have a medical problem keeping you from working. This is one of the services that require many certain details on why you will be receiving it. Many think unemployment is a free hand out to whoever does not feel like working but it is much more than that. You usually don’t make very much money on unemployment and can only stay on it for a certain amount of time before it expires. Most people in Montana will tell you it’s extremely hard to contact a person from their offices because so many are trying to receive this service. A lot have said it’s not worth the time unless you are in dire need of the assistance. “I have more fun and enjoy more financial success when I stop trying to get what I want and start helping other people get what they want” (Spencer Johnson, The One Minute Sales Person, 1984). It’s hard to say which people abuse the system and which people really need the assistance but it’s always nice to know that if you were ever in a troubled position there are options out there to help you succeed and strive to go on living a comfortable life on a low income salary. With all the assistance out there available to you and many others living low income in Montana may not seem that bad of a lifestyle but some of the people that work in the programs that you are applying for may not be so keen on another person just “living off the system”. When applying for these services don’t be afraid to ask questions and speak up if you don’t understand something. Many folks have not signed up for these services due to the reactions you get from people who are suppose to be there to help you. It seems these days that they are more annoyed with your presence rather than there to give you advice and assistance. Thinking you should have thought about your finances and lifestyle before having to sign up. “How we handle our money impacts every part of our lives. It is a huge factor in marriage, a tremendous responsibility in parenting, and a potential landmine for singles” (Ramsey, 2008). When you think about your finances with living and working in Montana so many often wonder if services is something they want to be on or if it’s just a hassle. You will really need to take a hard look and what you’re looking at in the past, present, and future for financial stability; “If you do not change, you can become extinct” (Spencer Johnson, Who Moved My Cheese, 1998). It’s always nice to know if you are ever going through any trouble there are always ways to help you survive the poverty here in Montana and you won’t just disappear in all of it. In conclusion it’s your choice whether you feel you are able to make it on your own with living in Montana and minimum wage being what it is or if you feel you might need some assistance for the future. That’s what’s so great about these programs if you are ever in financial trouble or wanting a new beginning to get a head start on a better more financially stable life they will be there for you to fall back on. The choice is yours. “May that knowledge help you build the life you really want” (Weston, 2007). References Works Cited (2010). Retrieved Febuary 22, 2010, from Encyclopedia: en.wikipedia.org Industry, D. o. (2010). Retrieved Febuary 22, 2010, from Workforce Services Division: jobs.mt.gov Labor, T. U. (2010, January 1). About Us: Department of Labor. Retrieved Febuary 15, 2010, from Department of Labor Web site: www.dol.gov/esa/miniwage/america.htm Ramsey, D. (Director). (2008). Relating With Money [Motion Picture]. Services, D. o. (2010). Retrieved Febuary 22, 2010, from Eligibility: www.dphhs.mt.gov Spencer Johnson, M. (1984). The One Minute Sales Person. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc. Spencer Johnson, M. (1998). Who Moved My Cheese. New York: G.P Putnam's Sons Publishers. Weston, L. P. (2007). Your Credit Score 2nd Edition. Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as FT Press. Abstract My research paper is on our low economy here in Montana. I’m writing on how many people live here without being on services such as food stamps, Medicaid, etc. and how many people benefit from these services. Also I am looking at the wages here in Montana and the cost of living here on minimum wage is enough for you to live comfortable month to month or if you are going to barely scrap by paycheck to paycheck. ----------------------- Financial Hardships in MT 2