School Bells – Current affairs – Grade 8 – Week Six
Last week the 8th grade class and I had discussed the refugee issues and what we and our families could do to provide practical help. We also discussed what we can do long term about stopping wars and other person-made conditions which create refugees. This led to a discussion of wants versus needs. I suggested that we all talk to our family members about making a list of how much of the budget is spent on wants versus needs.
Here comes the class now.
Me: Good morning class. How is everybody?
Class: Good morning Mr. Jim.
Me: How did the conversation with your families go regarding how much of the budget is wants versus needs?
Tom: Our family does not have a written budget but my mom and dad liked the idea. We have started keeping track of everything we spend and what we spend it for. Everyone has a little notebook to write down everything. I and my siblings have to write down every penny of what we spend our allowance on. Mom and dad are going to use the debit card and track cash use that way. They are also going to write down all the expenses for food, insurance, car, clothes, and everything. It already is a long list.
Paul: At our house we had a budget and every time my sister and I want something extra we have to go over the budget and decide if there is money or if we have to give up something else.
Me: Paul, did you and your family talk about wants versus needs?
Paul: Uncle Jim, you know we did because we had a long discussion when you came for dinner the other night. It was a really hard discussion.
Me: Really! What was hard about it?
Paul: Well, when it was something I asked for it felt like something I needed. When it was something Sam, my sister, asked fort felt like it was a want and not a need.
Me: That is very interesting. How about others?
Abdul: When we left Egypt we could not bring a lot and had to decide what was really important. We got to bring more than some families, but still, there were a lot of things we could not bring. My siblings and I were each told to pick ten things which could all fit in the box that we really wanted to bring. Then we had to decide on what clothes, photos and other things to bring. It was very difficult to decide. I had the same experience of Paul. When it was things my siblings wanted to bring I could see they were wants and not needs. When it was my stuff it all felt like a need.
Me: That is interesting Abdul. Do you miss a lot of the stuff you could not bring?
Abdul: I did at first but not so much now. It has been a year.
Me: Ann, how about you?
Ann: At first my parents did not like the idea. They were afraid that I would tell everyone about how much money we have and how we spend it. Then people would make fun of or ask us to help them.
Me: So in your family money is a very private matter. In many families there is a lot of emotional history with money either because people are afraid that someone will misuse the information or take advantage of them. Is this experience the same for others?
Will: I did not want my older brother to know how much money I had saved from my allowance and from gifts. I knew he would try to borrow it and then would not pay it back.
Me: Sounds like all of our experiences are different when it comes to how much money we have or do not have and how we are going to spend it. We are learning a lot about our relationships with money even though we have not had much success in deciding the difference between wants and needs.
Susie: Mr. Jim, did you do the homework?
Me: Fair question Susie. Thanks for asking. This was a relatively easy project for me since I live alone and I divide all my expenses into approximately 64 categories which I keep on the computer. Thus, I could call up a report on my spending habits in each category for the past year or an even longer period of time. I have also adopted a habit of my son’s of using a debit card instead of cash for almost all daily expenses. Then when I enter the ATM amount in my quicken program I enter the purpose of the expense. For example, I often write at Panera’s and buy a cup of coffee. I take my own cup and a refill is $1.69. $1.69 does not seem like a lot of money but if I do this approximately 200 days over the course of the past year that is $338.00. If 10 people donated that much to a charitable organization that would be $3,380.00. Going to Panera’s to write is a want and not a need. I can also go to the public library to write or I can write at home. I recently moved and some things got broken. I looked up the prices of some of the items and now I have to decide that even if the moving company reimburses me for them, do I really need any of these things or do I just want them. I also discovered that since I did not buy the place I had planned to move to, I did not have room for all that I bought. I thought I had gotten rid of most of what I did not want or need but when I had to reexamine this because I do not have room for it, I found that there were a number of things which I did not need. I still think that at least half of what I brought is a want and not a need.
Tom: Such as what Mr. Jim?
Me: Well, for example, I have 11 bath towels. I gave two to the Salvation Army but I kept nine. Do I need nine bath towels? I live by myself and seldom have more than two guests and do not have them very often. Let’s say that my guests each want two bath towels after a shower or bath. I only use one. That would be a total of five towels. If I only had three towels, guests would have to only use one each. Growing up we used the same towel for all of us just like we used the same bath water for all of us.
Ann: The same towel and bath water. That is disgusting Mr. Jim.
Me: Well, when you had to heat the water on a wood stove one kettle at a time you might not find it so disgusting Ann. Certainly it seems that way when we are used to having private bathrooms with plenty of hot water.
Did anything else come up in discussions at home?
Abdul: We talked about the fact that in our family we have one car for both my parents to share. It would be easier if we had two cars like our neighbors but we decided it was a want and not a need to have two cars. Most of the time we take a bus.
Susie: That takes forever. It is so lame!
Me: What makes it lame, Susie!
Susie: They are dirty and take forever.
Me: What is the positive about taking a bus? Anyone?
Paul: You, I and Sam often take the bus and we talk to people and see a lot more than when we are in the car.
Me: Yes. I enjoy that although we have to plan for the extra time. My son does not have a driver’s license. He got one in his later twenties but has since let it expire. He lives in Los Angeles and takes the bus or subway most of the time. Occasionally he may take a cab or catch a ride with a friend. I never rent a car when I visit him. I like the public transportation. I feel more like a member of the community.
Goodness time is up. I hope that everyone will continue this discussion with family and friends. If we have time we will come back to a discussion of how families are doing with the budget and making decisions about wants versus needs.
Next week we will discuss the concern of John’s parents that politicians will take away our guns and we will not be able to protect ourselves. Here are the slips with this issue written down. Give them to your family and ask them to discuss this issue between now and next week
Here, Will and Susie would you pass these out please? Thanks.
Will and Susie pass them out.
Me: Have a good week.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
Written September 20, 2016
Last week the 8th grade class and I had discussed the refugee issues and what we and our families could do to provide practical help. We also discussed what we can do long term about stopping wars and other person-made conditions which create refugees. This led to a discussion of wants versus needs. I suggested that we all talk to our family members about making a list of how much of the budget is spent on wants versus needs.
Here comes the class now.
Me: Good morning class. How is everybody?
Class: Good morning Mr. Jim.
Me: How did the conversation with your families go regarding how much of the budget is wants versus needs?
Tom: Our family does not have a written budget but my mom and dad liked the idea. We have started keeping track of everything we spend and what we spend it for. Everyone has a little notebook to write down everything. I and my siblings have to write down every penny of what we spend our allowance on. Mom and dad are going to use the debit card and track cash use that way. They are also going to write down all the expenses for food, insurance, car, clothes, and everything. It already is a long list.
Paul: At our house we had a budget and every time my sister and I want something extra we have to go over the budget and decide if there is money or if we have to give up something else.
Me: Paul, did you and your family talk about wants versus needs?
Paul: Uncle Jim, you know we did because we had a long discussion when you came for dinner the other night. It was a really hard discussion.
Me: Really! What was hard about it?
Paul: Well, when it was something I asked for it felt like something I needed. When it was something Sam, my sister, asked fort felt like it was a want and not a need.
Me: That is very interesting. How about others?
Abdul: When we left Egypt we could not bring a lot and had to decide what was really important. We got to bring more than some families, but still, there were a lot of things we could not bring. My siblings and I were each told to pick ten things which could all fit in the box that we really wanted to bring. Then we had to decide on what clothes, photos and other things to bring. It was very difficult to decide. I had the same experience of Paul. When it was things my siblings wanted to bring I could see they were wants and not needs. When it was my stuff it all felt like a need.
Me: That is interesting Abdul. Do you miss a lot of the stuff you could not bring?
Abdul: I did at first but not so much now. It has been a year.
Me: Ann, how about you?
Ann: At first my parents did not like the idea. They were afraid that I would tell everyone about how much money we have and how we spend it. Then people would make fun of or ask us to help them.
Me: So in your family money is a very private matter. In many families there is a lot of emotional history with money either because people are afraid that someone will misuse the information or take advantage of them. Is this experience the same for others?
Will: I did not want my older brother to know how much money I had saved from my allowance and from gifts. I knew he would try to borrow it and then would not pay it back.
Me: Sounds like all of our experiences are different when it comes to how much money we have or do not have and how we are going to spend it. We are learning a lot about our relationships with money even though we have not had much success in deciding the difference between wants and needs.
Susie: Mr. Jim, did you do the homework?
Me: Fair question Susie. Thanks for asking. This was a relatively easy project for me since I live alone and I divide all my expenses into approximately 64 categories which I keep on the computer. Thus, I could call up a report on my spending habits in each category for the past year or an even longer period of time. I have also adopted a habit of my son’s of using a debit card instead of cash for almost all daily expenses. Then when I enter the ATM amount in my quicken program I enter the purpose of the expense. For example, I often write at Panera’s and buy a cup of coffee. I take my own cup and a refill is $1.69. $1.69 does not seem like a lot of money but if I do this approximately 200 days over the course of the past year that is $338.00. If 10 people donated that much to a charitable organization that would be $3,380.00. Going to Panera’s to write is a want and not a need. I can also go to the public library to write or I can write at home. I recently moved and some things got broken. I looked up the prices of some of the items and now I have to decide that even if the moving company reimburses me for them, do I really need any of these things or do I just want them. I also discovered that since I did not buy the place I had planned to move to, I did not have room for all that I bought. I thought I had gotten rid of most of what I did not want or need but when I had to reexamine this because I do not have room for it, I found that there were a number of things which I did not need. I still think that at least half of what I brought is a want and not a need.
Tom: Such as what Mr. Jim?
Me: Well, for example, I have 11 bath towels. I gave two to the Salvation Army but I kept nine. Do I need nine bath towels? I live by myself and seldom have more than two guests and do not have them very often. Let’s say that my guests each want two bath towels after a shower or bath. I only use one. That would be a total of five towels. If I only had three towels, guests would have to only use one each. Growing up we used the same towel for all of us just like we used the same bath water for all of us.
Ann: The same towel and bath water. That is disgusting Mr. Jim.
Me: Well, when you had to heat the water on a wood stove one kettle at a time you might not find it so disgusting Ann. Certainly it seems that way when we are used to having private bathrooms with plenty of hot water.
Did anything else come up in discussions at home?
Abdul: We talked about the fact that in our family we have one car for both my parents to share. It would be easier if we had two cars like our neighbors but we decided it was a want and not a need to have two cars. Most of the time we take a bus.
Susie: That takes forever. It is so lame!
Me: What makes it lame, Susie!
Susie: They are dirty and take forever.
Me: What is the positive about taking a bus? Anyone?
Paul: You, I and Sam often take the bus and we talk to people and see a lot more than when we are in the car.
Me: Yes. I enjoy that although we have to plan for the extra time. My son does not have a driver’s license. He got one in his later twenties but has since let it expire. He lives in Los Angeles and takes the bus or subway most of the time. Occasionally he may take a cab or catch a ride with a friend. I never rent a car when I visit him. I like the public transportation. I feel more like a member of the community.
Goodness time is up. I hope that everyone will continue this discussion with family and friends. If we have time we will come back to a discussion of how families are doing with the budget and making decisions about wants versus needs.
Next week we will discuss the concern of John’s parents that politicians will take away our guns and we will not be able to protect ourselves. Here are the slips with this issue written down. Give them to your family and ask them to discuss this issue between now and next week
Here, Will and Susie would you pass these out please? Thanks.
Will and Susie pass them out.
Me: Have a good week.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
Written September 20, 2016
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