NationStates

Some time ago, I was interested by a proposal for universal basic income from Andrew Yang, a man who is running for the 2020 Democratic nomination. His proposal would give all (opting in) American citizens a financial foundation, a basic income of $1000 a month.

Suppose that something like Yang's proposal is implemented, and you do get an extra $1000 a month on top of whatever money/income you have. Assuming that there are no issues that have to be accounted for (e.g. basic income is feasible here), what would you do if you get $1000 unconditionally every month?

If I get $1000/month, I'd like to pay some of my university tuition since I could worry less about financial standing and more on my studies. I'd also like to set aside some of the basic income for a fund that I could use in case of a small emergency or in case I want to make small investments in the future. I might also be able to help out some of my entrepreneurial friends interested in running their own businesses, by making sure that they are off to a good start with some investments and additional financial support.

What about you, NSG?

Save it because why not.

Party all the time.

Sanctum and Ultima wrote:Save it because why not.

It does make sense. $1000 every month would be quite a bit of money to save if it's well-managed.

Use it to pay off.. well, whatever needed to be paid off. In my current situation, it would be costs associated with college. And then I could have extra income from my job. Course, $1000 ain't gonna cover everything in a month for the average life, but it definitely helps out. I find that I'm a little more motivated to work more hours if I know that I'll have 'fun money' afterwards instead of it being 'pay off the bill money'. Basically, I'd see it as 'money I didn't really earn but I'll use it for debt alleviation anyway'.

I'd likely save/invest for the eventual market crash.

Convert it into Pounds at the local Post Office each month, then use all of that money to bet against the American Dollar. Once the USA has to beg to the IMF, Jeremy Corbyn is rejected by a whopping margin in 2022, and the Democrats eventually get banjected from the White House two years later, I end up becoming a very rich woman indeed!

Probably get a nicer apartment

I have already succeeded at setting up my finances so I don't even need $12,000/yr to live just fine. My goal is already to reach the point where I don't have to earn any money at all.

$1,000/mo with no strings attached would make it so that goal is met. So, I'd instantly retire! I'd probably do woodworking and make YouTube videos of it for fun, and if that happened to make me some money too, then cool beans - but I wouldn't do one more thing with "making money" as its primary goal.

BTW, no, I'm not a basement dweller!

If universal basic income were enacted, I firmly believe that the standard of living would simply rise by $1,000/month. Either directly by the costs of basic necessities rising that much, indirectly where the costs of doing things rise that much, or a combination of both. As such, it's highly unlikely anybody anywhere would have any additional money.

Also, I've never seen anyone explain how or where the $1,000/month comes from.

It would probably just sit in the bank

Why?

Books, lotsa books. Also donations to groups I wish to support.

That's nearly enough to buy a house all on it's own. I buy a house and turn it into a half acre homestead, then use the money I save to lobby the local gvernment to let me keep chickens.
Yay chickens! \o/

95X wrote:If universal basic income were enacted, I firmly believe that the standard of living would simply rise by $1,000/month. Either directly by the costs of basic necessities rising that much, indirectly where the costs of doing things rise that much, or a combination of both. As such, it's highly unlikely anybody anywhere would have any additional money.

Also, I've never seen anyone explain how or where the $1,000/month comes from.

I don't think Yang is proposing it, but serious proposals for a universal basic income advocate using it to replace our current welfare system. So the money would come from taxes the same way it does now, only now nearly all of it would go to paying out benefits as opposed to most of it going to just managing the programs. Under those proposals we could give people about 1,600 a month without increasing taxes.

Half would go into my retirement fund, other half would be spent on doing stuff I enjoy. I already make a decent income, so this would be a nice bonus.

Or maybe I'd move somewhere a little nicer and use the money as extra rent money

What we pretty much do with our extra income and that is to put it to work for a higher return, such as investing.

Probably just end up pay a higher price for rent and such. Once "free" government money is injected prices tend to start rising. Look at what happened with college tuition. Assuming that didn't happen though, probably just give it to charity.

I'd like to say save it, but everyone getting $1000 a month would likely reduce the value of the currency, so I'd just be using it for bills and saving the rest. If the dollar stayed stable though, I'd save it and spend the returns on booze and PC parts

Save up

differential equation course

Buy what I need and save most of it.

Gradually refresh extremely old and half-broken furniture. Stock up on some necessities. Make sure the house I own is more livable.

Things a non-rich person can't do in this broken capitalist system we live in, anymore.

Probably spend most on food and then regret it

Cocaine.

Really books, courses and software tools are much more likely.

Invest as much as I can get myself to, save some of it for college, pay for my upcoming driving lessons, as well as pre-final-exam tutoring and maybe some programming lessons, buy a 6-cylinder BMW E39 wagon when I get my license.

Mostly college, external education and investment, though.

Save it. Buy a few things here and there.