Luke Masini-30 Days on Minimum Wage

12. Money controls every facet of our lives and this feeling is what is ruining Alex and Morgan in their quest to live off of minimum wage. By way of society, we often cherish and adore our dollars, making it hard to see what the lust for it is doing to us. This is what Alex and Morgan experience as they learn to appreciate the little they have, and how small gestures go a long way. For example, the free store really hit Alex because it showed her that her luxurious life cannot be experienced by all, and that poverty is a harsh reality for millions of people. The couples underlying feeling of being ran over and forgotten was what frustrated them, as they kept getting hit with bills they were unable to pay, forcing them to encounter conflict and debate. This conflict of clashing forces between the two exposed why the minimum wage is too low and needs to be raised. Just as Senator Kennedy argued.

2. Budgeting was the largest obstacle for Alex and Morgan because of how much they had to spend on basic necessities, i.e. lighting, water, food, rent, in comparison to how much they made. Every purchase, even the donuts, was needed to be discussed between the two because of the tight and small budget they were living on. This type of tight money management played as a stressor for the couple because they always had the thought of there money in the back of their minds, which proved to hurt their relationship in frequent arguments and compromisations. Budgeting added stress to the couple because by limiting themselves to so little, they forced themselves out of their comfort zone, which was a new and awkward situation for the millionaire filmmaker and his fiancee at the time. The unexpected levels of uncertainty supported the argument made by many to raise the minimum wage, as prices rise but pay does not.