My family lives in a (not yet paid for) house in a small town outside a large metropolitan area. The adult works full-time at a non-unionized refrigerator plant; health insurance is not provided. There is a metropolitan bus service available. The youngest child is autistic and requires constant supervision.
The family is very limited on how they spend their money, they have a budget of $3,300 per month. The family can not afford to buy a lot of new clothes and usually have to buy to food on sale. The kids must attend a public school because the single mom can not afford private schooling. Also the mother must pay for someone to be at the house taking care of her youngest child who is autistic, which costs $750 each month but can not let the child alone so this is a must. If she spends money on the bare minimums she will be able to save money to let her oldest child go to community college. She feels that it is important that her children attend some form of college so they won't end up like her, living pay check to pay check. Because the mom is also saving up for her kids to go to college, they can't not afford to get any cable, gym memberships, or going out to eat or the movies. They must conserve their money for what they feel is the essentials. Also the two teenagers must share a cell phone because the mom can not afford to pay for three cellphone bills. The family is very limited to their spendings but they survive.
