Gen Z surviving paycheck to paycheck with minimal spendings! Boomers: "If you kids can't live comfortably on $20 an hour, you have to be overspending." We got to break this down very quickly to give people perspective into the Gen Z's lives. If you make $20 an hour, that is $40,000 a year. After taxes, that is $2,750. The average one-bedroom apartment and utility is going to run you $2,000. You cannot do that making $20 an hour, so you're going to have to rent with a roommate for about $1,200, and that's being conservative. $500 a month for groceries, which is less than $150 a week. $300 for a student loan payment, which is below average. $150 for car insurance, $150 for gas, $100 for personal care, $50 for a cell phone is $2,750. That is paycheck to paycheck, leaving you with nothing. Nothing for savings, investments, the big one, health insurance, because I'm assuming they're under 26 years old, and zero fund. Now, if they were to make $30 an hour, that's $60,000 a year.