After college I moved to do a job in D.C.
I made $1,400/mo. (take home)
Lived by myself in an apartment that cost $1100/mo.
Had a car, drove it rarely (to the airport and back, twice).
For 9 months I existed like this. Then the building got condemned and I had to move. Just to put in perspective what 1100/mo will get you in DC (actually a suburb of DC, more than an hour by train from work), a building on the verge of condemnation.
I was a little wiser by this point, so I got a new spot to live in a house with 4 other dudes, that was only $450.00 a month. The remainder of my time there was the richest I've ever felt. It was closer to the train too!
After a total of 14 months in D.C. I left.
Reading the article posted by the O.P. my heart went out to the chick a little bit. She's just horribly ignorant and doesn't know what she doesn't know.
But at that stage of your life, having an adventure like that, just own the adventure.
And don't spend so much on some of that crap. I didn't get any food at work and I still had plenty to eat. Shit I ate out plenty during that time. There was a place that had $3.00 large pizzas on Tuesdays. I'd get two and have a couple slices a day every day. It wasn't good food, but not like I'm "crying myself to sleep, waking up with stomach pains."
Working full time at minimum wage isn't a pleasant experience. And if you lack financial skills it is hard. The difficulty is engaging folks like that in a dialogue where they won't confront that some of their situation is their fault.
"If only we could get paid more..."
Just saddens me really. I really want to figure out how to teach financial literacy in a way that high school kids would pay attention.