Damian wants to save $7200 to buy a car within the next 2 years. Which budget would help Damian save enough money to buy a car in a timely manner with minimal effect on his other essential expenses?

Monthly Budget
Budget A
Budget B
Budget C
Budget D
Income
$1000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
Expenses-
Rent
Utilities
Food
Bus Pass
Car Savings
School Savings

$300
$75
$150
$25
$350
$100

$300
$75
$150
$25
$250
$200

$300
$75
$75
$0
$300
$250

$300
$75
$150
$25
$100
$350

a.
Budget A
b.
Budget B
c.
Budget C
d.
Budget D

1 answer

To determine which budget would help Damian save $7200 for a car within the next two years, we first need to calculate how much he needs to save each month.

Total amount needed: $7200
Time frame: 2 years (24 months)
Monthly savings needed = Total amount needed / Number of months
Monthly savings needed = $7200 / 24 = $300

Now we'll look at each budget to see if he can save at least $300 per month while covering his essential expenses.

  • Budget A:

    • Income: $1000
    • Expenses:
      • Rent: $300
      • Utilities: $75
      • Food: $150
      • Bus Pass: $25
      • Car Savings: $350
      • School Savings: $100
    • Total Expenses = $300 + $75 + $150 + $25 + $350 + $100 = $1000
    • Savings: $1000 - $1000 = $0
  • Budget B:

    • Income: $1000
    • Expenses:
      • Rent: $300
      • Utilities: $75
      • Food: $150
      • Bus Pass: $25
      • Car Savings: $250
      • School Savings: $200
    • Total Expenses = $300 + $75 + $150 + $25 + $250 + $200 = $1000
    • Savings: $1000 - $1000 = $0
  • Budget C:

    • Income: $1000
    • Expenses:
      • Rent: $300
      • Utilities: $75
      • Food: $75
      • Bus Pass: $0 (no bus pass)
      • Car Savings: $300
      • School Savings: $250
    • Total Expenses = $300 + $75 + $75 + $0 + $300 + $250 = $1000
    • Savings: $1000 - $1000 = $0
  • Budget D:

    • Income: $1000
    • Expenses:
      • Rent: $300
      • Utilities: $75
      • Food: $150
      • Bus Pass: $25
      • Car Savings: $100
      • School Savings: $350
    • Total Expenses = $300 + $75 + $150 + $25 + $100 + $350 = $1000
    • Savings: $1000 - $1000 = $0

None of the budgets allow him to save the required $300 per month after covering essential expenses, as he doesn't have anything left over in any of the budgets after expenses equal his income.

However, Budget C allows him to save $300 actually for the car (not accounted for in expenses on the surface but rather in the savings directly). Therefore, Budget C is still the one that gets closest to achieving the goal.

So, the best choice for Damian to save the needed amount in a timely manner with minimal effect on his other essential expenses would be:

c. Budget C