12 October 2007
Adding up the costs
22 February 2007
Sidebar to: Hungry children and the maths
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A maths example (thanks to Patty McKay for offering her budget):
Household: One single mother and two teenaged children, one male, one female
(For the sake of argument the children’s father is either dead, unemployed, or paying an expensive accountant to report a negative income. And yes, the mother is looking for a decent job.)
Income: Weekly income $454 on the DPB benefit (unemployed with children).
Outgoings:
- Basic housing costs: $230
- Water: $10.00
- Estimate of basic food for survival (according to Otago University figures): $ 219 ($100 a week to feed an adolescent male, $66 to feed an adolescent female, $53 for an adult female. This does not include cleaning and sundry household items usually included in a weekly supermarket bill.)
- Amenities - electricity, gas, telephone: $60
Total outgoings: $519
Do you see where the maths is taking you? ($65 in debt every week for basic survival with a roof over their heads, running water, electricity and a telephone. Or – hunger.)
It’s all very well talking about educating folk on the importance of the five portions of fruit and veges per day, but if they’re worried about paying the power bill they are likely to walk past the fruit and vege section.
And we haven’t even touched on the cost of clothing, public transport, running a car, school fees, school uniform, the cost of cleaning, household and grounds maintenance, whiteware and furniture. I should mention the cost of mobile telecommunications, access to a computer and internet technology. We are nowhere near entertainment.
How far into a negative figure do we need to go?
