My son works full time here in Florida. Let me run his numbers. State minimum wage is $14/hour. He's at $15. 40 hours a week = $600/week That's about $2,600/month before taxes. Florida has no state income tax the thing they sell you on. So after federal and FICA he takes home roughly $2,200. Average one-bedroom in our area runs about $1,600. That's 73% of his entire paycheck gone to rent before he eats a single meal. Leaves him around $600 a month for: - groceries - gas - car insurance - health insurance - phone - emergencies - savings Car insurance alone eats a third of that in this state. He works 40 hours a week and cannot save a dollar. Not because he's careless because there's nothing left to be careless with. I spent thirty years paying off a house here. He's doing the same job I did at his age and he can't afford a one-bedroom. That's not a discipline problem. That's not avocado toast. The floor moved and nobody lowered the ceiling. Working full time should cover a roof. In Florida it barely covers the rent on one.