My Life's Story

My life’s story with a minimum wage
“But I, being poor, have only my dreams. I have spread my dreams under your feet; tread softly, because you tread on my dreams.”
-William Butler Yeats
My name is Martha Lopez, I’m 37 years old and I experience a life full of difficulties which I have to overcome with $56.7 pesos a day.
I live in San Luis Potosi, here I was born too. I cannot say I’ve hada hard life, it would be far from the true, but I would be lying too if I said it has been easy. Through my life I’ve had several jobs, in Schools as cleaner, in Groceries stores, in Houses as housemaid, in Sweatshops, as food seller, in Laundries; and the most recent in a factory as worker. None of them have given me a great salary, but I guess is the best I can aim with an unfinished highschool.
Sometimes, I wish I had been more conscious and responsible. But as said in my country the “I wish I had” doesn’t exist. Don’t misinterpret me I love and am proud of my two sons, I wouldn’t change them for nothing, but sometimes, and just sometimes continuing is so hard. Yes, I am married, I have been married for almost 12 years, and I don’t mean to point out anything in special, but if myhusband supported me instead of watching T.V. all day long I would feel calmer.
When I was a child everything seemed easier, everything did. Now, as I grew up, I started wondering if it was easier for my parents; of course it was, my father used to be a gentle-worker-man, unlike the man that dares to call himself "The head of the family".
If I were to choose, I dare say, I would like to startagain. Finish high school, and maybe establish my own groceries store, even if is just a small one. The fact of me attending customers behind a counter makes me smile; plus, that way, more income might arrive. I would like Luis (my eldest son) went back to school, and finished as he has to, because as his grades weren't good, we decided he should studying. I regret that choice every day.
I plan tosearch for a better work, one in which the salary can be greater; and in which I don’t have to work myself out. I pray God can grant me this wish.
Do I exercise? Of course I do, I have a very good routine. It’s called daily life. And is so hard it leaves me exhaust.
I wish I had more time to share with my sons, because even though I just work eight hours per day, the rest of the day I have tocare of other issues, like cleaning, cooking, helping my little children with school. When all days come to an end I feel no excitement when discovering I’ll sleep a few hours, again.
Sometimes have to work in informal jobs, bills aren’t paying itself, and my salary isn’t enough…it will never be enough. All my life, I’ve always felt jealous of those who were able to finish their studiesproperly, because all my life I’ve seen how they, right in front of my eyes, get better jobs and get a better salary.
So, with a minimum wage, how do I manage my money? Well, it’s been quite hard and sometimes we even have to turn to loans for money to be enough to pay all bills. But my weekly and monthly struggle looks something like this:
Total Monthly Services
Total Monthly Services

  | Daily| Weekly | Monthy | | | |
Income | $ 56.70 | $ 340.20 | $ 1,360.80 | | | |
| | | | | | |
Food | Weekly |   | Monthly | | | |
Beans | $ 11.00 |   | $ 44.00 | | Basic Services | Monthly |
Rice |   |   | $ 20.00 | | Water | $ 70.00 |
Tortillas | $ 24.00 |   | $ 96.00 | |Gas | $ 100.00 |
Oil |   |   | $ 42.00 | | Electricity | $ 120.00 |
Milk | $ 11.00 |   | $ 44.00 | | School | $ 120.00 |
Vegetables | $ 35.00 |   | $ 140.00 | |   |   |
Fruits | $ 20.00 |   | $ 80.00 | | Total | $ 410.00 |
Eggs | $ 13.00 |...