Creating a Monthly Budget:DETERMING YOUR MONTHLY EXPENSESDesigned by: Mike Dillon

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Follow the directions in each slide carefully. Do not skip ahead until you have completed the activities on each slide!

INTRODUCTIONThis project deals with creating and implementing a monthly budget. Budgeting your money depends on a variety of things. This WebQuest is designed to get you thinking about the cost of living.

• For each of the following sections, explore the designated websites thoroughly.

• Determine what the item on the budget would approximately cost. Be sure to fill out the corresponding section on the worksheet before moving on.

• The items in this WebQuest focus primarily on housing, utilities, vehicles, and insurance.

Housing and UtilitiesTo gather information about the cost of housing,

search the classified ads in our local newspapers. Look to see how much rent costs for various types of

apartments and/or houses.

WAUKON STANDARD AND POSTVILLE HERALD http://www.waukonstandard.com/

DECORAH JOURNAL http://www.decorahnewspaper.com/

WATERLOO-CEDAR FALLS COURIER http://www.wcfcourier.com/

Housing and UtilitiesTo gather information about the cost of purchasing a

house, click on the link below.

BANK OF THE WEST CALCULATOR http://partners.leadfusion.com/tools/botw/home17/tool.fcs

• Input a value for the down payment. Assume a relatively low amount since many of you would be just starting out.

• Input different values for the monthly payment to see how the purchase price of the home changes.

• Do not change the term, interest rate, property tax, or insurance sections!

Housing and UtilitiesTo gather information about the cost of various

utilities, click on the following links.

Electricity – ALLIANT ENERGY http://www.alliantenergy.com/

Natural Gas – AQUILLA http://www.aquila.com/

Telephone, Internet, Cable, Etc. – CENTURYTEL http://www.centurytel.com/

Water, Sewer, and Garbage – CITY OF POSTVILLE http://www.postville.govoffice.com/

Housing and UtilitiesThe links on the previous slide include your basic utilities.

There are additional companies you could contact for things like long distance, cellular service, cable TV or satellite service, Internet, etc. Check out the following links if you have time.

Long Distance http://www.att.com/

http://www.sprint.com/ http://www.verizon.com/

http://www.idt.net/ http://www.sbc.com/

Cable or Satellite http://www.directv.com/

http://www.dishnetwork.com/

Cellular Phone Service http://www.verizonwireless.com/

http://www.sprintpcs.com/ http://www.midwestwireless.com/

http://www.uscc.com/

Internet Service http://www.neitel.com/ http://www.aol.com/

http://www.netzero.com/ http://www.juno.com

Car LoansWhat types of things would you

like to own?A car or truck? A motorcylce? A hot tub?

Due to the high cost, many of these items need to be purchased on credit!

Whatever?

Let’s explore what the monthly payments might look like for a vehicle…

Car LoansChoose a company below. Click on the link and explore the payment calculators to get an idea of

the monthly payments for a vehicle.

Ford Credit http://www.fordcredit.com/

General Motors http://www.gmacfs.com/

Chrysler http://www.chryslerfinancial.com/index.jsp

InsuranceInsurance is another fact of life. Choose one of the companies below and check out the rate for various

types of insurance.

State Farm Insurance http://www.statefarm.com/

Progressive Insurance http://www.progressive.com/

Allstate Insurance http://www.allstate.com/

Shelter Insurance http://www.shelterinsurance.com/

American Family Insurance http://www.amfam.com/

Farm Bureau http://www.iowafarmbureau.com/

CONCLUSIONBe sure to check that you have completed all of the questions on the worksheet!

Check with Mr. Dillon to see what you need to do next.

Be sure to properly close out of the programs and shut your computer down.