Laura and Clint are having a
conversation about how she spends her money. She is not sure how she is
spending her money, and that is why Clint is helping her to make a list of her
daily expenses.
Laura
|
I don’t know where all my
money goes.
|
Clint
|
Do you have a budget?
|
Laura
|
No, I don’t.
|
Clint
|
Well, … Have you ever
tried to figure out where you spend money?
|
Laura
|
Umm, no!
|
Clint
|
OK. Get a piece of paper.
Let’s go through your day.
|
Laura
|
Let’s see. The first thing
I do in the morning is to stop at the coffee shop. I buy a cup of coffee and
a doughnut there.
|
Clint
|
All right. How much do you
spend there?
|
Laura
|
About $4.
|
Clint
|
And how do you get to
work? You only live about a mile from work, right?
|
Laura
|
Well, I usually don’t get
on time to work, so I take the bus. That’s about $2.
|
Clint
|
Then, what about lunch?
|
Laura
|
I buy my lunch in the
cafeteria. It’s about $8 for a sandwich and iced tea.
|
Clint
|
Do you spend any more
money for food?
|
Laura
|
Hmm! Just a soda from the
vending machine. That’s a dollar.
|
Clint
|
Do you walk home?
|
Laura
|
No, I’m too tired. I pay
another two dollars for the bus. Oh, and when I get off the bus, I stop and
buy a lottery ticket on my way home. That’s a dollar.
|
Clint
|
Well, it’s easy to see
where all your money goes.
|
As soon as you are finished
reading this conversation, go back to class and answer the questions with your
peers.
