Kristine Scharsch: "With some tips it helps too with gas, but with gas being almost $4, it's like you either choose Starbucks or you choose gas, which one do you want?" Scharsch is one of an estimated 1.4 million Californians who will benefit from a fifty cent increase in the minimum wage.
Workers will take home an extra twenty dollars before taxes for every 40 hour work week.
Kristine Scharsch: "When it goes up to 8 dollars, it really helps because if you're a student that lives out of state and you have to pretty much pay for your own bills, it helps a lot, and I mean 50 cents is a lot."
Carlie Bobrowski: "It will have an impact more than nothing. Every extra dollar counts."
The increase will put California in a tie with Massachusetts for the second highest minimum wage in the country behind Washington State.
But many small business owners say they and their customers will pay the price.
Roy Mercado, Small business owner: "We have to make enough to pay our bills. So unfortunately we have to increase our prices also."
Roy Mercado says while he's happy to pay his employees more, the increase may also mean postponing raises for those who make more than the minimum, like Monica Mora. And Mora says with a two year old son at home, she can use every extra penny.
Monica Mora: "It's difficult because sometimes you just have to manage your money for your bills and sometimes you don't have extra money for clothes and stuff."
