What is the absolute minimum amount anyone can feasibly live on?
According to TikToker Liv B, who uses the handle @oliviamariah97, that amount would be more than the measly sum of $10,000 a month or $120,000 annually.
Just under double the average wage for Americans in 2021.
After first sharing her declaration on her TikTok, her video gained even more attention when it was shared on Twitter.
@oliviamariah97 Reply to @watchmrpayne you can make that SERVING just saying
In the 19-second video, Liv B, looked directly in the camera and responded to a comment pasted in the overlay, where a TikToker declared they made $117K a year.
She declared that amount was not a lot of money, and was only a lot of money to "some Americans" because "Americans are broke."
Needless to say, fellow TIkToker's had plenty to say in the comments section of the video which Liv B eventually turned off.
But she responded to a handful of comments in a series of follow-up videos.
In the first of these follow-ups, Live B wasted no time taking on a TikToker who informed her the average income of a household is $63K combined.
To which Liv B simply asked "average where?"
Liv B revealed she grew up in California and her parents combined income was over $400K a year.
She then disclosed she is currently in Arizona, where she believes the statistic pasted in the video's overlay is also inaccurate.
In her second follow up video, Liv B shared her rent was $2,000 a month and she also eats at least $2,000 a month worth of food.
In a third follow up video, also shared on Twitter, Liv B addressed a comment which accused her of living a "lavish lifestyle."
Live B angrily disputed this claim, saying she was 25-years old and lived an "adult life" and she personally couldn't survive on only $10,000 a month.
In a slightly longer 4th follow up video, Liv B claimed all the negative comments she received were due to the fact viewers took her videos "out of context."
@oliviamariah97 Reply to @ham.hndrxx if you knew me, you’d know how kind and humble i am 😭🤍
Liv B clarified she meant $10,000 was not a lot of money for a 25-year old Californian living in Arizona who liked to travel, eat out and partake in multiple activities.
She then revealed she works at a restaurant part-time as one of her "other incomes."
Live B also stressed it wasn't her intent to look down on those who made less than $100,000 a year.
She merely wanted to point out depending on where you lived, this seemingly large amount of money might not go far.
She ended the just under one minute video by urging her viewers to "stop being so sensitive."
"I'm sorry, I'm not responsible for how you take my videos."
"I'm not responsible for your feelings."
"All I can say is, I'm very direct, you can ask me anything, and I'm not a silver spoon child."
"Like, I'm humble."
In a two-part fifth follow-up video, Liv B acknowledged she may have come off as a little entitled in her initial video.
She disclosed $100,000 was the grand prize for a reality show she was hoping to be on and should she ever win, or earn that sum, it would all be invested to advance her professional career and personal life, but she would give a portion of it "back to the community."
She eventually confessed $100,000 was, indeed, a lot of money—considerably more than the median American income—and apologized for "using the wrong verbiage."
Liv B also stressed she is not a "silver spoon girl" and wanted to "do better in life."
"I want to leave an impact on this world, I want to be a bigger influence and show people that you can be yourself and do anything you want."
"If you put your mind to it, you can do it."
She once again tried to explain her deductions towards $10,000 a month being a low amount to live on were based on her rent of $2,000 a month and her personal lifestyle decisions.
In part two of the fifth follow-up video, Liv B confessed it may have been a mistake to say "Americans are broke" but once again it was misunderstood by viewers.
She claimed she was "trying to make a point that didn't make sense" and it was one of those instances where people say things "out of their a**."
Liv B apologized to anyone she might have offended, declaring herself "a work in progress."
She once again stressed she does not, in fact, spend $10,000 a month and she is careful to invest and save, but that building up a career can cost money.
However, after Liv B's final follow-up video was shared on Twitter, it included some calculations based on her previous follow up videos which did not paint her in the most positive light.
"Aight from her videos i made this calculation her rent is 2k, she spends 2k on food, about 4k on weed and 2K on other things."
" No wonder she’s calling y’all broke, she smoked her braincells away…"
The latter part of @niunkonjo's caption was referring to the fact Liv B asked viewers if anyone smoked weed or knew how expensive weed was.
Once more, Liv B acknowledged $10,000 a month is likely more than most need to survive, but isn't enough for her to "live the lifestyle [she] want[s]."
"Obviously the only thing I need is a roof over my head, food and water."
"That's really what you need to survive."
"But I want more, I've always wanted more."
While Liv B disabled comments on most of her TIkTok videos, Twitter users had plenty to say, and had little to no sympathy for Liv B "wanting more."
If Liv B finds the idea of living off of $10,000 a month so challenging, it would be pretty interesting to see how she'd fare on the median American income.
