She calls 2026 rough, with gas, groceries and rent all climbing. Back in 2009, she rented a one-bedroom apartment in Lubbock for $400. Zillow now lists the average one-bedroom at $700, she says, and she has looked at what that money buys here. She does not call it desirable.
Then she runs the numbers. A $12 hourly wage at 40 hours a week brings in $2,080 a month before taxes. Pay $1,393 in rent, which adds up to $16,716 a year, and $687 remains for utilities, groceries, transportation and insurance.
Approval creates another hurdle. Chrissy says many landlords want proof that a renter makes three times the monthly rent, and a $2,080 paycheck falls short of that for a $1,393 apartment. She also says friends who spent years in college expecting a degree to bring financial security now struggle with bills. She rejects the idea that canceling Netflix or skipping Starbucks fixes any of it.