When Renee Smith, 43, comes into work at Burger King every day, she takes pride in working her way up from getting paid $8.50 an hour to $11 an hour.
As a mother of four children and one grandchild all under the same roof, Smith said her and her husband have struggled to make ends meet for years.
“I’ve been working here for four years,” she said. “When you’re in a place long enough, you get comfortable and it’s hard to leave.”
Smith’s husband is a farmer, and she said they have to rely on their oldest daughter to help support them.
“We are surviving,” she said. We are nowhere near where I want to be.”
When it comes to budgeting, Smith and her family focus on putting food on the table.
“I wish we got coupons or something working on here, that would be a life saver,” she said. “But food is what we got to use our paychecks for first. I’ll get my hair and nails done when I can to look nice or splurge on the girls and buy them a new pair of shoes, but that’s about it.”
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