walk in my shoes
walk in my shoes
| Date | Description | Change | Balance |
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Take a Walk in My Shoes to experience real life examples of the difficult budget decisions some of us have to make each month. Even when you are working hard, the world can throw you curveballs that change your life in an instant.
You will select one of three people, each facing a different set of challenges, and follow their path. You will be asked to make tough choices or to roll the dice because, just as in real life, random events happen.
continueYou are 80 years old. As a retired widower without any family in Alaska, your support system is meager at best. You live on a fixed income in an apartment with heat included in your rent, and you rely on public transportation.
| Social Security Monthly Income: | $2,500 |
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It’s the first of the month and your fixed expenses are due: rent, utilities, Medicare premium, phone.
| Fixed Expenses: | -$1,250 |
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You fall in the bathtub and have to go to the emergency room. Subtract $500 from your budget for Medicare deductible and co-pay.
| Emergency Room Expenses: | -$500 |
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The new apartment costs $150 more than your previous apartment.
| New Apartment: | -$150 |
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It’s time to renew your annual bus pass. The cost for seniors is $330.
| Bus Pass: | -$330 |
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Subtract $200 for Medicare coinsurance and cab fare from your budget.
| Cab Fare & Medicare Coinsurance: | -$200 |
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Your friend reliably drives you to your doctor appointments.
| Medicare Coinsurance: | -$100 |
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Your friend fails to drive you to the doctor, so you spend $200 for taxi rides and Medicare coinsurance.
| Medicare Coinsurance: | -$100 |
|---|---|
| Taxi Rides: | -$100 |
| Total Costs: | -$200 |
Your friend drives you to one appointment but cancels for the second, so you spend $50 on a tax ride and $100 for Medicare coinsurance.
| Medicare Coinsurance: | -$100 |
|---|---|
| Taxi Rides: | -$50 |
| Total Costs: | -$150 |
You call Alaska 2-1-1 and find out that, as a senior, you qualify for free transportation to your doctor through Anchor Rides. Your budget stays the same.
ContinueTaking less medicine makes you visit your doctor again, who convinces you to take the full dosage.
| Doctor Visit Coinsurance: | -$30 |
|---|---|
| Full Prescription: | -$200 |
| Total Costs: | -$230 |
With only half your dosage, your condition severely worsens, and you have to spend a night in the hospital. Medicare coverage kicks in after $1300.
| Half Prescription: | -$100 |
|---|---|
| Hospital Visit: | -$1,300 |
| Total Costs: | -$1,400 |
Your condition is alleviated with the reduced dosage of the prescription.
| Half Prescription: | -$100 |
|---|
You break your glasses and have to get a new pair. Medicare does not cover vision.
| New Glasses: | -$200 |
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Can you imagine living on the edge of a financial cliff each month as James is doing?
Thousands of our neighbors are struggling to make ends meet as the cost of living rises. You can help keep them warm, housed and fed with your generous donation.
FinishYou are 23 years old. Without family support, you dropped out of high school when you found out you were pregnant. Your son is now six and your sole responsibility. Currently you schedule your part-time waitressing job around his school schedule limiting childcare cost.
| Monthly Income (Paycheck & Tips): | +$1,820 |
|---|
It’s the first of the month and your fixed expenses are due: rent, utilities, phone, car payment, childcare.
| Fixed Expenses: | -$1,170 |
|---|
Work the lunch shift. You earn less in tips, but your son is in school during most of your work hours.
You make an extra $600 working the lunch shift, but now you need additional childcare costing $200 per month. This adds $400 to your budget.
Your housing voucher to help pay rent is based on income. With the extra income from working full time, your rent increases. This removes $180 from your budget.
| Lunch Shift: | +$600 |
|---|---|
| Additional Childcare: | -$200 |
| Rent Increase: | -$180 |
| Total: | +$220 |
Work the dinner shift. You earn more in tips but have to pay for evening childcare.
You make an extra $950 working the dinner shift, but now you need additional childcare costing $800 per month. This adds $150 to your budget.
Your housing voucher to help pay rent is based on income. With the extra income from working full time, your rent increases. This removes $285 from your budget.
| Lunch Shift: | +$950 |
|---|---|
| Additional Childcare: | -$800 |
| Rent Increase: | -$285 |
| Total: | -$135 |
Your car makes it through the month without breaking down. Your budget stays the same.
You find a friend who fixes it for cheaper than the shop.
| Car Parts: | -$250 |
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Your car breaks down on the road. You have to pay a mechanic to fix it plus the extra for the tow.
| Tow Expense: | -$100 |
|---|---|
| Mechanic Expense: | -$500 |
| Total: | -$600 |
You’ve been thinking about getting your GED, and you call Alaska 2-1-1 for help on where to start. They refer you to Nine Star Education & Employment where you sign up for GED prep classes.
| GED Prep Classes: | -$40 |
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With your new full-time hours, your son will still be eligible for Denali KidCare, but you will no longer be eligible for Medicaid. However, as a full-time employee, you are eligible for health insurance benefits, but you have to pay part of the premium. You can:
You get strep throat and have to miss work to go to the doctor for medicine.
| Medical Expense: | -$300 |
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You fall on the ice and end up in the emergency room. Fortunately it’s just a sprain, so you won’t miss much work.
| Emergency Room Expense: | -$1,500 |
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You stay healthy this month. Your budget stays the same.
You lose a filling and have to go to the dentist. It’s not covered by health insurance.
| Dental Expense: | -$200 |
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Can you imagine living on the edge of a financial cliff each month as Amanda is doing?
Thousands of our neighbors are struggling to make ends meet as the cost of living rises. You can help keep them warm, housed and fed with your generous donation.
FinishYou are 42 years old. A permanent disability has made you unable to work. Your household income is now a lot less, and your family lost medical and dental insurance coverage when you stopped working. Your wife picked up a part-time job. Your mortgage, medical bills and the needs of your three kids make it difficult to make ends meet.
| Long Term Disability: | $1,800 |
|---|---|
| Social Security Disability: | $1,200 |
| Wife's Income: | $1,500 |
| Total Monthly Income: | $4,500 |
It's the first of the month and your fixed expenses are due: mortgage, utilities, phone, car payment.
| Fixed Expenses: | -$2,400 |
|---|
Your wife takes unpaid time off of work, and her pay is reduced by $300 per month.
| Reduced Pay: | -$300 |
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In-home therapy sessions cost an extra $400 per month.
| In-home Therapy: | -$400 |
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You call Alaska 2-1-1 for ideas when your middle child breaks her arm ice skating leaving you with a $2,500 medical bill, and you get connected with a Healthcare Navigator. You learn your family is eligible for Medicaid, which will cover the bill, and the Navigator helps you enroll. Your budget stays the same.
ContinueJake’s condition worsens and you are compelled to take him to the vet anyway. The vet removes the growth.
| Vet Bill: | -$400 |
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By the time you take Jake to the vet, the growth is much larger and needs to be removed.
| Vet Bill: | -$600 |
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While waiting for your tax refund to afford taking Jake to the vet, the mysterious growth disappears. You no longer need to take him to the vet. Your budget stays the same.
Your 7th grade son wants to be on the track team at his middle school with his two best friends. There is a student activity fee for each sport.
| Student Activity Fee: | -$110 |
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Your fridge quits and you call a repair service that fixes it for $200.
| Repair Service: | -$200 |
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Your fridge quits. You call a repair service that determines it can’t be fixed. Subtract $600 for the service call plus the new fridge.
| Repair Service: | -$100 |
|---|---|
| New Refrigerator: | -$500 |
| Total | -$600 |
Your fridge quits after the sale is over. You call a repair service that determines it can’t be fixed. Subtract $900 for the service call plus a new fridge.
| Repair Service: | -$100 |
|---|---|
| New Refrigerator: | -$800 |
| Total | -$900 |
Unusually cold temperatures in February mean your utility bills are much higher than expected.
| Utility Bill: | -$200 |
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Can you imagine living on the edge of a financial cliff each month as Dave and his family are doing?
Thousands of our neighbors are struggling to make ends meet as the cost of living rises. You can help keep them warm, housed and fed with your generous donation.
Finish
James
Amanda
Dave
