Nickel and DimedNickel and Dimed

Millions of Americans work full-time, year-round, for poverty-level wages. But how can anyone survive, let alone prosper, on six to seven dollars an hour? To find out, Barbara Ehrenreich moved to Florida to Maine to Minnesota, taking the cheapest lodgings available and accepting work as a waitress, hotel maid, house cleaner, nursing home aide, and Wal-Mart salesperson. She soon discovered that even the lowliest occupations require exhausting mental and physical efforts. And one job is not enough; you need at least two if you intend to live indoors.