n8m...

Let's say you do get paid $10 per hour and you work the normal 40 hour work week. Even if you claim you are exempt from taxes as you are a student and a foreigner, you may still have to pay some taxes (like in California) and that comes out of your paycheck.

So, your gross earnings for one week is $400 minus taxes in California your net paycheck would be about $388. Out of that you will have to have some expenses. Even if you are lucky enough to find a job where you can get a free meal (many only let you have a discount off the cost of the meal) you still need to eat the other times during the day and on your days off.

You also have your housing expenses (and maybe utilities if they are not included) and laundry and sundry items (shampoo, toothpaste, razors, shaving cream, toilet paper, etc.). And let's assume you can actually walk to work so you are not spending any money on transportation. AND you don't travel ANYWHERE to sight see while you are here. You still have eaten away at a good portion of that $388.

Now one more thing... you are paying a fee to CCUSA AND the costs for both Visas AND the flight to and from Belarus AND the ground transportation to and from the airport in the U.S. How much is all of that going to cost you? Are you certain you will break even in only three or four months? How much of the $4,600 that you might earn in three months have you already lost before you even set foot in the US?

If your goal is to be able to send money home and not lose any money on this, I am not certain it will happen.

If your goal is to come to the US and be able to have an experience, practice your English, travel and so forth... and maybe not lose money on the trip...that is more realistic.

You can get by on the cheap (I'm one who lived on pasta nightly for months when I was younger so I could make ends meet) but even if you do, you might still have a hard time. And if you do decide to travel and see more of the US while you are here, or go to the movies or the beach or something.... you wouldn't want to feel guilty about doing so and not sending what little money you have back home.