I Shall only Describe One Month of the Year, but the Amounts are Basically the Same Month to Month. Total Yearly Income is $10,104 for a Senior Citizen. This is NOT the Diarist's Budget, but a Friend whom the Diarist Knows Personally.
January, 2013:
Total Income for the Month: $842.00
Expenses Rounded Off to Nearest Dollar:
Student Loan: $110.00 (Defaulted and Finally Caught w/no Way to Avoid Paying)
Monthly Payment on Medical Device not Covered by Medicare: $23.00
Prescription Drugs: $66.00
Rent w/Utilities Included: $549.00
Using a Laundromat: $12.00
Low Income Bus Pass at $.25 per ride: $22.00
Personal Needs: $31.00
Turtle Food for Pet: $7.00
Donation to Church: $20.00
Savings: $2.00 (used for stamps to send letters)
All Meals Eaten at Friends Homes or at a Local Soup Kitchen for the Poor and Clothing from the Church. Friends have ensured she has a radio and a television so she knows what is going on in the world and where she lives.
Last Vacation: 1982
So, there you have it. People wonder why I am so adament about the situation of the poor in America. This woman is only one person, yet multiple millions are struggling just as hard and the working poor are only doing a smidge better, if it can be called that.