Budgeting Review

Which of these costs would be the MOST difficult to adjust if you were looking to reduce your expenses?

• Dining out at local restaurants
• Loan payment on a new car
• Expenses for new clothes
• Postponing a purchase for a big-screen TV

You earn a salary of $40,000 per year and decide to save 20% of your gross pay. You set a goal of creating a $16,000 emergency fund. How long will it take for you to achieve your goal?

• 6 months
• 1 year
• 2 years
• 3 years

If you are trying to substantially reduce the amount you spend on food, you should try...

• Cooking your own food at home for as many meals as possible
• Dining at restaurants more often so you don't waste water doing dishes
• Eating more snacks on the go and way fewer meals at home
• Drinking more coffee and soda so you are not as hungry for food

Leila just graduated from college and is comparing a few different cities to move to. Which of these factors is the LEAST important thing for her to consider right now?

• Average rent for an apartment
• Food and grocery store options in the area
• Employment opportunities
• Average cost of Uber, Lyft, or taxi fare

Greg is trying to decide whether he needs a car when he moves to the city. Which of the following would be a reason for Greg to get a car rather than use public transportation?

• There are several public transportation routes between Greg's apartment and work
• The cost of public transportation is less than Greg’s monthly car payment
• Greg’s company covers half the cost of his monthly public transportation pass
• Using public transportation, Greg’s commute to work one-way is two hours

Which of these boxes of cereal has the LOWEST unit price?

• Cereal A, which costs $3.20 for a 16 oz. box
• Cereal B, which costs $5.00 for a 32 oz. box
• Cereal C, which costs $2.50 for a 10 oz. box
• Cereal D, which costs $4.50 for an 8 oz box

All of the following are good budgeting strategies if you want to save money at the grocery store, EXCEPT…

• Focusing on unit price when comparing similar products
• Building a weekly meal plan around items you already own or items that are on sale that week, rather than just choosing foods you'd like to eat
• Focusing only on the price when comparing similar products
• Preparing a grocery list before you go to the store and avoiding buying items that aren’t on the list

Which description is most accurate for a Zero-Based Budget?

• You put every dollar of your net pay into a budget category each month
• You spend your checking account balance down to $0 every month
• You spend your saving account balance down to $0 every month
• You pay every one of your debts down to $0 every month

For two months in a row, Aaron realizes he has a budget deficit of roughly $175. Which of these options makes the most sense for him to fix his problem?

• Cancel one of his streaming video subscriptions and go out to dinner three fewer times each month with friends
• Start paying just the minimum monthly payment on his student loan and credit card debt, instead of the extra he's been contributing
• Contribute $100 less to savings each month and $75 less to his retirement fund
• Sell his current car and get a less expensive vehicle

You're considering moving into a 3-bedroom apartment with 2 roommates, rather than living on your own post-college. Which of your expenses would likely decrease by having roommates?

• Groceries and eating out
• Rent
• Cell phone bill
• Bedroom furniture