I don’t know how to handle this Psychology question and need guidance.

Tina and Tony’s Budget (adapted from Botterweck, Eckel, Greer-Pitt, Marshood, Penton)

Tony is one of those guys who always seemed to try hard but just couldn’t make things happen. Even in school, it was the same year after year; no matter how hard he studied. He always came up barely passing. One of the counselors tried to soothe his disappointment by telling him that he had test anxiety; but Tony knew the truth – he just wasn’t very smart. School wasn’t a total disappointment, though. In his senior year, he met Tina and they began dating seriously. Tina, like Tony, struggled in school. But like Tony, she was persistent and eventually they graduated in the same year. Two months after graduation, Tina became pregnant even though she was taking oral contraceptives. She had contracted the flu and, according to her doctor, probably expelled several pills during her illness. Although disappointed at the timing of her pregnancy, Tina and Tony set a wedding date and began making plans to welcome their first-born into a home they would soon create. After all, they eventually planned to marry and have children anyway.

According to their plan, Tony would obtain a job and Tina would remain at home to care for their child. They would rent a small apartment in a safe working class neighborhood. Hopefully, they could afford 2 bedrooms but, if need be, they would settle for a one bedroom apartment until something else came along. Tony began his job search immediately. He told Tina, “I may not be bright, but I’m strong, willing to work, and I am not a freeloader!” Unfortunately, as he soon learned, without any skill or job experience, he had to settle for a job at a gas station paying minimum wage. There just didn’t seem to be much opportunity for a guy like Tony in the neighborhood. After Tina and Tony’s wedding, they sat down and worked on a budget. Neither one had ever done a family budget, but they knew the money would be tight and they’d have to budget to be successful.

Let’s help Tina and Tony with their budget. Do the math for the following:

1) Tony’s salary: $ ___________ (minimum wage) x 40 hours per week x 52 weeks – 25% (taxes, social security, etc.) = $_________ (after tax income per year)

2) Cost of apartment: $__________ per year subtracted from Tony’s income = $_____________

3) Cost of going to the grocery store (food, paper products, soaps, baby care needs, etc.) per week x 52 weeks = $_____________ subtracted from final figure in #2 = $___________

4) Cost of utilities & telephone per month x 12 months = $_________ subtracted from final figure in #3 = $___________

5) Cost of transportation per month $____________ x 12 months = $__________ subtracted from final figure in #4 = $___________

6) Cost of health care per year = $____________ subtracted from final figure in #5 = $___________

7) Cost of clothing per year = $__________ subtracted from final figure in #6 = $___________

What is your final total? $___________ [It may be a positive or negative amount, depending on your calculations.]

(a) Think of at least five other expenses that have not been factored in, and list these expenses here. How would they affect the budget? Be specific.

(b) Short Essay Segment: What conclusions can you draw from this exercise, from a functionalist perspective,and from a conflict perspective? (Review these theories in the textbook before answering if need be.)

The idea of this project is to show how had it is to live on minimum wage, so there may be negative balanve but trry to keep in as low as you can ,think it is you and you will not want to have so much negative balance.

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