In Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich uses her past life in conjunction with the experiment in order to create the most realistic experience on living by minimum wage in America. In the opening scene of this book, Ehrenreich sets the groundwork for the hard life ahead, as well as experiencing her first encounter with this strange way of life.

Before experimentation can begin, Barbara Ehrenreich must explain the rules and basis for her experiment. If no groundwork had been laid, then the entire experiment could have been put into the jeopardy of failure. In her introduction, Ehrenreich writes: “I am [...] different from the people who [...] fill America’s least attractive jobs [...]” (Ehrenreich 6). In recognizing that she was not like the average minimum-wage worker, Ehrenreich was able to adapt herself to the situation surrounding her. Barbara Ehrenreich informs her audience of these adaptations. Some include a dialect change, language change, and experience change. By changing how she spoke, the author hope to fit in more with her surrounding coworkers. Furthermore, by changing her experiences in life, Ehrenreich allows herself to be on a level “playing field” with other competitors of her job. All in all, the groundwork laid by Barbara Ehrenreich not only provides a plan to follow during this experiment, but also allows her to fit in with her surroundings.

In continuation, Ehrenreich’s first encounter with the minimum-wage life brings a realization of how financially draining working on seven dollars an hour can be on oneself. In “Serving in Florida,” she states: “Then there is the $30 I had to spend on the regulation tan slacks worn by Jerry’s servers - a setback it could take weeks to absorb” (Ehrenreich 39). In the average middle-class lifestyle, spending thirty dollars on pants may seem like a nonevent. In contrary, to the minimum-wage worker, thirty dollars can take weeks to save up. With taxes and a low salary, having money to spend on pants is not normal. In this opening section of the book, Ehrenreich shows how devastating a low salary can be on one’s life. Even the everyday luxuries upper-class people enjoy can be a world of debt and ruin for the lower-class.
 

In conclusion, Barbara Ehrenreich lays the foundations for her experiment as well as her first experience in her book Nickel and Dimed. By allowing herself to adapt to the lifestyle of the lower class, she not only received a more realistic experience, but she opened herself up to the true obstacles of this way of life. In reflection, I was very excited when I was chosen to read Nickel and Dimed. Not only was I hoping to learn more about minimum wage lifestyles, but I hoped to learn more of how one survives on such a low pay. One of the things that caught me by surprise in the beginnings of this book was the fact that Barbara Ehrenreich had the best case scenario, yet it still seemed as though she struggled to obtain the little she did. It truly struck me on how minimum wage will affect one’s life. In contrary to a poor life, it was very intriguing to find that the Ehrenreich's coworkers seemed no different than the middle-class or even the upper-class. Each class has people of comedy, gossip, and plain rudeness. The only differing factor I have observed so far was the use of language and the lack of money. I am interested to see what adventures and hardships Ehrenreich will encounter in the upcoming sections, for I feel as though the situation cannot get much worse than this, however, I fear they might.