Wattpad 101: Your guide to the world of Wattpad

How Much is Money?

Money makes the world go around, and most young writers don't have a good understanding on how much things cost. This chapter is dated the second I put it online in 2016, and I'm sure you can go back ten years from now and laugh at how cheap some of the numbers I'll be putting up are. Either way, this is a reference guide for people inexperienced with money. This will let you understand "round-about" how much things cost.

I am very specifically talking about the US. Most of my experience is in the Midwest, but I'll try to range my estimates for including city life. As I mention on my last "in the US" chapter, the closer you live to a city, the more expensive things get. Certain areas are cheap living, other areas are expensive. It depends on an innumerable number of factors, but at the very least, this will give you some perspective on living in the United States and how much money is when translated to actually living.

The minimum wage in the USA right now is $7.25 per hour of work. Forty hours a week with 52 weeks in a year means your bringing home around $14,000 a year. That is the minimum salary. Assuming you'll get basically all of it back at the end of the year taken for taxes, because at this point you are destitute. However, most minimum wage jobs don't give you 40 hour work weeks, which also puts a damper on things. You see, when a job give you 40 hours a week, they're required to provide benefits like healthcare, so they'd rather hire a bunch of people at 20 hours a week. If you're desperate, you might have 2-3 20 hour a week jobs.

Anyway, for one person with a full time minimum wage job, this is considered just above the poverty line at ~$12,000 per year. For one person plus a kid, the poverty line is ~$16,000 a year. For a four person family, it's around ~$24,000 a year. Keep in mind this is the federal limit for impoverished (in 2015), and not the limit for when you can gain financial aid nor the level anyone would want to be at. You're still poor, but at these thresholds it's theoretically possible to provide for your family.

A studio apartment might cost around $400-700 to rent per month. A required deposit of one month's rent to twice one month's rent, +$100-$200 per animal is due when getting an apartment. A one bedroom would be $500-$1000, a 2 bedroom would be $600-1200, a 3 bedroom would be $700-$1400, ect... ect... In the city, this price can double the numbers I just mentioned, based on how close to the city center and how nice the area is. Typically, the closer you get to nicer areas, the worst the price per square foot. Square footage is a big affector. 350 square feet might be a studio apartment, while a 2 bedroom can go from 700-1000 square feet. Of course, there are always bigger places, and smaller places for that matter.

Electricity and gas usually end up on one bill, but not always. You can get a gas only or an electric only home, and will require appliances of the same type. Typically, gas + electric would cost around $120-$200 a month for a family of four in a 3 bedroom home. How airtight the home is, how much you use television and other power hungry devices, ect... all play a role.

Internet can go from $40-$140 a month depending on the speed. Cellphones can also go from $40-$200 based on the plan you go with and the data you get. Satellite or Cable Television will usually put you about $100 a month. You can get packages that combine some of these, so it's feasible to get television, internet, and a home phone for $150 a month or so.

A new car will cost over $25,000. The cheapest cars will be a little cheaper ($18-22,000), but anything but the base models will put you $30,000 or more. The payment plan will have you paying $200-$500 (more for more expensive cars) per month. Most car loans are a six year loan. Cars need insurance, so add from $60-$100 per car per person for that. You can also go and buy a used car, and perhaps find one for $4000-$6000, but there are always risks that come with buying used.