Nickel and Dimed is a work of investigative journalism. In the book, author Barbara Ehrenheich takes a series of jobs that pay minimum wage to discover how people who earn a low income make ends meet. She learns that surviving on minimum wage is so difficult that most workers can't afford to rent apartments or live on their own. She also learns that the work is degrading and that the people who are meant to provide assistance to the poor aren't always helpful.
Her next city of choice was Portland, Maine. In Maine, there are many weekly motels to choose from, and she finds one that is affordable and comfortable. She chose this location because of its mainly Caucasian demographics. She finds two jobs that she is able to keep at the same time- working as a maid for a housekeeping service during the week, and as a dietary aide in a nursing home on the weekends.
The nursing home job, consists mainly of feeding the residents of the nursing home and cleaning up the food items. After a short time on the job Ehrenreich is entrusted with feeding the entire Alzheimer's ward by herself. She surprised that with so little experience on the job she is given such a responsibility. Many of the patients are diabetic and the wrong desert could worsen their health. She remains nervous during this time but has pride in her work after her shift is completed.
But during that week, working for a housekeeping company gets more and more difficult for her, both physically and mentally. Ted, the boss, is strict with the women who work for him and keeps them to a rigid schedule that they must adhere to. The schedule makes it difficult for any of the women to have a lunch break, and a low wages means that most of them don't have lunch to bring. They spend most of their lunch breaks and picking up a few items, such as potato chips, at a local convenience store and eating it in the car.
There are two housekeepers that Ehrenreich works with often- Marge and Holly. Marge teaches Ehrenreich about the different pain medications that can help with the physical pain caused by performing the housekeeping duties. The job Ehrenreich finds the most difficult is vacuuming. The company has its own vacuum that is worn on the back like a backpack. Some of the older women are unable to vacuum because of the difficulty of wearing it so. Holly is a young woman who has been with the company's long enough to be the supervisor of Ehrenreich’s group. During one day of work she twists her ankle and is unable to walk without pain. She refuses to see a doctor but instead wants to finish their day's work. During the course of Ehrenreich’s month with the company, Holly finds out she is pregnant. The other women discover her condition because of her nausea and dizziness. She is vague when they ask her whether she is pregnant, not wanting to miss any work or to be treated differently. Ehrenreich calls for a work stoppage to protest Holly’s fear of missing work. But as no one else will join her in the stoppage, she eventually pitches in and cleans the house. After complaining to Ted, he gives Holly a day off to seek medical treatment. Upon leaving her housekeeping job, she reveals her true reason for having each job, and is not met with the surprise she had expected.
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