INSTRUCTIONS: Read the case study about the Niedwieski family. Decide as a group which of the expenses can be cut down or eliminated to meet the family�s proposed budget.
Mirko and Anna Niedwieski have been married for 6 years and they have a four-year-old son. Both parents work and their combined income is $3600 per month after deductions. They just found out that Anna is pregnant. She would like to quit working and stay home with the baby for the next two to three years. Mirko agrees this would be a good idea but they are not sure they will be able to do it financially. Without Anna�s income, they will have only $2200 per month to spend. Here are their monthly expenses:
1. Rent (3- bedroom flat including utilities)
2. Food (including take-out meals several times a month)
3. Child-care
4. Telephone (including long distance calls to family overseas)
5. Clothing
6. Transportation (bus fare, occasional taxis, not including the car)
7. Car (including loan payments, insurance, license,
parking permit and gas)
8. Loan payment for furniture
9. Entertainment and Recreation (movies, outings, cable TV, etc)
10. Miscellaneous expenses (haircuts, gifts, dry cleaning,
newspapers, vacations)
11. Savings

 

 $1000.00
$600.00
$500.00
$100.00
$125.00
$100.00

$500.00
$200.00
$200.00

$100.00
$175.00
$3600 monthly income $2200 monthly income
1. rent 
2. food
3. child care 
4. telephone 
5. clothing 
6. transportation 
7. car
8. loan payment for furniture
9. entertainment and recreation
10. miscellaneous expenses
11. savings
$1000.00
$600.00
$500.00
$100.00
$125.00
$100.00
$500.00
$200.00
$200.00
$100.00
$175.00
$ _____________
$ _____________
$ _____________
$ _____________
$ _____________
$ _____________
$ _____________
$ _____________
$ _____________
$ _____________
$ _____________

Adapted with permission from: "I can do the job very well" a collection of job search stories by adult ESL learners, Toronto Board of Education, Continuing Education Department, 1992