Rodriguez

Marisa Rodriguez
SW 1010
Professor Bullock
December 5, 2016
Poverty Assignment
1.Budgeting Sheet for Monthly Expenses
Housing*
Rent or Mortgage
Real estate taxes
Water and Sewer
Heat and Electricity
Phone
Maintenance
Total for Housing

1,092
0
80.00
103.26
120.00
0
$1,395.26

Food*

$115.46

Clothing*
Father
Mother
Children
Total for Clothing

31.23
33.96
55.78
$120.97

Insurance*
Life
Car
Homeowners/Renters
Medical
Total Insurance

2.00
184.00
0
4.00
$190.00

Medical Expenses?

Transportation*
Car Payments
Gas
Maintenance
Public Transportation
Taxes
Total Transportation

215.00
115.00
48.87
0
0
$378.87

Charity*
Church
Other
Total Charity

0
0
$0

Durables*
Furniture
Appliances
Total Durables

158.00
29.43
$351.43

Personal*
Education
Magazines
Entertainment
Gifts
Personal Hygiene
Total Personal

0
0
25.50
0
47.38
$72.88

Rodriguez
Doctor Co-pay
Dentist
Prescriptions
Eye Doctor
Total for Medical

0
156.00
0
2.00
$158.00

Child Care*
3-yr old
8 yr-old
Total Child Care
Total Column One

Miscellaneous
Husband
Wife
Children
Total Misc.

8.77
6.77
7.54
$23.28

0
0
$0

Other*

$0

$1,979.69

Total Column Two

$826.46

Column One Total

Column Two Total
Total Monthly Living Expenses

$1,979.69
$826.46
$2,806.15

This Family of four lives in West Valley and in the Liberty Commons town-homes which is a
two bedroom and 2.5 bathrooms for $1,092. I chose this city because I am most familiar of all of its
surroundings and places nearby. I chose for the family to have a town-home because it already comes
with a washer, dryer, stove, refrigerator and a car garage. Since it already has these features the family
wont have to get new appliances. I budgeted their appliances just for a new toaster at Wal-Mart and
coffee maker at Target that come out to $29.43 because the other appliances come with it. Plus, if any
malfunctions happen to the appliances the town-homes service men will come out and fix it for no cost,
compared to living in a home and having to call contractors to come out and fix it. I also budget them
to have the kids sharing rooms because I would want the kids to bond more when growing up. With
these town-homes if you pay 80$ a month they will cover your water and sewer. Although since they
are sharing a room their durables I budgeted to have them get an Ikea twin bed frame and 2 twin
mattresses from Ikea as well which come out to $158.00. I personally dont give money to churches or
charity so I didnt feel the need for them to donate. Both parents have phones (Samsung S7 galaxy)

Rodriguez
from sprint and pay $60.00 a month for it for their plan so it comes out to $120.00. Their heat and
electricity plan in through Rocky Mountain Power and I estimated their amount which came out to
$103.26. I budgeted them to have one car that is a Toyota Sequoia SUV that cost their payments to
$215.00 and their car insurance is $184.00 with Bear River Mutual. For the families maintenance I
budget them for an oil change at grease monkey and Antifreeze from Wal-Mart that all together came to
be $48.87. Both the husband and wife and children miscellaneous include socks from Target of a total
of $23.28. I didnt budget for daycare because the daughter can take care of her brother. All the
insurance for life and medical come out of the wifes job if she was to be a senior Wal-Mart employee.
The clothing I calculated if they were to shop online and at the Wal-Mart store coming to a total of
$120.97. Their medical expenses I just did a cleaning for each family member that cost $39.00 each
which come to a total of $156.00 for the dentist. For the eye doctor they are covered with no co-pay
just what is taken out of the mothers check for the eye doctor. Their entertainment included the movie
tickets to see a movie at the West Valley theater. Their personal hygiene I budgeted for shower stuff and
all the body fresheners from Win-Co and Wal-Mart which came to a total of $72.88. Their shopping list
I made it at Win Co because it is across the street from their home and is on 5600. Their gas I budgeted
to be around $115.00 a month if went to Chevron because they share it and have kids to take to the park
and do free activities. The total annual income level set for this family of four is 33,673.80.
I obtained the information within a two-week span, it was nice for Toyota and the Bear River Mutual to
help me out with a hypothetical rate. I enjoyed going into Win-Co and making a shopping list for the
family because it reminds me of myself with my family. I did most shopping and researching for prices
online because I am online shopper who is pretty good at it. I know Win-Co and Wal-Mart and Target
are good cheap and affordable places that is why I chose to buy most items for the family, knowing just
how much everything cost. My strategy was to do what they only needed because usually with less

Rodriguez
things in life the easier it is. The economy is not the greatest but it is more of an affordable place to live
then California. This impacted myself of being aware of how much I spend and how much I should be
saving and spending. It also opened my eyes to see just how much I have and how lucky I am to have a
place and a hard working mother who provides pretty well. I also saw just how expensive it really is to
provide for a family of four with the least, even if we are in a more affordable state.