Despite the increase in the minimum wage in Poland, it is inactive hard to keep – prices are rising from day to day. The inhabitants of large and tiny cities face various problems, but the essence is the same – money for basic needs barely suffices. In this material Poles from different regions share their stories about how they last for a minimum wage.
The lowest wage is presently PLN 4300 gross, or about PLN 3261 net. The minimum wage in Poland has been guaranteed by law since 2002. At first it was about 36% of the average salary, but over the years it began to grow significantly. According to Forsal.pl, in 2023 the minimum wage was 49% of the average wage, and this year it will most likely be 54 or even 55%.
Jacek Karnowski, State Secretary at the Ministry of Finance and Regional Policy, believes that the minimum wage should depend on the region. He notes that the cost of surviving in Warsaw differs from life in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. In his opinion, regionalisation of minimum wage will strengthen the economies of regions with a higher level of development.
Comparing the cost of surviving solely on the basis of the place of residence is unfair, as it always depends on the individual needs of the individual concerned. However, even if we presume that the cost of food, basic cosmetics and media can be the same, we must remember that surviving in the countryside and in a large metropolis has completely different needs. Even transport. Transport isolation frequently requires tiny cities to spend much more on fuel than those in cities where public transport functions well. Having a roof over your head is another matter. At first glance, it seems that the monthly cost of surviving a private home is lower than the installment or rent, but it is besides crucial to remember about abrupt failures or increased costs during the winter.
Noizz readers from large and tiny cities, earning a minimum wage, shared their regular lives.
Marlena, 30, country saleswoman:
— I make a small more than minimum wage. Yes, I have no mortgage, my husband and I live at home with relatives, but we, like another Poles, gotta buy food, dress and refuel cars. The prices are almost the same, but the earnings are no longer. On the another hand, frankly, comparing my financial situation to the situation of another residents of our village, I cannot complain. First, I have a steady job. any people combine 2 part-time jobs and make about as much money as I do. In addition, I am among the fewer fortunate ones who have a occupation virtually 10 minutes walk from home. We have 3 stores, a post office, a gas station and a bakery. If anyone can get to 1 of these places, they'll stay there until retirement. I'm fortunate due to the fact that my cousin owns the store.
David, 37, from Warsaw:
I just finished working at the store for a minimum salary, so I realize everyone who is in this situation today. Life in the capital is truly hard today. Prices increased disproportionately to income. Renting a area presently costs 1500 PLN, of course without a fee for the media, which is half of the minimum salary.
Everyone's upped their prices, and we're yet making so much money that there's inactive not enough. In these days, a common man wonders if that's enough. Earlier, I paid on average PLN 100-150 for food items. any will say it's impossible, but I've always held on, so I've learned to save and calculate or choose cheaper alternatives. I did, but my life wasn't bad. And now? How much did your wage increase this year? About PLN 300-400 net, and my standard weekly purchases increased by about PLN 100. The increase does not even cover food costs. another crucial expenses should be paid, specified as a travel card or a journey to a hairdresser. I don't even want to talk about my social life due to the fact that it's changed a lot. I stopped going to clubs and walking around the city. If I leave from time to time, I can see that I gotta spend 2 or 3 times as much as before the raise.
Where to find money for things that just should be bought from time to time, like fresh shoes or a jacket? I figure that surviving for a minimum wage in a large city can sometimes be humiliating, due to the fact that how else could it feel to be an adult, a working individual who couldn't afford a average life?
Roxana, 18, waitress in Poznań:
I come from a village where the nearest store is 10 km from my house. In June, I moved to Poznań and almost immediately found a occupation as a waitress at a restaurant. I don't work all day, but on weekdays I work 12 hours. This makes me adequate money all week to cover my basic needs and I can afford to eat outside the home or go to the movies.
But that doesn't mean I make much, due to the fact that my wage is most likely the lowest in the country. I just live frugally, always checking promotions in grocery stores, buying what's at a good price or looking for cheaper replacements. And what's truly crucial is that I have a good situation with the flat due to the fact that I don't rent it.
All I pay for is bills that take distant my weekly salary.
Life in the countryside and in the large city is 2 different worlds. In the village everything is cheaper – a pool ticket, a movie ticket, a condition of ice cream, but the choice is much smaller. On the another hand, everything is more costly in a large city and I feel that it is “Instagrammable” by force. I've got everything at hand, I can order pizza at any time, which in my village was impossible. On the 1 hand, it's a large plus, on the other, minus, due to the fact that I'm more tempted to spend money on unnecessary things. Sometimes I go buying out of boredom.
Regionalisation of minimum wage creates mixed feelings
I do not support this idea, due to the fact that then even more people will start fleeing tiny cities and villages to large cities. possibly the cost of surviving in large cities will increase even more, says Roxana.
David is besides skeptical of this innovation: “I do not have the experience to analyse it, but I think it is better to fight rising prices in everything and everywhere. The villagers besides have quite a few expenditure, but the proportions in different categories may be different," he says.
Continued here:
Poles from different regions tell how they live for minimum wage
