How much money are you earning per month?

Joshua74

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 18, 2006
Messages
11
Location
la Clusaz / France
Hello,

Im' french and i'm wondering how much dollars you earned per month in your country (USA, anywhere...) because the price of a flashlight doesn't represent the same amount according to the money you earned (and it is not the same from one country to an other). In france the minimum wage is about 1300 USD 1000 euros) for 152 worked hours per month, it is the "SMIC". So a 250 USD flashlight (surefire U2...) represents about 20% of the money earned by a guy who earn the "SMIC".

What about you ?
 

gadget_lover

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 7, 2003
Messages
7,148
Location
Near Silicon Valley (too near)
Based on munimum wage, it's similar.

You'd not expect someone making minimum wage to buy a U2 unless he/she has no other expenses. Someone living with their parents, for instance.

For those in higher paid professions, the surefire is expensive, but not so bad. In my area the average household income is around $100,000 per year. That includes two income families. There are other communities where the average is closer to $10,000 per year.

Daniel
 

VWTim

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 7, 2004
Messages
822
Location
Corvallis (OSU)
Ya, I'm living off ~1200 a month while going to school. I live alone and don't have much of anything leftover for toys.
 

light_emitting_dude

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 23, 2006
Messages
1,171
Location
Ohio
I don't have a problem letting people know how much I make a month because I am a public servant. (Police) Actually it is their tax paying right to know.........I make approximately $3900.00 a month gross.
 

sunspot

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 22, 2001
Messages
2,707
Location
Graham, NC
3600, with 512 going towards the goverment, for 140 hours of work. Oh yeah, 50 to the union.
 

Manzerick

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 3, 2004
Messages
2,793
Location
Boston, Massachusetts
I guess I can be honest too....

Just over $4,300 per month...


Now for the funny parts:

* can't buy a house in the Boston market. All livable houses are $400,000+
* by no means have a new car (2000 GTP)
* don't waste money on hard drugs..just way too many flashlights which I know I need to pair down the herd by withdraw my sales after I think about it.

A true sickness!


light_emitting_dude said:
I don't have a problem letting people know how much I make a month because I am a public servant. (Police) Actually it is their tax paying right to know.........I make approximately $3900.00 a month gross.
 

Illum

Flashaholic
Joined
Apr 29, 2006
Messages
13,053
Location
Central Florida, USA
~$400ish :awman:
over half if that will be used on specific payments, gas, food, and only 5% goes to the light fund...so... $20/month for lights
 

Sable

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 27, 2006
Messages
454
Location
Arizona
Roughly 3500 gross, with a big piece of that going to taxes, rent, and health insurance. Oh, how I hate health insurance.
 

DrJ

Enlightened
Joined
Oct 23, 2003
Messages
565
Well 152 hours a month is about 35 hours per week...(possibly not counting the gigantic vacation most people get in France...some up to a few months)...most Americans with a regular job (I would say) work more hours than that...so another way to look at it is, we can just afford to buy a flashlight from the extra hours that we work....
 

jtr1962

Flashaholic
Joined
Nov 22, 2003
Messages
7,506
Location
Flushing, NY
The_LED_Museum said:
I receive $501 per month ($6,012 per year) on Social Security, so I guess my income is significantly less than average. :shakehead:
That's around where I am at this point in time since I'm self-employed with only one major customer. However, that number should increase significantly in the next few years as I try out a few ideas I have up my sleeve.

Last full-time job I had (in 1990) I was making about $1900 without overtime. I usually averaged about 8 or 9 hours OT per week so the actual monthly income was closer to $2500.

Given how expensive housing is in NYC and the high state/local income taxes you need a monthly income of at least $5000 to even consider living completely on your own.
 

jtr1962

Flashaholic
Joined
Nov 22, 2003
Messages
7,506
Location
Flushing, NY
DrJ said:
Well 152 hours a month is about 35 hours per week...(possibly not counting the gigantic vacation most people get in France...some up to a few months)...most Americans with a regular job (I would say) work more hours than that...so another way to look at it is, we can just afford to buy a flashlight from the extra hours that we work....
Yes, compared to most Americans the working hours in France are far less. I really love their idea of basically closing down most businesses in the summer. Summer is about the worst possible time to work plus the extended rest helps recharge your batteries for the coming year. It's a shame US employers don't see the advantages of just closing their doors in July and August. Their employees would be happier, healthier, and would probably do as much work in the ten months when they do work than they now do in twelve.

I used to regularly put in at least 50 hours a week. We had no vacations at all for the first five years, not even unpaid vacations. No sick days either. I think we had had eight or ten paid holidays. These conditions would probably be considered slave labor in France yet they are normal for many employees in the US. Oh, and mimimum wage is currently $5.75 an hour (about $872/month based on a 35 hour work week). However, there are loads of people here working "off the books" for $2 or even $1 per hour, especially illegal immigrants.
 

powernoodle

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 25, 2004
Messages
2,512
Location
secret underground bunker
In America, the average annual household income of people earning the minimum wage is $64,000 per year. Thats because more than half are between 16 and 23 years old and living with their parents. Bureau of Labor Statistics info - as reported by Michael Medved - which I found interesting. And something you won't hear about on network tv, because it doesn't fit into their agenda.

The average household income in America is $42,000.

I don't have a point - I'm just stating some facts which may be helpful to the original poster. :)

cheers
 

Trashman

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 15, 2005
Messages
3,544
Location
Covina, California
My hours are different ever week. This past week, I've been home nursing an injury--so, no pay. With overtime, my 2-week checks range from $700-850, on average. Also, as you may or may not know, I supplement my income by driving around at night collecting the recyclable scrap that people throw away. People have been poaching my precious trash these days, in other words, more people are doing the same as me and are also moving into my areas, in which previously, I had no other competitors. This supplemental income can range anywhere from between $100-$900 profit (after gas expenses).

These days, it seems I'm making about $1600-$1900, total, but it does get higher. There are a couple of months when I have 3 paychecks and my income goes up a bit.

Edit: My figures are my take home, not gross.
 
Last edited:

Oddjob

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 24, 2006
Messages
2,175
Location
London, Ontario, Canada
I make $4500.00 CAD ($3900.00 USD)gross. After all deductions I end up taking home around $3000.00 CAD ($2600.00 USD). The heck if I know where it all goes...:shrug:
 

cobb

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 26, 2004
Messages
2,957
2400 after taxes if I get 13 hours in between both jobs. Been sick the past two weeks, missed a lot of work at both jobs, one offers sick leave. Now with the holiday, and no paid leave at the other, will be short this week and for the whole month.

Luckly I can live of of 700 or so a month to cover the bills and food. Just got a lot of bills to pay from being a former disabled person.
 

Monocrom

Flashaholic
Joined
Aug 27, 2006
Messages
19,842
Location
NYC
I'm too tired to convert it into months. I make $10.50 an hour.

Definitely not enough to fuel my addiction for lights! :grin2:
 
Top