Colorado's Minimum Wage Up 99 Cents: Six Things You Can Buy With That Boost

As of January 1, 2017, minimum wage in Colorado is now $9.30 — up from $8.31 — after the first of four hikes that will result in a minimum wage of $12 by 2020. While that's still a relative pittance in booming Denver, every penny counts. Here are six things...

By Westword Staff

January 4, 2017

aliexpress.com

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As of January 1, 2017, minimum wage in Colorado is now $9.30 — up from $8.31 — after the first of four hikes that will result in a minimum wage of $12 by 2020. While that's still a relative pittance in booming Denver, every penny counts. Here are six things you can buy with that extra $7.92 a day you'll get for working eight hours at the new minimum wage:

Black Is My Happy Colour "Funny Casual Hipster Shirt"
alieexpress.com
Ah, irony. After an eight-hour day in a fast-food uniform, you'll need a quick change.

Book of Days MP3
Amazon
Nektor's Book of Days is just one of many releases available on Amazon for $7.92. Or go for the free thirty-day trial that allows you to stream millions of songs — but don't forget to cancel before the deadline.

click to enlarge

Elizabeth Taylor's violet eyes predated contacts.

Elizabeth

Men's Pack Multivitamin Product
Blinkhealth.com
"This medication is a multivitamin product used to treat or prevent vitamin deficiency due to poor diet, certain illnesses, or during pregnancy," according to the site (don't ask why the men's pack covers pregnancy — although at this wage level, a pregnant mate might mean a major financial headache). "Vitamins are important building blocks of the body and help keep you in good health." Especially if you can't afford a particularly healthy diet on your minimum-wage pay.

USB Car and Wall Charger
Pingline
Good luck affording the car, though. Or anything to plug into the charger, for that matter.

Violet Colorado Contact Lenses
bornpretty.com
But don't wear them too often: You'll need to see clearly to keep your very meager budget balanced.

Bonus:
The extra $39.60 you'll collect a week is almost 13 percent of the $311 you'll pay a week for an average one-bedroom apartment in Denver, according to apartmentlist.com. But there's good news in those dismaying numbers: That median $1,350-a-month rent actually represents an 0.4 percent reduction over Denver rents the previous month.

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