Question

A 2-column table has 9 rows. The first column is labeled Monthly expenses with entries rent, utilities phone internet, groceries, entertainment, renters insurance, savings, auto insurance/gas, discretionary spending, total expenditures. The second column is labeled amount budgeted with entries 600, 230, 350, 100, 20, 100, 225, 225, 1,850 dollars. Your used car payment will be $250 per month. What financial challenge do you now face? My auto insurance costs more than my renters insurance. I will spend more on groceries now that I am buying gas. My savings budget is too high. My car payment is higher than my discretionary spending.

Answer 1

The most immediate financial challenge you face based on the provided information is that your car payment ($250) is higher than your discretionary spending budget ($225), which could limit your ability to spend on non-essential items or activities. It's essential to adjust your budget to ensure financial stability while accommodating this new expense.

To identify the financial challenge you face based on the provided information, let's break it down step by step:

1. List Monthly Expenses and Budgeted Amounts:

Create a list of monthly expenses from the first column along with their corresponding budgeted amounts from the second column:

• Rent: $600
• Utilities Phone Internet: $230
• Groceries: $350
• Entertainment: $100
• Renters Insurance: $20
• Savings: $100
• Auto Insurance/Gas: $225
• Discretionary Spending: $225
• Total Expenditures: $1,850

2. Add the Car Payment:

You mentioned that your used car payment will be $250 per month. Let's include this in your expenses:

Used Car Payment: $250

3. Recalculate Total Expenditures:

Update the total expenditures to include the car payment:

Total Expenditures (including car payment): $1,850 + $250 = $2,100

4. **Analyze the Financial Challenge:**

Now, let's address the financial challenges you mentioned:

• "My auto insurance costs more than my renters insurance."
• Auto Insurance/Gas: $225
• Renters Insurance: $20
• Yes, your auto insurance costs more than renters insurance, but this might not be a significant challenge on its own unless the difference causes financial strain.
• "I will spend more on groceries now that I am buying gas."
• Groceries: $350

If buying gas for your car will significantly increase your grocery expenses, it could be a challenge, but the provided information doesn't quantify this increase.

• "My savings budget is too high."
• Savings: $100
• Whether your savings budget is too high depends on your financial goals and priorities. Saving is generally a good practice, but if it's causing difficulties in covering essential expenses, you may need to reevaluate.

• "My car payment is higher than my discretionary spending."
• Used Car Payment: $250
• Discretionary Spending: $225
• This is a significant challenge. Your car payment is higher than your discretionary spending, which means you may have to cut back on non-essential expenses or adjust your budget to accommodate this new expense.

Answer 2

Given that the used car payment is $250 per month, the financial challenge being faced is D. My car payment is higher than my discretionary spending.

What more can be said about the financial challenge being faced?

Discretionary spending are considered expenses that are not essential for the functioning of a household. These include things like;

• Dining out at restaurants
• Vacations and travel
• Entertainment such as movies, concerts, sports events

Adding a $250 car payment would increase the total expenditures, and if we are to compare this new expense with discretionary spending, which is currently $225, the car payment is higher.