The national minimum wage is viewed quite differently when it is the source of income for a single parent family and not just for one person. A Romanian challenged the young people of Generation Z to say how a family could manage with an income of approximately 2,600 lei.
A minimum income does not ensure a decent living for a family, believe many Romanians. Photo: Freepik.com
The minimum net salary in Romania for the year 2025 is 2,574 lei, part of a minimum gross salary of 4,050 lei.
The increase of this income has become in recent months a topic of national debate, involving representatives of the authorities and civil society.
While waiting for a decision regarding the establishment of the minimum wage for the year 2026, a young man challenged the Romanians to tell him how a single parent, with two children in his care, can live decently working on the minimum wage in the economy.
His message, addressed to “Generation Z” (those born after 1997 and in the 2000s) sparked a wave of reactions on the online platform Reddit.
Many young people complain that they are faced with rising costs, even without starting families yet. Others proposed various savings solutions, which they tried out of necessity during periods when their incomes were lower.
Minimum wage, acceptable only with additional help
For some, “stinginess” seems to be the only survival strategy with a monthly income of 2,500-3,000 lei.
“If you don’t pay rent, you have someone in the country who will send you a potato, an onion, a chicken, so that you don’t have to buy everything from the store, and someone else helps you, like a grandfather, with the bigger purchases or with tricks for the child, like a computer, etc., then you can survive. But to live well, I don’t think you can. Lay off… again, I think you can’t really do without a little help from the family”claims a young man.
With money-saving “tricks” like backyard chickens and parental help, but no unexpected expenses, “you still make it,” he adds.
The minimum income should be calculated down to the last penny
A young woman says that she learned to manage with her life partner, living on his salary, but she had to give up luxury.
“My boyfriend and I (both 23 years old) live on 3,500 lei (sometimes he works overtime and gets 4,000-4,500), and at the end of the month we eat what’s left in the pantry, because we run out of money. We don’t pay rent, we don’t pay heat, we only pay net + TV (about 45 lei), water about 10 lei and electricity about 200-250 lei, like that”, this tells.
She says that she prefers going out to eat at a restaurant, but she couldn’t give up smoking for good.
“We don’t eat anything special: soup is always mandatory, and for the second course: pasta, ostropel, goulash… basically some meat with sauce (kind of itchy) or with potatoes. I always cook, and for dessert I also make a cake or a pie at home, with the simplest possible ingredients. We buy the cheapest shower gels, creams and other products like that. When we go shopping, I look through the offers and take into account the price have the food normally”, adds the young woman.
She is of the opinion that a salary of less than 2,600 lei is not enough to support two children, regardless of age.
“You do a simple calculation: in a week you shop for 200-300 lei, in a month it’s about 1,500 lei, plus electricity, you reach 1,800 lei, plus Internet, TV and water, you reach 2,000 lei (I have water from the well, because I live at home, I don’t know exactly how much people in the block pay for water), plus heat — they are 2,300? So you’re left with 200 lei, which you’ll probably spend on transport. But maybe you’re craving some juice too.”it estimates.
Minimum wage diet
A young woman claims that she manages to live alone, with a minimal income on the economy. He spends about 150 lei a week on food, pays bills of about 300 lei, but does not pay rent. According to his calculations, he could afford to live in rent.
“I cook cheap recipes, enough to last me two days: chicken pilaf and simple salad, pasta with tomato sauce and vegetables, potato stew with chicken, lentil or bean and pickle dish, sauteed cabbage and rice, omelette or baked potatoes, chicken soup and pasta with garlic.” recommend this.
With the minimum net salary you can live in a decent rent in a big city, like Bucharest, says another Romanian.
“But you won’t have water, electricity or heat, because you don’t have any money left to pay for them. As for food, you can make up your mind. And that as a single person. Add two children now.” add this one.
Another Romanian is of the opinion that a family can live on a minimum wage, if it lives at home, has its own garden and small expenses.
“I know a woman who lives on minimum wage and has a daughter in high school. The mother didn’t see a new dress, a make-up, nothing to splurge on—just the bare necessities. Her daughter didn’t have much more either: she only wore second-hand clothes (not that it’s a bad thing, but at that age you want a lot). Even so, she was struggling.”he adds.
You can’t live decently on a minimum wage, not even with a child, someone else thinks. However, this is also true in other countries, not only in Romania, he adds.
“No one has mentioned how stingy you have to be, on a scale of 1 to 10, to live on minimum wage as a parent with two kids. For example, if they’re good, you might consider taking them to the cake shop on Sundays…to see people eating cookies,” adds another netizen.
Happy childhood, no money
Another says that she worked for several years receiving the minimum wage in the economy, but she could barely manage on her own.
“I live in a small town. The rents are getting higher and higher. For a studio apartment you pay between 1,000 and 1,200 lei. That is half of the minimum wage. Food costs a lot. I remember that I didn’t have enough money for food from one month to the next. And that was about five years ago. Now I think it’s even worse. In short, if you don’t have parents to help you or someone to you share the expenses, you never manage alone. Or you only eat bread and pate, just to survive”she concludes.
Another young man is of the opinion that, in the countryside, Romanians could live on minimum wages, even with dependent children.
“I lived with my two brothers and my parents, who didn’t have jobs, but worked the land. We didn’t live in luxury, there were many deprivations, but when you’re a child, it’s the atmosphere and the parent, not the money, that matters more to have a happy childhood. Now, money helps, it’s good to have it. But it doesn’t really matter that much, as long as you have the minimum necessary: a roof over your head and healthy food. And all this is possible obtain in the country, at minimum prices”, the young man thinks.
