Barbara Ehrenreich's On (Not) Getting By In America

Millions of people work full time on minimum wage yet barely scrape by, some even have more than one job. Author Barbara Ehrenreich’s book, “Nickel and Dimed, ‘On (Not) Getting By in America,’” shows her struggle of trying to survive on minimum wage. Over a span of three months and three different locations, she obtains job(s) and attempts to survive the month. Ultimately, she fails in the last month and concludes that minimum wage is far too low to get by in America. The title is signify the difficult and near impossibility of surviving on minimum wage. Ehrenreich argues that minimum wage should be increased to become a livable wage. Barbara Ehrenreich is right that minimum wage should be made a livable wage because it is too hard to find …show more content…
Under minimum wage, it is very difficult to save any many since people can barely scrape by. This creates a dangerous state for low income workers, if any emergency occurs they will not be able to pay for it. For example, Ehrenreich developes a bad rash while in Maine. She eventually caves and calls her dermatologist to obtain prescription medication, something no low income worker could afford to do. Assuming there were no emergency payments, it is still hard to get by on such little income. Ehrenreich had to constantly eat fast food and avoid luxuries in order to get past the month. If she was a single mother with her children, it would be impossible for her to get by on her job alone. This lack of money leads many of these full time workers of minimum wage to seek a second part time job. While in Florida, Ehrenreich tried to be a waitress and clean hotel rooms, but she could not keep up the work. Afterward in Maine, she worked at a maid service and an elderly home. This lowers the amount of free time they have, not allowing them to care for any children they may have. This low minimum wage does not allow workers to care for themselves, let alone others adequately