SpongeBob: Does He Really Wear the Pants?
One has to wonder if fictional fry cook SpongeBob makes enough to live the life he does. SpongeBob did, after all, exchange vows with his squirrel love, Sandy (more about that on “Truth or Square“, November 6th). But since she’s a land-based, oxygen breathing squirrel, Sandy lives separately in her own glassed-in home. Could SpongeBob really own a house on his own? Let’s take a closer look at SpongeBob’s finances.
SpongeBob works at the Krusty Krab as a fry cook. The average fast food worker earns minimum wage or slightly more per hour. Let’s say for the sake of this article that SpongeBob makes $8 per hour. If he does work full-time, that’s $1,280 per month before taxes. But, whether or not SpongeBob actually works full-time is unknown. Not only does SpongeBob work at the Krusty Krab, but he also attends boating school, which means he more than likely works part-time.
One thing to remember is SpongeBob had his house before he started working at the Krusty Krab. This means that his house may have already been paid for. If this was the case, SpongeBob could easily live on $1,280 per month, especially when you consider that most fast food workers get free meals while on the job and meals at a discount when they aren’t on duty. Of course, this would depend on whether or not Mr. Krabs, who is incredibly cheap, would allow such benefits.
What about credit cards? Does SpongeBob use them? There is one episode in which he is asked to purchase a gift for Mr. Krab’s daughter, Pearl. Mr. Krab’s gives SpongeBob his credit card and SpongeBob wonders what it is. He’s fascinated to find out that you can purchase items with a piece of plastic. Truthfully, this is how most people feel when they first learn about credit cards.
SpongeBob is financially responsible, though. He has both a checking and savings account. He even saves up his money to spend on the things he wants, which is a great lesson to teach children. SpongeBob is also known to blow his paycheck on frivolous things, though, but who doesn’t from time to time?
Chances are SpongeBob really could live the life he does on a fry cook’s paycheck. It’s really not that far-fetched. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 2.5 million workers are in the food preparation and serving field, which includes fast food workers. In other words, thousands of people are making a living doing exactly what SpongeBob does.
