Budgeting

Creating a budget can make you feel powerful! Why?

• People who budget earn more money, so they can live a better life

• A budget puts you in control of your spending and saving, so you make good decisions and feel more confident

• You can't really budget unless you have an important job, which means that other people look up to you

• Budgeting is extremely easy, so once you set it up, you are done for good and can spend time on other things

Adda has just moved into her own apartment and is working full time. Each item below would go into her budget in the "Monthly Bills" category EXCEPT...

• Cell Phone Plan

• Rent

• Clothing

• Renter's Insurance

The two main portions of a budget are...

• the money coming in (income) and the money you're spending (expenses)

• the money coming in (expenses) and the money you're spending (income)

• the cash you are spending in stores and the bills you are paying online

• the items you want to buy and the money you need to save for retirement

Why is it important to be able to decide if an item is a NEED or a WANT? 

• Needs are worth spending money on, but you should never spend on a want

• Needs can be very expensive, but wants are usually far less expensive so you don't need to keep track of them

• You cannot create a budget that has both needs and wants included -- you need them each in a separate budget

• When you budget, you should make sure all your needs are met first, then you can decide to spend on wants

Ethan is considering updating his cell phone plan to include unlimited data. In which situation could unlimited data be a NEED for Ethan?

• He has an hour-long bus ride each direction to and from school, and he needs that time to complete homework and submit it all online

• He has so many social media accounts, and he needs to be able to check them throughout the day, even while in school

• Unlimited data will allow him to play video games with his friends even when he's not at home, and he LOVES video games

• He loves watching movies, and he's already paid for all the streaming services, so now he needs the data

Marshawn is trying to determine if an item at the mall is a NEED or a WANT. Which question will be most helpful? 

• Will my teachers be excited if I buy this item, or will they be disappointed?

• How happy will this item make me?

• Do any of my friends have this item?

• Will something bad happen if I don't have this item?

Justine's part-time job pays her $8 per hour. She works for 10 hours this pay period. How much is her gross pay?

• $8

• $80

• $80, minus any taxes paid

• $80, plus any taxes paid

Brandon receives his paycheck, and it says his gross pay is $250 and his net pay is $200. How much money did he have in deductions this pay period?

• $250

• $400

• $50

• $200

Why should you use your NET pay when creating a budget? 

• Once you have your net pay, you can figure out how much to deduct in taxes, and then you can do your budget

• Your net pay is a more accurate picture of how much money you have available to spend or save

• Your net pay will always be higher, so you'll have more money to spend

• Your employer knows what your gross pay is, but you only know what your net pay is

Three of these items represent services provided by the federal government using taxpayer money. Which one represents a personal expense instead?

• Auto insurance

• NASA space program

• Medicare and Medicaid

• Military protection