Social Studies 400 Living Wage Assignment
Living Wage Calculator: Wisconsin
http://livingwage.mit.edu/pages/about
What is the living wage model?
What is a basic needs budget?
Define "minimum wage."
Define "living wage."
What is the minimum wage in Wisconsin?
What is a living wage for a single adult with no children in Wisconsin?
What is a living wage for a single adult with one child in Wisconsin?
What is a living wage for two adults, one child in Wisconsin?
What is the average monthly food expense for a single adult?
What is the average monthly food expense for a single adult, one child?
Since the living wage model looks at "basic needs," what do you think that means with regard to food?
What is the average monthly housing expense for a single adult?
What is the average monthly housing expense for a single adult, one child?
What is the average monthly transportation budget for a single adult?
What is the average monthly transportation budgeted for two adults, one child?
What is the average annual income for a single adult, (before taxes) you must earn to cover basic living expenses?
Look at the "other" column. For a single adult, what is the amount listed? Do you think "other" includes monthly smart phone bill? Cable? Explain your answer.
Do you think basic living needs included in the living wage model includes Netflix? Culvers? Designer clothes? XBox? Vacation?
Look at the typical hourly wages for the most popular occupations in Wisconsin. What occupation offered the highest wage?
What occupation offered the second highest wage?
What occupation offered the lowest wage?
How many occupations were highlighted in red?
Now choose the county you are most likely to live in after you graduate from high school.
Wisconsin Counties
What is the living wage for a single adult? Is it higher or lower than the state average?
Now select Economic Policy Institute Budget Calculator.
Select 2 adults, two children, rural. What are your monthly and annual expense totals?
Now select CNN Cost of Living Calculator. Measure how far your salary would go in another city.
Compare a 35,000 salary in Madison, Wisconsin to San Francisco, California; Chicago, Illinois; New York City, New York; and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Do you think you could afford to live in any of these cities on $35,000 a year? $40,000 a year? $50,000 a year?
Now select Minimum Wage Calculator. Can you survive on minimum wage in Wisconsin?
Enter information (housing, utilities, transportation, etc.). Can you survive on minimum wage? If not, how much debt will you acquire annually?
http://livingwage.mit.edu/pages/about
What is the living wage model?
What is a basic needs budget?
Define "minimum wage."
Define "living wage."
What is the minimum wage in Wisconsin?
What is a living wage for a single adult with no children in Wisconsin?
What is a living wage for a single adult with one child in Wisconsin?
What is a living wage for two adults, one child in Wisconsin?
What is the average monthly food expense for a single adult?
What is the average monthly food expense for a single adult, one child?
Since the living wage model looks at "basic needs," what do you think that means with regard to food?
What is the average monthly housing expense for a single adult?
What is the average monthly housing expense for a single adult, one child?
What is the average monthly transportation budget for a single adult?
What is the average monthly transportation budgeted for two adults, one child?
What is the average annual income for a single adult, (before taxes) you must earn to cover basic living expenses?
Look at the "other" column. For a single adult, what is the amount listed? Do you think "other" includes monthly smart phone bill? Cable? Explain your answer.
Do you think basic living needs included in the living wage model includes Netflix? Culvers? Designer clothes? XBox? Vacation?
Look at the typical hourly wages for the most popular occupations in Wisconsin. What occupation offered the highest wage?
What occupation offered the second highest wage?
What occupation offered the lowest wage?
How many occupations were highlighted in red?
Now choose the county you are most likely to live in after you graduate from high school.
Wisconsin Counties
What is the living wage for a single adult? Is it higher or lower than the state average?
Now select Economic Policy Institute Budget Calculator.
Select 2 adults, two children, rural. What are your monthly and annual expense totals?
Now select CNN Cost of Living Calculator. Measure how far your salary would go in another city.
Compare a 35,000 salary in Madison, Wisconsin to San Francisco, California; Chicago, Illinois; New York City, New York; and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Do you think you could afford to live in any of these cities on $35,000 a year? $40,000 a year? $50,000 a year?
Now select Minimum Wage Calculator. Can you survive on minimum wage in Wisconsin?
Enter information (housing, utilities, transportation, etc.). Can you survive on minimum wage? If not, how much debt will you acquire annually?
Comments