Poverty Budget Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example

Poverty Budget Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example

Poverty guidelines include thresholds for poverty measures the federal agencies use for public assistance programs such as food assistance and medical insurance. Welfare programs have played a primary role in controlling poverty in the US. Based on the “poverty” budget, I think welfare and poverty guidelines need to be more considerate of the current economic conditions and different life experiences in various states. The welfare and poverty guidelines matter since they are vital to economic well-being and deprivation (ASPE 2021). (Poverty Budget Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)However, I think the official poverty line is too low, and there should be more complex measures of low-income households’ economic insecurity and costs. Poverty measures are more technical than moral in determining which families should receive assistance and which should not. These measures are not an accurate depiction of current America’s economic reality, and most of them do not consider housing and transportation. The measures are also not realistic as they do not consider geographical differences and the cost of living in different parts of the country. They do not align with many US residents’ living experiences considering that around 43% of the people cannot afford all the necessities without struggling or entering into debt (Haider and Schweitzer 2021). Many people do not have enough money to live comfortably.(Poverty Budget Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

If I have to live within this “poverty” budget, I have to cut some expenses completely and reduce others to survive a month. I will have to sell my car and forego some subscriptions, club memberships, entertainment bills, and set a shopping limit. Making daily trips with a personal car is expensive within this budget limit considering gas, parking, and car insurance expenses. I would be forced to use road transport, which would cost $3 a day. I will have to take a bus to and from college and train from one town to the other. Public transport is less expensive but with less convenience compared to a personal car.(Poverty Budget Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

Reducing monthly housing expenses would also be a necessity. I would have to look for cheaper places to live in town and probably invite one or two roommates, depending on my monthly rent budget, $300. When selecting a place, I would also have to consider transportation costs and choose cheap places to live near the campus. Several of them, such as 421 N McCombs St, Martin, TN 38237. The area has apartments with three beds and two baths, costing $900 a month, enough for three people, each paying $300 monthly. In 302 Fonville St, Martin, TN 38237, there are apartments with three beds and two baths, costing $800 monthly, enough for three people, each paying around $270 monthly. There are also much cheaper apartments in 109 K ST, Martin, TN 38237 with two beds and one bath, costing $425 a month, enough for two people, each paying around $215 monthly (Apartment Guide 2021). I consider it essential to have a roommate survive within the “poverty” budget.(Poverty Budget Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

The monthly tuition cost at UTM is higher than the subtotal under the “poverty” budget. This would be the case in other colleges. I would not be able to afford college tuition under this budget. I would have to drop college, which would affect my future immensely. A college education would help open career opportunities with much higher pay. Dropping off college would eliminate any chance of getting a decent career to raise my living status. I would have to look for low-paying jobs since I have limited skills and educational qualifications. I would live within this budget for a long time, and getting more money would mean finding alternatives like working two to three jobs a day, opening my own business, which would be difficult due to limited capital, or endeavoring into farming and other activities that would offer more pay. My plans would change, and seek alternative means of earning more to raise my living status.(Poverty Budget Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

This budget would limit many things that I plan to do in the future. I would not be able to save enough to buy a home, start a family, go for a vacation, or even buy a nice car. I would not be able to live my dream life. According to Goins (2016), I would consider myself “poor but working” and “hustling backward.(Poverty Budget Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)” At $1000 a month, I would be making a minimum wage, living in dreams, and never experiencing the reality of living in beautiful neighborhoods or the likelihood of taking my kids to private schools. The yearly income would be around $10,000, close to the average monthly income for a family of two adults and two children. It would be hectic to start a family with such an income since sometimes we would be forced to eat once a day or even go without a meal. Sadly, if the income remains constant, I would not have enough to go for retirement, being forced to work when I am very old. I would be living from paycheck to paycheck and unable to live my future dream.(Poverty Budget Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

The quality of life would deteriorate to include my eating habits. To eat healthy on a $6 budget, I would be forced to buy groceries and cook at home (Morrow 2021). The average American spends around $151 a week on meals. My weekly budget is $42, and I need careful planning. My breakfast would include cornmeal, 8 oz. of milk, one boiled egg, 8 oz. orange juice, 1 oz. ground coffee, totaling $1.28. My lunch would include 3 oz. rotisserie chicken, 8 oz. white rice, 4 oz. Kidney beans, 4 oz. Broccoli, and one apple, totaling $2.48. My dinner would include 3 oz. Cooked lean ground beef, 4 oz. Mashed potato, 1 oz. Shredded cheddar cheese, 4 oz. Peas, 4 oz. Unsweetened canned pineapple, totaling $1.56. The subtotal would be $5.32, which is within the daily budget. I would change meals but remain within the budget limits.(Poverty Budget Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

References

Apartment Guide. 2021. “Apartments For Rent In University Of Tennessee.” ApartmentGuide. Retrieved March 2, 2021 (Poverty Budget Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)(https://www.apartmentguide.com/apartments/Tennessee/University-of-Tennessee–Martin/).

Goins, Rachael. 2016. Waging! A Living. Retrieved March 2, 2021 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIXFyLXSBuo).

Haider, Areeba, and Justin Schweitzer Schweitzer. 2021. “The Poverty Line Matters, But It Isn’T Capturing Everyone It Should – Center For American Progress.” Center for American Progress. Retrieved March 2, 2021 (https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/poverty/news/2020/03/05/481314/poverty-line-matters-isnt-capturing-everyone/).(Poverty Budget Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

Morrow, Nate. 2021. “How To Eat Healthy For Under $6 A Day.” BuiltLean. Retrieved March 2, 2021 (Poverty Budget Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)(https://www.builtlean.com/healthy-food-budget/).

Office of The Assistant Secretary For Planning And Evaluation. 2021. “Poverty Guidelines.” ASPE. Retrieved March 2, 2021 (Poverty Budget Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)(https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines).

APPENDIX A: REAL BUDGET

APPENDIX B: IMAGINARY “POVERTY” BUDGET