Sandra Cortez starts her 10-hour shift at Metro Star Coffee Shop in Jackson Heights at 6 a.m. Cortez, 22, one of about two million minimum wage workers in New York State earns $11 an hour, working six days a week. “The key is to be organized and plan out what you’ll do with your earnings,” said Cortez. Each week, Cortez, who emigrated from Honduras when she was 19-years-old, says she spends $15 for laundry and $30 for groceries—and sends about $20 or $30 to her mother in Honduras. Every month, she also pays $400 for her share of the rent. The extra cash from hiked wages will help a little, she says. “I can go out more and buy whatever I want,” she said. — Manolo Morales
A Little Extra Goes A Long Way
