Winston Ashley

Morgan and Alex embarked on a journey far beyond there expectation… living off of minimum wage for thirty days. Little did they know the kind of distress they would have to go through. Budgeting  as stressful as it is was a key factor to their survival. With the little income they had they had to find clothes a home and furniture. This affected their lifestyle tremendously because they could not afford designer clothing morgan and alex had to wear clothes from the salvation army, they also out of necessity couldn't afford money for the doctor or for extravagant meals.

The working poor are people who are working day to day full shifts but aren't making enough money to cover living cost. Most times this poor class is made up of ethnic minorities or people who are illegal aliens.

living for 30 days on minimum wage - jose mejia

1: how god were morgan and alex at budgeting for the 30 day period? Morgan and alex had failed at budgeting for the their 30 days on minimum wage. I believed they failed because they were so use to their glamourous lifestyle they could not adapt as easily to a simpler, tougher way of life. Morgan and alex were soft they would go to the hospital over everything. morgan and alex went to the theatre when they knew that could not be affording to spend their money with such a tight budget. They did try to budget their money however they were not successful at the end they were left with a tremendous debt compared to their salary wages.

LIVING FOR 30 DAYS ON MINIMUM WAGE- JOSE MEJIA POST 2

                                                7: define who the working poor are?

In general the working poor are those who are barely living. Meaning the people who work long hours and get paid minimum wage especially those withe families to take care of. The working poor are the people who can't afford any luxuries because money is so tight. The working poor are the people who are unsatisfied with the money they are making. They are the ones with high debts having a hard time paying the money back and just barely surviving. many people who only get paid minimum wage are the working poor struggling through life in order to make a living.

Living For 30 days on Minimum Wage - Lauren Lewis

                                                                                                                         Lauren Lewis
                                                                                                                         2/14/14
                                                                                                                       Period 2 Biz Smart Lab
                                 

                                                 Living For 30 days on Minimum Wage

                                     

  The "working poor" is the less fortunate that is a working component in the occupational field that just weren't educationally qualified for whatever reasons but are doing whats necessary and more to make ends need.

 Alex and Morgan were arguing quite frequently over financial reason but I feel it was because of the stress and pressure from the bills which caused tension. Them not being able to make their deadline and relax from all the hours and shifts at work made them feel a bit overwhelmed and to relieve the tension they subjected it upon one another.
                                                                                         

Jania Banks: Living for 30 days on Minimum Wage

   1)  I think Morgan and alex started out with great budgeting. They tried to eat lost cost filling foods like beans and rice. They found and affordable place to stay where they did not have to pay the security deposit till the end of the month. I think were they started messing up was when the kids came. They felt the need to splurge a little more for the sake of the kids. Also on Alex's birthday, I feel like being together should of just been enough. When you don't have money you shouldn't blow it all on once day. 

     

7) Living for 30 days on Minimum Wage Morgan and Alex Become apart of the "working poor." People who work for minimum wage are most likely going to be considered the working poor because their incomes fall below the given poverty line.  Minimum wage in Illinois is 8.25 per hour as of January 1, 2013. It is very difficult to live of 8.25 a month. It is unfair the people work so hard just to barley get by. 

   

Domonya Brown - Living For 30 Days on Minimum Wage

Question 1.  Morgan and Alex weren't so good at budgeting for the 30 days because they both had hospital bills that exceeded over their total amount of money put together. They were doing well at saving the money they made but it was just those hospital bills that had would've taken them three months to pay off.
Question 8.  Alex was probably emotional because she understands the struggle of living on minimum wage and that there are good people out there willing to help the less fortunate. She now understands what it means to be poor and unable to afford certain necessities.

Rachel Farris- Living For 30 Days on Minimum Wage

6. I agree with Senator Ted Kennedy's argument about raising minimum wage in order to help families because I believe that if minimum wage increases, the United States poverty line would decrease. Also the raise of minimum wage would influence more workers into worker longer hours and it would cause more more for the economy. If minimum wage jobs are increased, the opposing side wouldn't be happy, but this would cause an increase into their companies. Many workers would earn more money leading them to buy more of their product.

2. The role of budgeting between Alex and Morgan was hard for both of them. Since they didn't have health insurance, Morgan and Alex weren't able to pay their medical bills. Morgan's job was labor work related and he struggled with aches and soreness. Alex struggled with a bladder infection and had to pay for prescription pills she didn't have the money for. Alex and Morgan had to make sacrifices like walking instead of transportation, living in a ant infected apartment, living in a unhealthy apartment, and reling on  the free medical center. The both of them couldn't afford to buy their own bank account so their money wasn't safe. They didn't have the money to get things they wanted and sometimes needed because they had to budget on things like food, water, rent, ect.

AnneMarie Rogers 30 Days on Minimum Wage

7. Define who the "working poor" are. The working poor are people who are working in minimum wage jobs. They are barely earning enough money from their jobs to live. Most have to rent rundown apartments in bad neighborhoods. Many can't make enough money from their jobs and end up having to work two or three jobs just to get by.

8. Why do you think that Alex became so emotional about the services that were given to her and Morgan at The Free Store? I think that Alex just thought that it was really beautiful that someone would set up a store to offer free goods to the poor. Its just a very generous and selfless thing to do and only someone with a very kind heart would do something like that.

Paul Trejo's "Living for 30 Days on Minimum wage" Response

9. I think that Morgan became so emotional at The Free store because she was feeling really overwhelmed by not having anything. She went from living in a nice place with everything she needed/wanted and went to a place that was dangerous, wasn't sanitary, and wasn't furnished. I think its the little things that make us so content with our lives. For instance I think that most people take furniture for granted and don't realize how much they really need it until they don't have it anymore. I also think that Morgan got so emotional because of the generosity of the people that donated all of the things that they did.

2. Budgeting was a major role in the survival of Morgan and Alex. Without budgeting they most surely would not have made it the thirty days. Alex even came up with the figure that she could save about two and a half dollars everyday by walking to work instead of taking the bus. They had to budget for everything, from eating to clothing to furnishing, and without budgeting they would not ave been able to survive.

Living for 30 days on minimum wage-Ari Ben-Zeev

2. Alex and Morgan would not have survived without budgeting. The two barely had enough money to scrape by, and any purchases that weren't completely necessary would put them further into debt. When the two decided to spend some money to help the kids have fun, Morgan spent nearly all of their money because he was not used to watching his spending. When the budget was ignored, the result was spending too much money in one day. Without budgeting, Alex and Morgan would not have had enough money for basic needs such as food.

11. Living on minimum wage is very difficult. If money is not spent correctly, bills can't be paid, and basic necessities are impossible to obtain. Purchases can become literally a matter of life and death. This becomes a source of constant stress, which is why Morgan and Alex fight about it. There is a lot of pressure to budget and spend money correctly, which can easily result in a fight, as seen in the video.

Linh Barnes-Living on minimum wage

8. Now a days there is  not a lot People that give things away for free so easy. Lots of people do things for money and care very little of others. But there are people that that do help others and its very touching to others. So I can see why Alex would cry over something so little because it is very touching.

11. The main reason why Alex would be at Morgan, is because he is spending money right away. Even though it a little of bit of money for some bread, she had saved that from walking everyday in the cold and not ride a bus. And she probably got mad at the fact that they didn't need to spend money on something they didn't need.  

Eddie Stone- 30 Days on minimum wage

11. I think the way Morgan and Alex fight over money is a very interesting interaction in the show. Alex is walking to work in the cold every day just to save a few dollars, and Morgan wants to show the kids a good time and spends a lot of money because of it. I think the underlying feeling of this fight is fear. Alex and Morgan are under a lot of pressure to survive in the harsh world that minimum wage provides, and they are scared about living between every pay check.

6. I agree with Ted Kennedy's argument that raising the minimum wage will help struggling families. After seeing the people in the show, I can tell that people are just barely getting by, and that raising the minimum wage is the solution to getting them out of the hole they are in. The opposing argument is that  if the minimum wage is raised, then companies will shut down and take away jobs because of what they have to pay their employees. I disagree with this standpoint because to me it really seems that people's lives are struggling, not businesses.

Living for 30 Days on Minimum Wage -- Sophie Gray-Gaillard

Question 7: The working poor are people whose income from working fall below the poverty line.  Since they are working and living with very minimal wages, life for the working poor is very hard, tough, laboring, and tense.  The working poor need to manage their own life, and usually their family's also.  They have to put food on the table and a shelter over their heads.  

Question 11:  It was so easy for Morgan and Alex to get into an argument about finances.  They were both constantly on the edge of being emotionally stable.  The underlying feeling that causes these conflicts is stress.  Since both Morgan and Alex were constantly stressing about whether they had enough money, whether they could afford going to see the doctor, and many other things, they were always worried and tired.  They both worked long days and the home they went back to was not so comforting.  Because of all these stressors, it was hard for Morgan and Alex not to argue about daily issues. 

                       Living For 30 Days on Minimum Wage-Sabrina Davis

1. How good were Morgan and Alex at budgeting for the 30 day period?
I feel that they could've done better, like they could've put up a few dollars in a jar every payday for rainy days. They spent mostly all there money when they had the kids come out to visit them for a couple days. They could've thought of cheaper actives for the kids to do while they were there.

3. Do you feel that race was a factor in getting hired or finding an apartment for Morgan and Alex? What about the fact that they had no children?
I feel that race played a big part in them getting a apartment so fast and job. I feel this way because honestly if there was a black or Hispanic couple that was look for housing and a job it would've been more difficult due to the color of their skin and the stereotypes that come with it. Their would have a lot of more background checks and questions asked towards the buyers.

 

Living 30 Days #2- Jacob

8. There were a number of reasons Alex became emotional when they were at The Free Store. It was partially because they had been going through such a hard time lately. They were experiencing all the hardships of living on minimum wage for the first time. They lived in a horrible neighborhood, had no furniture, and barely any food. When Alex saw the services offered to her and Morgan at the store, she was excited to be able to get clothes and other items, while not having to worry about spending money that they don't have. Another reason she became emotional was because she saw that there were all these good people doing things for others. These people were not doing this to gain a profit or benefit them in any way. They were doing it just for the good of others and this made her very happy and emotional.

Stephanie Erner 30 Days On Minimum Wage

1. I would say that Morgan and Alex were not that bad at budgeting their money. When they first started off budgeting they were doing a good job because they knew if he could take the bus and when. But Morgan really messed up when he decided to have the kids over.I understand that he was trying to make the kids being over their house as exciting as it could be but he shouldn't have let them interfere with the budgeting. Both of the kids were old enough to to understand how the real world works! 9. If I was on Morgan's situation I would have went to the hospital because that would be way much more better than trying to disregard my injuries. It would be a lot better to get my arm fix than to die working just because I can't afford to go to the hospital. If kids were involved I would still go because if I die, who is going to take care my kids? This is just how life goes and making hard decisions are a part of it

Nick Sukha (30 days on minimum wage)

8. I think Alex became so emotional at the free store because in the movie it showed how hard it was for them. They barely had enough money to make ends meet. When they both came home tired from work they would eat on the floor with the "ants". they didnt have enough money to purchase any type of furniture. It was hard for them and when they went tot he free store and they got all of that stuff for free i think it just made her happy to know that she just got all of this stuff that there are good people out there. she was already working her butt off so i think that just really got to her because things like that dont really happen.

Living for 30 Days on Minimum Wage - Kenzie

question 1: Morgan and Alex struggled living 30 days on minimum wage but they got through it. The hospital bill was what brought them down the most . Question 4: Honestly I would have taken the apartment. There wasn't much of a choice . Besides it was a pretty good deal and Morgan and Alex just had enough money for the apartment . I would just live there until I made enough to go live somewhere else.

Isabel Avery: Living on Minimum Wage

2. Budgeting was crucial for Alex and Morgan to survive on minimum wage. They planned out exactly how much they were going to spend on food, rent, water, and other necessities before buying anything extra. Even with this careful budgeting, Alex and Morgan ran into trouble when Morgan hurt his arm and Alex got a bladder infection. They had to go to the hospital resulting in a bill of over 1,000 dollars in addition to their other bills. 

7. The working poor are people who have to function living only on minimum wage. They struggle to make ends meet due to how low minimum wage is. These people are often defined as those who have to work hard labor jobs like construction. They are the "working" poor due to the fact that they seemingly have to spend all of their time working in order to make enough money to survive. 

Cece Pigozzi's Response to Living for 30 Days on Minimum Wage

Question 1: Morgan and Alex were not very good at budgeting for the 30 day period. They spent too much with the hospital, the kids, and Alex's birthday. The movie/treats with the kids and the birthday dinner were not a necessity, and they should have been more careful. Question 8: I think Alex became so emotional about the services that were given to her and Morgan at The Free Store, because she had the experience without those items. She was put in a position where she was aware that people in reality actually go through services like this. The kindness and dedication of the people are what got to her, and the thought of others in her current situation.

Living for 30 days on minimum wage-Jacob

1. Morgan and Alex did a pretty good job at budgeting for the thirty day period. Living on minimum wage looked extremely hard, which meant they had to be strategic with their budgeting. I understand that Morgan wanted to splurge a little and go to the movies and out to dinner on Alex's birthday. Living in those conditions was extremely hard for them, so it is understandable that they would want to have some small luxuries. I do think Morgan should have walked to his job like Alex did instead of spending money on the bus. All in all, they did a good job even though they did not fully succeed at the end.