this post was submitted on 16 Mar 2026
703 points (98.8% liked)

Comic Strips

22986 readers
1725 users here now

Comic Strips is a community for those who love comic stories.

The rules are simple:

Web of links

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Furbag@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (4 children)

Hey, I don't know if this is how you want to hear this, but 20k/yr is far below the poverty line in the United States. I don't know if you are self employed/entrepreneurial but that comes out to just above $10/hr, ~~which is below even the federal minimum wage requirements.~~

[–] JollyBrancher@sh.itjust.works 16 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Federal minimum wage in USA is $7.25 USD. It's even shittier than you were told.

[–] Furbag@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Hmm, I thought the Biden administration had successfully pushed it up to some pittance like $11 or something. Or at least that was my recollection. Consider me corrected.

[–] starman2112@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I'm aware. The thing is, the next lowest lifestyle bracket in 5e is "Poor," which is described as

Your accommodations might be a room in a flophouse or in the common room above a tavern. You benefit from some legal protections, but you still have to contend with violence, crime, and disease. People at this lifestyle level tend to be unskilled laborers, costermongers, peddlers, thieves, mercenaries, and other disreputable types.

I don't have to contend with violence or crime, and the only reason I have to contend with disease is because I live in the US. Like, even people living a Comfortable lifestyle live in fear of our "healthcare" system.

By modern first world country standards, I'm definitely poor. By medieval fantasy standards, I'm doing pretty good

[–] chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 1 week ago

It isn't, it's a little bit more:

$15,960

[–] WoodScientist@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

What's the income required to share a studio apartment with six people, never have healthcare, and subsist on a diet of simple grains? That's the modern equivalent of a Medieval peasant lifestyle. Remember, in this era, it was common for entire large families to share a single bed.