The life assignment given to us was very difficult to try to handle. We were a family of four including a mother, father, teenage boy of 17, as well as a 6-year-old girl with special needs. Our combined income from working full time between two incomes of $5.85/hr. added up to $16,100/year and we needed to find out a plan to work for our family that will stay within a budget and provide us with the necessities involved with our life situation.

Adding up expenses including rent, utilities, hygiene, travel, education, special education needs, etc., we found that in order to live comfortably we would need to make around $26,100/year – about $10,000 more that what we make now. Knowing this information and having no savings built up, in order for us to make our budget plan possible was to find new jobs that pay better wages. There is just not enough money being brought in to the family than what is needed to pay out.

Even if we were to get a better paying job that meets the requirements of $26,100/year, but that is still just living paycheck to paycheck. With no savings built up, we have no money to pay for surprise medical emergencies, funeral payments, or other forms of expenses. Our family does not get to enjoy the luxuries of vacation, fine automobiles and housing, pets, or Internet and cable. Our children will not be able to get an education beyond high school causing them, in turn, to increase their chances of getting a low paying job. The cycle of being poor just continues. In order to break the cycle there needs to be a way to create a steady income above minimum wage and a lot of luck trying to find a job that will provide us with this.