Come work for Wal-Mart - it's a great place and yes it IS possible to live with only income.
Pros
It is a great place to start employment. Wages are competitive if not above competitive if you are new or fairly new to the work force. It is a fantastic place for women who have been stay at home moms and now need to supplement or even become the primary provider. It is probably one of the most diverse companies I have ever seen. The opportunities for advancement are excellent. If you are a hard worker and a team player, you can advance at a very fast rate. Wal-Mart is not age discriminatory. You have as much opportunity for advancement if you are 18 or 68. And NO most of my fellow associates are NOT on state-funded health care. Wal-Mart provides competitive benefits. It costs me less than $50/pay period to insure myself and my spouse. Wal-Mart also provides a 401k and share-holding plan. Associates do not have to contribute.
Cons
If you were hired prior to 2007, wages do not compensate for the raise in cost of living. People who have been hired subsequently will most likely be making more money than those hired prior to 2007 - such as myself - even with the annual pay raises. The difference in pay between hourly associates and hourly management needs to be addressed. New hourly associate hirees are making more money than their supervisors who were hired prior to 2007, yet the workload of hourly management is much greater.
