30 Days on Minimum Wage- Truman Job

1. Morgan and Alex do a good job budgeting and handling their money. They buy the least expensive food and avoid paying for the bus by walking to and from work. They saved as much money they could but they still had trouble. Both Morgan and Alex hurt themselves and had to pay a bill for the hospital which costed them over 500 dollars each. There are always unexpected costs that you have to plan ahead for and try your best to budget. They also had two kids for a weekend and during the weekend they spent much more money than they had budgeted. They did a  good job all together but if they had their own kids it would have been tough to survive.
2. Budgeting was everything for Morgan and Alex. Alex worked two jobs and even with the combined pay from Alex and Morgan they still hardly got by everyday. If they hadn't budgeted they would not have been able to handle their money and would most likely would not have made it on the salary they had.

Courtney Gregori - Living For 30 Days on Minimum Wage

2.  What role did budgeting play in survival for Alex and Morgan?
Budgeting played a very heavy role for Alex and Morgan in their 30 days of living off minimum wage. It was able to help them plan what they needed to in order to make it through those days without something happening that could be detrimental to them. Without it, they may not have been able to afford what they needed and their amenities. It was a necessary action for them to take so they could live as best/successfully as they could without running out of money.

11. Observe how easy it was for Morgan and Alex to get into an argument over finances. What is the underlying feeling that you think it at the cause of the conflict?
Alex and Morgan were able to get into arguments very easily over finances due to their situation. I think being in a situation like that is very stressful, and both people are kind of at a loss for what to say or do. That being said, tensions run very high under pressured situations, so just one little thing could ignite the fire and set them into an argument. Also, not knowing what to do or what will come next because they're living week by week, puts stress on them and a little bit of panic as well. It can be hard to keep calm in situations like they were in, so arguments are much more easy to come by.

Alex Wilcox's Blog Response to Morgan Spurlock's 30 Days

2.) The budgeting of Morgan and Alex's lives dictated everything they did. They hesitated to even spend a dollar. Money was extremely tight for them, and so they had to be extremely conservative and protective of the little amount of money that they had.

9.) If I was was barely in the b
lack but was also was injured enough to think I need medical treatment, I would probably hold off unless I thought it was infectious. If I had a kid, it'd be a lot tougher. It's tougher when it is no longer a personal decision but someone else's well-being is at steak. Sometimes kids may fake being sick, but if I thought it was legitimate, I wouldn't hesitate to take them to the doctor.

Noah Bearman - 30 Days on Minimum Wage

2. Budgeting played a crucial role for Alex and Morgan in Living for 30 Days on Minimum Wage. Since the two were making very little money, they had to estimate what their expenses would be so they would not spend too much money. Additionally, they had to severely limit the amount of items they bought on impulse. As Morgan said in the movie, there were a lot of times that he was hungry and had to restrain himself from buying food because that would compromise their budget and cause financial trouble. If Alex and Morgan had not done any budgeting, they would have had a lot more debt than they could carry and would not have been able to afford the things like the medical care they each required.

10. I was not very surprised at the request for a deposit that the electric company called Alex and Morgan with. It is reasonable for them to want a deposit on a property that has had a lot of residents leave without paying the electric bill. However, I would think that the electric company would have contacted the landlord for a request on the deposit, because he should be ultimately responsible for making sure his tenants pay. It is typical of an electric company to seek a way to make sure they don't lose money on a customer, and a deposit is a fairly standard way of doing so.

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Maryluz Flores 10. Yes I am surprised about the electric company deposit request. It was only about 5 days that Morgan and Alex just moved in and they were already receiving electric bills extremely high for the time period they’ve lived there for. Yes it is a bad neighborhood and it is more likely that the tenants living there before did not pay it off before they left, but I never imagine they would make the new family moving in pay for something they cant. It surprised me!
 7. The “working poor” are people who work extremely hard yet are living a life of a poor person. Why? Because the amount of money they are winning in their minimum wage job is not enough for all the expenses they have to make. For example rent, bills, and other expenses they have to make with NO INSURANCE!!

Grace Colbert- Living For 30 Days On Minimum Wage Responses

8. I think Alex became so emotional about the services that were given to her and Morgan at The Free Store because she had never experienced generosity of this degree before. At this point on their 30 day experiment, Alex was tired and stressed out from this physically and emotionally taxing lifestyle. Alex and Morgan were desperate for resources, and when the Free Store was so hospitable and generous with their resources, she was simply overcome with emotion and gratitude. Alex was also probably emotional because she began to realize that for many people, living like she was is not an experiment. She was probably saddened by the reality of these hardships many Americans must face.

11. It was very easy for Morgan and Alex to get into a fight over finances. On the surface, their argument seemed to be about wasting money on a movie and treats for the kids. However, the problem was most likely rooted in stress and the fearful uncertainty that their budgeting wouldn't be enough for them to make it, given their current situation. Tensions quickly arose when it came to the topic of money and finances because on one hand, Alex knows that budgeting is crucial to their well-being, but on the other hand Morgan knows that it is important that the kids are healthy and happy and sometimes it takes a little splurging to make that happen.

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Molly Conover 30 days blog posts

7. The “working poor” are people who have incomes below the poverty line, but are still working. Most of these people receive minimum wage for their work and do fairly medial jobs. These people are often homeless and some of them are educated, though their jobs don’t reflect it.

10. No, the electric company deposit request did not surprise me because the neighborhood that they were living in was not full of the most admirable people so the fact that the previous tenants did not pay the bill, resulting in the deposit for Morgan, and Alex does not surprise me.

30 Days on Minimum Wage- Lucy Bowser

1) Alex and Morgan budgeted their money over the 30-day period well. They did their best to save every penny. Alex walked to work every day so she did not have to pay for the bus, and Morgan took every job opportunity offered to him. However, it still was not enough. That is because life happens. Both of them had to go to the emergency room, and their budget did not cover the expensive fees. Also, when they took care of the two kids they spent a lot of money. Budgeting barely covers the necessities to live. Morgan and Alex did their best, but even with a budget they still struggled.

 8) Alex and Morgan were trying to find furniture for their home, and they found a service that gave away free furniture to those in need. Alex was touched by this gesture because it showed that there are selfless, kind people in the world that would help the less fortunate. The Free Store made all the difference for Alex and Morgan.

30 Day Responce By Julian Smith

1. Morgan was very good at budging her money. She knew how important it was to save her money. She walked to work everyday. While Alex was spending his money on his niece and nephew. But He was also trying to make his girl friend happy by taking her to dinner for her birthday. But he has spent a little more than he expected. They both had emergency bills that were extremely high in price . They couldn’t afford it at all. 7. Working poor are people who are making well under seven dollars an hour. They are well below minimum wage. The jobs pay very little. They are struggling to survive with everyday needs. Little income is not good in such an expensive society today.

Jonathan Ludwig 30 days on minimum wage questions

How good were Morgan and Alex at budgeting for the 30-day period? I think that Morgan's and Alex's budgeting started like they had everything under control at first and then when they both got hurt and they went to the hospital they went to the hospital it made the fall apart. Also when they both saw their hospital bill which added up to 800 dollars. Why do you that Alex became emotional about the services that were given to her her and Morgan at the free store? I think that Alex got so emotional because she wasn't used to being poor and wasn't able to afford anything for 30 days.

30 Days Response Bailee Rue

1. Overall, Alex and Morgan did a good job budgeting. They were able to pay for all their necessities. There were some instances when they spent money that they didn’t really have, like when they went to the movies with Alex’s niece and nephew and on Morgan’s birthday. Besides this, they seemed to handle their money well to cover all the things they needed to live. 6. I definitely agree that raising minimum wage helps families. If the parents in a family are really struggling, a minimum wage job could be the difference in them surviving and them not. If a minimum wage job is the only job a person could find, then they need to be making the most out of it to support their children. Like mentioned in the movie, having kids are expensive and you need all the money you can get if you live off of minimum wage.

Sophie Anolick- Living 30 Days on Minimum Wage

1.Though Morgan and Alex were not bad at budgeting, they still encountered circumstances that made it much more difficult for them to manage their finances. With both of them having to go to the emergency room, it was going to be hard for them to pay the bills, even with them both working full time. If they had not gotten sick, then they would have been able to spend more on Morgan’s niece and nephew as well as on Alex’s birthday. Overall, they were able to save money in small ways, which helped them in the end. 3. Though I believe race did play a role in getting jobs and an apartment, I think the fact that they did not have children effected them much more. Children cost a lot of money. Babies need food and diapers and round the clock care, which can et very expensive very fast. Child care costs a lot, and even if a parent stays home to watch the children, that is a paycheck not coming into the family. Children get older and need more clothes and school supplies, and of course a way to get to school. Alex and Morgan did get to have the experience in a way, but they had it a lot easier without children.

Alex Wagner

1.For the most part, I thought they were reasonable and logical in their purchases. I do feel that they could have gone through more effort in finding a job that pays above minimum wage. An exception of their budgeting would be when Morgan had a wrist injury. I highly doubt that it was so severe that it was worth a $500 doctor visit. -__- 6. Absolutely not. Ted Kennedy is a fool. Raising the minimum wage would eliminate jobs, which are needed given the economic plight the country is in. If the minimum wage is higher less employers will be able to hire a high amount of employees. Furthermore, many of these families that are living off minimum wage are eating cheap fast food and other cheap food items. If minimum wage is higher, large corporations will be forced to pay their employees more and will inevitably raise their prices. However, if the general populous thinks that this is ok and they would like to pay $5 for a Big Mac, then I think raising the minimum wage is the best course of action.

SAUCE

chase Bailey

Chase Bailey 3. I do think that race is a factor in getting hired and finding an apartment. If you looked really sketchy and looked like you might not pay at the end of the month than i wouldn't wanna give you the apartment and space if you're not gonna pay for it. Also if you're dressed poorly and look like a lazy person someone definitely won't hire you. Being white helps with these things because white people are stereotyped into being considered richer or harder working. If they had children i don't think they would have gotten the apartment because of the amount of damage children cause to apartment. 5. I think Geralds reasoning for the coast of living and minimum wage is reasonable and true. The dollar has increased in value but minimum wage still hasn't changed. People can't keep up with this rapid increase in the value of the dollar leaving them in the dust. This means he isn't really getting enough money to live a good life anymore.

Living For 30 days on Minimum Wage Responses (Daniel Franco)

 

2. Budgeting was essential when living on minimum wage. Morgan himself said that he never had to budget anything in his life until he decided to live for 30 days on minimum wage. Every dollar and every cent counted. Budgeting was so crucial that Alex got mad when Morgan bought 2 rolls for $1.20. They ad to budget everything in order to live and survive. It also made me realize the hardships that the poor have to deal with. It truly is a difficult lifestyle to comprehend unless you take on the challenge too.

 7. The "working poor" are the people that work day in and day out and who don't have enough to survive or barely do. These are the people the struggle the most when it comes to living on minimum wage, especially if the family has children. They're the people that make everyday

30 Days on Minimum Wage response (Ian Burke)

7) The working poor are those who live on minimum wage and still work instead of relying on the government for support. They attempt to support their families by taking two and sometimes even three jobs to keep everyone with shelter, food, and clothing. 6) Senator Ted Kennedy’s argument for raising the minimum wage is heartfelt and sincere I am sure and the 30 days episode showcases the struggles that the working poor face however the economic factors of the possible legislature can not be ignored. Raising the national minimum wage would result in long-term unemployment for millions of Americans because companies will have to pay more for each worker they hire. This increase in cost of each worker will cause all American companies who have the ability to outsource to do just that and send more jobs overseas.

Jackie Colquitt - Living for 30 Days on Minimum Wage Response Questions

1.) Alex and Morgan initially managed their finances well by getting free furniture, sticking to simple rice and beans every night for dinner, and sharing a bus pass. However, after their friend’s children came to visit on Easter and Alex’s birthday, Morgan started splurging unnecessarily on dinners and movies as if they'd forgotten that they were now living a new lifestyle with a stricter budget. This lapse in judgement for the purpose of entertaining the kids caused them to be in serious debt later. Clearly, budgeting was the key to survival because literally every cent counted since they no longer had extra money to just spend like they did before this experiment. 

2.) Alex became emotional about the services that were at The Free Store because she realized that even the people who don’t have much of anything are still willing to give whatever they do have. Alex was moved by this, as this reminded her that there were truly good people in the world despite how economically and financially unstable the majority of the country is.