Tuesday, December 7, 2010

This thing called simple living

In the latest edition of my residence permit saga, the lady responsible for my case voiced her doubt that I can live off of my monthly 'salary' from pbi and pointed out that I receive less than Hartz-IV recipients.

The fact that I receive less money than those on the German welfare system is something I'd never much considered before.  Earlier this year, during Lent, members of a few church congregations decided to restrict themselves to living only off the amount that Hartz-IV recipients receive.  I read an article from one participant, and she wrote how, after a couple weeks, she was out of money.

I've never thought that living at this income level was that hard.  But I guess it all depends on your perspective and what you are used to.  I went from college (where I had multiple jobs but where the income went to tuition) to a volunteer year to several months of unemployment to more volunteer service, and, besides, thriftiness (or stinginess) is part of my nature.  The article author wrote that what broke her budget were her social activities - going out for drinks and the like.  In my time here, my circle of friends has mostly consisted of interns: college students or recent graduates who spend 4 months working here without receiving any payment; it's a lot easier to avoid spending money if your friends don't have any either.

But, upon further consideration, living at this financial level is hard.  Or, at least, it very well could be.

I rely on my bike to get around.  But if someone is elderly or for any number of health reasons is not able to ride through the city (which is increasingly plausible as temperatures fall further below freezing and the ice and snow accumulate), they are left with the cost of public transportation.  After paying rent, a monthly pass would wipe out more than a quarter of my income.

I have a washing machine to use free of charge, but others face the costs of regular visits to the laundromat.  Whereas I sub-let and don't have to worry about such things, others may see their entire monthly income swallowed up by a broken refrigerator.  And the list continues.

Just as in the US, welfare recipients here are also stigmatized and discriminated against.  If everyone in the city would undergo a stint of 'living simply,' they would discover that it's really not that simple.

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