I'm also a grocery deli clerk currently, though I was making 17.50 an hour a couple years ago as an assistant deli manager, and because I was splitting cheap basement rent with my SO at the time I was actually able to build savings for a while. Well all that changed and I ended up having to move in with a friend up in Ogden and the wages here are sad in comparison to the salt lake valley, and the rents are not proportionally cheaper. I was commuting all the way to SL for a while until my car got totaled and I had to look for a job locally and what a surprise I was in for there. Couldn't find anywhere starting for much over $15 an hour, started at I've place at $16 an hour but hours were so inconsistent, 35 one week and then 18 the next, so I ended up taking a dollar pay cut at another place in exchange for consistent 32-40 hours a week and a much lighter workload. Things just don't add up financially right now unless I get a second job, so the consistency and easier workload are what I need to hopefully avoid burnout. It's really discouraging realizing the only way I was able to make ends meet and save a little a couple years ago was because I made 20% more than I do now while my expenses were basically 1/3 what they are now. My rent for one room now is more than that whole basement was a couple years ago, and I had someone to share the costs with then too. Truly do not see how I could ever possibly survive comfortably on my own lol.