Approximately, between 2010 and 2012 people who worked as employees of a company earning minimum wage could cope with the economic crisis that was already beginning to be felt about 10 years ago, in the year 2000.
In my case, I could cover my basic needs like food, clothing and footwear, and I could save money. Of course, as long as I bought the food in the supermarket of regulated products sacrificing all my free day due to the queues, to have to get up early the next day to work again and repeat the routine every week. That was not life.
Currently, the minimum wage in Venezuela does not cover even 3% of the basic food basket. What you want to say is that if for example you need a pair of shoes or a shirt, either because of wear or because you simply want to, you must sacrifice your food, that is, you should lower the quality of your meals for to cover that expense that sooner or later will be necessary. Since a pair of shoes cost around 3 to 5 minimum wages here in Venezuela.
So, the questions that must be asked by many people from other countries in Latin America and the world is: How do Venezuelans do? How long will they endure that situation? What can they do to survive?.
Based on my own experience, the answer and my recommendation for Venezuelans is that if you live here you should NOT work for a company as an employee earning 1 minimum wage, or 2, 3, or 4 because it will not reach you to improve your quality of lifetime.
Dare, go out and start a business! do not sit idly by watching television, or playing the lottery with the false hope that it will get you out of poverty, because what you earn today in any game of chance you will eventually lose it in later bets, I assure it.
So, if you are a company employee, I strongly recommend that you look for a way to raise capital through a loan or a bank credit and start a business. It does not have to be a big business, it can be something small to start, for example: dedicate yourself to selling lunches, breakfast, donuts, coffee, chocolate, soft drinks or cakes. There are so many options!
Currently, I am a generator of my own job with a small business and my goal is to become a business owner to generate employment for other people who need it and contribute a grain of sand to my country.
If I look back and remember when I was employed and compare myself to me in this moment, I can see that I am much better than before and I must not go back.
If you do not feel confident to take this step now, wait for your vacation in the place where you work and try it at that time, or work during the day and in the afternoon you sell something. And Pre-calculating what your costs and earnings will be.
Aim for a small goal and gradually increase your challenges. For example, if you sold a cake every day in the first week, try to sell two in the second. You can also combine business: coffee and cakes, oatmeal with cheese sandwich, whatever.
You will notice how the monthly earnings as an employee do not compare with the earnings you will get if you work on your own.
If you are not in Venezuela but instead you are in an economically better country, I recommend that you take this step much more quickly and without hesitation, and of course, taking care to do everything legally to the extent that the laws of your country allow it.
Another tip, once you work on your own, and if you are in a country like this where money is devalued every day and you want to save, do not go to make the serious mistake that many people make when saving their money in the bank. No, no and no. You can do two things: you can invest more money in the business you started or you can buy dollars so that your money is shielded against devaluation and when you have a good amount of dollars you move to a bigger business with better dividends.
To conclude, if I had started to generate my own job when Venezuela was economically prosperous, I am very sure that I already would have my own house and my own car. Opportunities are everywhere, but everything depends on whether we let them go or if we make the decision to take advantage of them today.
I wish you good luck and many successes! It is still not too late to start.