3-2 Journal: Family and Work
Southern New Hampshire University
Sociology of Family
23EW2
As a single mother of four kids, I can fully relate to the woman's budget and struggles in this
week's reading. Although I live in Massachusetts and our minimum wage is higher than
Florida, our cost of living is also much higher. After reading over the woman's budget from
our book I have concluded that this budget is unrealistic. The woman is a housekeeper, and
based on the table with the job that she has now there is a shortfall of $14,104.00 (Cohen,
2021). I do not see how she can cut costs either, because her budget only includes the
necessities, and she still falls short every month. The consequences for the children in this
situation are that they may not be able to enjoy things that other kids do. Going on family
outings like the zoo or an aquarium, they may not have much if anything at all when it comes
to their birthdays or Christmas. The mother is also probably over-stressed and possibly
depressed by her financial situation, which means she may not have the energy or willpower
to be happy and have fun with her children. There are countless assumptions made about
Southern New Hampshire University
Sociology of Family
23EW2
As a single mother of four kids, I can fully relate to the woman's budget and struggles in this
week's reading. Although I live in Massachusetts and our minimum wage is higher than
Florida, our cost of living is also much higher. After reading over the woman's budget from
our book I have concluded that this budget is unrealistic. The woman is a housekeeper, and
based on the table with the job that she has now there is a shortfall of $14,104.00 (Cohen,
2021). I do not see how she can cut costs either, because her budget only includes the
necessities, and she still falls short every month. The consequences for the children in this
situation are that they may not be able to enjoy things that other kids do. Going on family
outings like the zoo or an aquarium, they may not have much if anything at all when it comes
to their birthdays or Christmas. The mother is also probably over-stressed and possibly
depressed by her financial situation, which means she may not have the energy or willpower
to be happy and have fun with her children. There are countless assumptions made about
