Jackson Rogers

Jackson Rogers

Period 4

Morgon Spurlock and his girlfriend spent 30 days living on minimum wage. They worked minimum wage jobs as landskapers, construction workers, and cofee shop workers. They are barely earning enough to get by and have to buy from charity shopes. Morgon’s girlfriend breaks down emotionally because of how sorry she feels for the people who spend their lives living like that. After about a week, she contracts a urinary tract infection and has a huge medical bill along with Morgon hurting his hand and having a huge bill as well. Multiple full days of work’s income is spent on hospital finances alone. Eventually they bring in their niece and nefews and they start arguing in front of them about the money issues, even though it has only been a few days. All they have been eating is beans and rice and they have bare minimum amounts of furnature. When Morgon’s girlfriends birthday comes along, they have to find cheap ways to have fun so they dont argue about money again and go broke.

Eliazar Cabrera

Why do you think that Alex became so emotional about the services that were given to her and Morgan at the Free Store?

I think that Alex got so emotional because she sees know how those people love every day and the fact that the people who run the free store they gave them free stuff. Also they were living in a empty apartment and they had to sit in the floor to eat and also to sleep on that hard dirty floor and they did not even had a couch to sit in when they came from work tired. So when they gave them those things that's why she got so emotional that she started to cry.

How good were Morgan and Alex at budgeting for the 30 day period?

Morgan and Alex were doing very well on budgeting for the 30 day period because they were getting the things they need and not what they want l. Also when Morgan and Alex had to go to the hospital they had to go because if they didn't that bill that they got of the hospital would of become bigger because what Alex and Morgan had could've  of become a bigger problem as the days  passed so what they did was a good thing on going to the hospital.

Sadot Lopez

9) My idea behind why Alex became so emotional was simply because of the situation she was living in. (Assuming) Alex had never had to keep her life savings hidden in a jar or inside an old boot in the closet, the making of this film was probably really tough on her. Living on minimum wage is already really tough so you begin to live by the dollar, and when she got all that stuff for FREE. It just made her reflect on how stressful the situation is and how deeply someone can make an impact on someone life by giving help when they're in need.

7) After watching this film its really hard to vote NO for Sen. Ted Kennedy. Just by watching you feel the struggle. Raising the minimum wage definitely can help families but i suppose that money has to come from somewhere. So those in power with wealth want to maintain that power, even if it wont affect them at all considering how much money they make. I guess another reason could be that with a higher minimum wage there might be lower job opportunities. Which could hurt more than help some families, but I honestly cant give a good argument because i don't know enough on the topic to voice a reasonable and credible opinion.

Davis Karl Patterson

What role did budgeting play in survival for Alex and Morgan?

Budgeting was imperative for the survival of Morgan and Alex. In order for them to have survived through the 30 days the had to put their old lifestyle to the side and be much more fragile. This meant that the couple had to keep their balance on their mind constantly, and really separate the needs from the wants in their life. The main character Morgan especially had a difficult time separating the two aspects of their life.

How good were Morgan and Alex at budgeting for 30 days?

Morgan and Alex adjusted pretty well to receiving minimum wag opposed to being a millionaire couple and overall they did well for 30 days. Morgan made some bad spending decisions that, if they lived on minimum wage for any longer, could have hurt them. Along with that hospital bills added up to being quite a lot of money and had potential to  bankrupt the couple, but the couple budgeted well for 30 days, any longer, and they might have been on the streets.

Anthoney Morris 30 days minimum wage

Alex got so sad in the store because she had nothing when she was living in the apartment. They were struggling and they really coudent make a lot of money because they were living on minimum wage. it's hard living on small amount of money.

Aidan Dillon

1. Morgan and Alex did not do a poor job on budgeting, in fact, they did a good job of budgeting throughout most of the 30 days. It only seemed like they did a bad job of budgeting based on their medical bills. They owed and overwhelming amount of money at the end of the 30 days, all from emergency room bills for the both of them. Without insurance, just walking through the door can charge you up to $500. Not a penny went to waste for Alex, who would walk to work everyday so she wouldn't have to spend $2-$3 on the bus. The only time Morgan wasn't a thoughtful spender was when he had his niece and nephew over for a weekend. This is when the line of wants and needs conflicts with saving money. This also brings up an argument between Morgan and Alex about what and what not to spend money on. Morgan has a more relaxed thought of money, and thinks it should be spent on important events and occasions, like birthdays and Easter. Alex was more strict about money, and kept a tight budget throughout the 30 days. Morgan may have broke before the 30 days was over, but the two of them together kept steady budgets.

12. The cause for arguments over finances is based on wants and needs. There are certain things you need to have in order to live a healthy life. These include food, shelter, warmth, etc. But there are things that people, like Morgan, want, rather than need. Morgan spent his money on things he wanted, like snacks and movies, when Alex only bought things she needed. Alex didn’t even take the bus, because she thought that it was something that she didn’t need to waste only a few dollars on. Arguments would stir when these events happened. Morgan would go about spending money for pleasure, and Alex didn’t spend a dime on anything for herself. Over 50% of divorces are due to finance. Needs and wants can control our lives and how we live healthy lives.

1. Morgan and Alex did not do a poor job on budgeting, in fact, they did a good job of budgeting throughout most of the 30 days. It only seemed like they did a bad job of budgeting based on their medical bills. They owed and overwhelming amount of money at the end of the 30 days, all from emergency room bills for the both of them. Without insurance, just walking through the door can charge you up to $500. Not a penny went to waste for Alex, who would walk to work everyday so she wouldn't have to spend $2-$3 on the bus. The only time Morgan wasn't a thoughtful spender was when he had his niece and nephew over for a weekend. This is when the line of wants and needs conflicts with saving money. This also brings up an argument between Morgan and Alex about what and what not to spend money on. Morgan has a more relaxed thought of money, and thinks it should be spent on important events and occasions, like birthdays and Easter. Alex was more strict about money, and kept a tight budget throughout the 30 days. Morgan may have broke before the 30 days was over, but the two of them together kept steady budgets.

12. The cause for arguments over finances is based on wants and needs. There are certain things you need to have in order to live a healthy life. These include food, shelter, warmth, etc. But there are things that people, like Morgan, want, rather than need. Morgan spent his money on things he wanted, like snacks and movies, when Alex only bought things she needed. Alex didn’t even take the bus, because she thought that it was something that she didn’t need to waste only a few dollars on. Arguments would stir when these events happened. Morgan would go about spending money for pleasure, and Alex didn’t spend a dime on anything for herself. Over 50% of divorces are due to finance. Needs and wants can control our lives and how we live healthy lives.

Abelardo Enriquez

1.) How good were Morgan and Alex at budgeting for the 30 day period?

     They were good on how to handle their money for most of the movie.  They bought what they needed and not what they wanted. When the kids visit them, they did spend money on stuff they did not needed but other than that, they were pretty good on limiting their budget.

9.) Why do you think that Alex became so emotional about the service that were given to her and Morgan at the free store?

     Alex got so emotional at the free store because she was getting furniture that made her fell better. She thought about the people that actually live in poverty their whole life and stores like this( free store) that might be their only chance to get house things. For them getting furniture and clothes makes someone feel mentally successful you could say. 

      

     

Vicki Kosiba

#3- Race plays a bigger part in aspects of everyday life that most people want to ignore. There was a study done to showcase how a single name can be a factor. A hispanic man put his given name on countless applications for jobs and housing. He then filled out the same applications with a simple name that gives no sign of a cultural background like John smith. The applications with smith on them were then accepted even though the other applications were identical. It is more likely for an employer to give the job to someone who is white because they are seen as “responsible” or “trustworthy”.  Because Alex and Morgan looked a certain way they were able to gain those privileges a lot faster than most would. White privilege is a power that allows white people (the group in power) to have advantages over others which they then choose to ignore or are unaware of it completely.  It’s also easier to rent to couples who don't have kids. Kids are loud and messy which is unappealing to someone who is renting out their home. That is a little harsh, but it's true. It is just an easier way of life without kids.

#12- I think that the connotation of money is different for every individual. Money is what makes the world go round, but the way each one of us uses it paints a different picture. From Alex’s perspective it seems that money should be used for survival and more of the need items. Morgan feels that money can be used to live life, not just support it. On one end you need to be able to support yourself and live a healthy life, but doesn’t that compromise some aspects of what makes us happy? In an ideal world,  money would not men as much and some of these ideas can be fantasized, but in their situation (and in most American’s) you need to meet your basic needs and then move forward.

Sophie Civetta

Sophie Civetta

7.) I believe that Sen. Ted Kennedy is correct that if we raise the minimum wage many families will benefit. Many people in this country are living off of every penny. If we raise the minimum amount of money they can make, then that is more money in their pockets for food and other daily necessities. The minimum wage was created at a time when prices were lower. Now prices have gone up, but the minimum wage has stayed the same. This makes it extremely harder to live off of the minimum wage. Other folks (big U.S. coorperations) don't want to raise the minimum wage, because the money used to raise it would have normally gone in their pockets. This means that they are losing money. They make so much money, however, that I believe it is more fair for people with nothing to get more money instead of the rich getting richer.

12.) Morgan and Alex are very different people. Alex is a more serious person. She is very serious about money, and she saves it in whatever way she can. She is very strict when it comes to budgeting. Morgan on the other hand is more childish than Alex. He is wiling to spend a little bit of money on little presents, whether it is for his niece and nephew or for Alex's birthday. He isn't as strict about budgeting as Alex is. They are opposites in terms of how they spend their shared money. This can cause conflict. They both have very different, but very strong, views about money and budgeting. These strong opposite opinions clash and cause conflict between Alex and Morgan.

Coby Dodelson

6. Gerald's words on how his pay has not progressed to his liking over the pass twenty years is significant because nobody should be earning less then they were 25 years ago in this country, especially when the cost of living is constantly rising. However, his argument is not completely reliable because we do not know what has happened in the past 25 years that led to Gerald not moving up in the economic ladder.
9. I think Alex became so emotional when The Free Store helped her out because she has never or not recently been in a situation where money is as tight as it was for her then considering her husband is a movie star. Now that she is in this predicament and needs helps, receiving support means a lot to her.

Marcus J Hopson

         How good was Morgan and Alex's budgeting over the 30 days? In the most honest opinion, I think that they both could have improved on their spending. because at some moments of the documentary the couple was in debt by a couple hundred dollars, but although they managed to pay back all the money they still wasn't accounted for the bills they had to pay at the end of the month. at times Morgan became careless and a little to celebratory and spent too much money such as when his brother's children came to visit him and Alex for one weekend.and following that weekend was Alex's 30th birthday so with Morgans bad planning he managed to almost spend all the money and at the end of it all they came home with $2.96 at the end of Alex's birthday. If Morgan was to go with Alex's budgeting techniques then I strongly believe that they would have at least had a solid $150 or more from savings. So to rephrase the question was Morgans Spurlock's budgeting over the 30 day span healthy? no it wasn't at all and if he was to continue this experiment for another month than he would have owed more than a hundred dollars at the end of the second month.

         what do you think Gerald's reasoning regarding how the cost of living wage his devalued over the last 25 years and what that means for his current employment statues? The cost of living has indeed devalued but because the products and whatnot that we buy there pricing has increased and business don't want to pay more to their works because then they would be losing money so the common work gets paid a reasonable amount that the company has decided so it could rack in big bills while their works barely get buy on life also the countries economical state has changed since Gerald has been working the big car manufactors in the last 25 years. in my opinion i think that big companies such as wal-mart target they have became more like sweat shops because they are getting the most out of their works because to most companies they could easily be replaced and the company wouldn't lose not a single dollar so companies only care if the person is going to bring in money
 

Sofia Mejia

                                                                                 

7.   I agree with Senator Ted Kennedy's argument about raising the minimum wage. I believe it gives families a more of an opportunity  to get to a better living state. At the time of the film, and even now, the minimum wage was designed to help people earn the bare minimum to not starve and have a roof over their head, not to progress their life into something more. I believe if people who are "well off" are able to give a little out of their pocket to help less fortunate families then they should. "Big US companies" oppose raising the minimum wage because they don't want to pay workers more. This is simply being money-hungry. However, raising the minimum wage can help families not live pay check to pay check. It should be helping families and people progress out of that living state, not keeping them in it. 

 12. Morgan and Alex easily get into arguments over  money and spending. I think this is because Morgan is not used to living on a budget. He has money, so to him, he doesn't need to save. Even when Morgan's  niece and nephew went to stay with them, Morgan spent money they couldn't afford to spend. Alex, on the other hand, believes you should live on a budget and manage your money whether or not you're rich or poor. Morgan doesn't necessarily know how to do this and it's the cause of the conflict between them .        

         

Annie Hedges

Question #1: How good were Morgan and Alex at budgeting for the 30 day period? 

Alex and Morgan were overall pretty good when it came to budgeting.  At first, they were not sparing any money to buy anything.  They would say that they were really hungry, but they didn’t buy any snacks or food because they didn’t have money to spare. They couldn't afford furniture so they slept on an air mattress and ate what they could get.  Eventually, they got furniture from a store that supplied furniture to people who might not be able to afford it. As the days passed, they got jobs and were able to stay out of debt for the most part.  But when they had kids, Morgan bought them candy and took them out to do fun things, which did not help them financially.  They barely had enough money to begin with, and when he started to spend money on things they didn't need, things got tighter. Also, Alex was a lot more cautious when it came to spending money, and when Morgan started spending more she got stressed.  But overall, they budgeted their 30 days well.  They were prepared and tried to spend as little as possible.

Question #10: Describe how you world make the decision regarding going to the doctor vs. trying to keep the finances in the black. What if children were involved -- would that change your decision making process? If so, how?

I think that the decision to go to the doctor should be decided carefully.  When Alex went to the doctor, she was diagnosed with an infection that she needed medicine to cure.   But when Morgan went to the doctor, all they told him to do was to be careful using his hand.  If they had had the kids at that time, Morgan’s visit would just be a waste of money because he could have rested it on his own without someone telling him what to do and charging $500.  They were also already struggling financially, and going to the doctor put them in debt when they got their hospital bills.  They were lucky that they didn’t have kids at the time because it would have been even harder to pay for their visits.  I think that if it were me, I would try to hold off on going to the doctor for as long as I could because I need to keep my finances down and save as much money as I can for real emergencies.

Ryan Harrison

12. How easy is it for Morgan and Alex to get into an argument over finances? What is the underlying feeling that you think is at the cause of the conflict?

Morgan and Alex fight over finances very often in 30 days. They don't have enough money to buy things that they want but don't need. Morgan is a spender and usually would never have to live paycheck to paycheck so he was not used to saving his money. Alex seemed like she had been through tough times before she met Morgan so she had some experience on smart spending. Morgan spent too much money of snacks for the kids they had which made Alex mad. Another underlying conflict is that they may not have loved each other as much as they thought because they eventually broke up after the film.

6. What do you think of Gerald's reasoning regarding how the cost of living wage has devalued over the last 25 years and what that means for his current employment status?

Gerald was getting payed 7 dollars an hour at his first job 25 years ago and today he was only getting payed about 5 dollars an hour. The cost of living 25 years ago was much less than it is now. And since he's making less money he definitely wasn't making enough to live off of. The price of living has more than doubled so the minimum wage should have also increased which is not the case.

Alexis Johnson

1. Question: How good were Morgan and Alex at budgeting for the 30 day period?

Answer: For the most part, Alex and Morgan were pretty good at budgeting for their 30 day period. I think that the hardest part in budgeting for them was when they had the kids over for easter. They wanted to make sure that they were more than happy while spending time with them. It was hard for the because in order to make the kids happy they had to do things with them like going to the movies and buying them candy and gifts for their easter baskets and also for them to have a warm blanket and a place to sleep. Another big obstacle that they had was when they went to the hospital and they had about a $1200 hospital bill. Alex stressed more about money than Morgan but overall they did pretty well with budgeting. 

7. Do you agree with Sen. Ted Kennedy's argument that raising the minimum wage helps families? What about the opposing side that is against raising the minimum wage? 

Answer: In a way i do agree with Sen. Ted Kennedy because from watching 30 days it looks like it is the most difficult thing to do when living off of 7 dollars or less that seems like it is impossible to live off of. I know that me living by myself on minimum wage would probably be the hardest thing in my natural life to do. To the other side they can stand to give a few dollars more. IT'S NOT LIKE THE WORKERS WOULD EVEN PUT A DENT IN THE MONEY THAT THEY ARE MAKING! So why be selfish and not try to help out the people who are making their business better? So yes i do believe that raising minimum wage will help the poor american families in our country because it is damn near impossible to live off of $7-$8.25 for a full month having to stretch out a check. 

Collin Olla Chatman 30 days review question

3. Do you feel that race was a factor in getting hired or finding an apartment for Morgan and Alex? What about the fact they had no children?

I feel like race did not play a part in them finding an apartment. The reason why I say this because the apartment that Alex and Morgan choose was in a bad neighborhood so it really did not matter who bought the place. Then another thing there land lord was a slum lord because all he wanted to do is get money from them even tho the apartment was not up to par. With Alex and Morgan not having kid it made it way much easier for them. The reason i say this because if they had kid they would have buy them what they needed and think about there safety so they would probably not move there because of it being a bad neighborhood.

9. Why do you think Alex became so emotional about the service that were given to her and Morgan at the free store.

The reason Alex was so emotional about them getting that free stuff because they really needed it. Then another reason because it showed how kind people can be in this world if you need help. Then another reason she got so emotional because I feel like she took her life for granted and when she did the 30 days with her husband it showed her how people live when they cant make enough money for there self or there family. Here is what i learned from the 30 days show.

Kevin Alfaro

2. what role did budgeting play in survival for Alex and Morgan?

Alex and Morgan had several unlucky events take place. They were both sick or got injured and were forced to go to the emergency room. Not everyone living paycheck to paycheck had to go to the emergency every month probably not even every year. Had they not had to go to the emergency room they would have generated more income and even have a little to spend so they wouldn’t argue. you could also argue that they were white so they had an advantage over everyone else  but i do not think that is true because as we saw they didn’t make enough money to pay off all their bills. it would take them 3 more months.

12. Observe how easy it was for Morgan and Alex to get into an argument over finances, what is the underlying feeling that is the cause of the conflict.

It is very easy for Morgan and Alex to get in a fight the way they did over finances and it is a constant problem in the U.S. and it is the number one cause for divorce. The reason why Alex and Morgan got into an argument over finances is because they both were working over time and they hated their jobs but knew they had to keep working in order to pay the bills. They barely were making enough money to get by and Morgan goes and spends it on his nephews while Alex disagrees. they disagree because they are two different people with two different points of views on how to handle finances. Alex is the type of person who lives to work which means she's strict with her money and doesn’t like to spend it and just save it while Morgan is a guy who works to live so he spends his money to have some fun as he did with his nephews here Alex disagreed.

Amaiya Johnson

#4. Honestly, I would have walked away form the land lord who helped Alex and Morgan without paying the whole because on one-hand, he did help out when they had nowhere else to go and he even let them pay off the security deposit and rent in installments but, he didn't take care of the building, there was a drug-house downstairs from the apartment and he had to change the locks on the house the day before because someone who wasn't supposed to live in the apartment broke in and stayed. Also, the neighborhood wasn't all that safe so yes, I would have walked away from him.


#7. Yes, I do agree with Senator Ted Kennedy's argument that raising the minimum wage helps families. During the time that the 30 Days documentary was shot minimum wage was $5.15 and Alex and Morgan struggled to live on the small hourly pay. They worked as many hours and jobs as possible just to have enough for food and the bills with no room for frivolous spending and still, they stayed in debt and couldn't cover some expenses, like their $1,000 hospital bill. Imagine having a child and living off of $5.15 an hour when, according to the movie, they cost $10,000 a year in expenses. Today, the minimum wage rate in Illinois is $8.25 but still, that is not enough because every year the cost of living goes up but the minimum wage rate doesn't and it's not enough to accommodate for the price of living in America. The senate does not take into account those who may have children and how many they have when voting on the minimum wage rate. The opposing side of raising the minimum wage rising rate doesn't think about their workers' expenses but more about what's in their own pockets. They may already be well off and have more than enough money but, in not wanting to have to give up more, they oppose (and win most of the time) the fight to get minimum wage increased.

Laura Tataille

9.Why do you think Alex became so emotional about the services that were given to her and Morgan at The Free Store?

I think that Alex became so emotional because she didn't realize how nice people can be. In her everyday life, before 30 days, she never thought about living on minimum wage. But when she did, she couldn't help but be grateful for all the things that she has. Since everything is this store was free a big weight got lifted off of her shoulders. She didn't have to worry about going in debt for once and she was surround by very generous and kind people, whom she wished others could be like. Many people aren't as fortunate as Alex and Morgan are and I believe in that moment she finally realized that. Unfortunately this life style is real for a lot of people and it doesn't just last 30 days.

2. What role did budgeting play in survival for Alex and Morgan?

Alex and Morgan had to budget their money VERY wisely. Since they were both living from paycheck to paycheck it became very difficult at times to do so. They wanted to spend their money on luxuries that they just couldn't afford sometimes. Budgeting allowed them to stick to a pay plan that worked for them. Most of the time their bills were paid on time, but if they weren't then they had to get more hours in at work and cut back on other things that weren't as important (example: public transportation, going out to eat, ext.)

Olivia Lemmenes

1. Did Morgan and Alex budget their money well during the 30 day period?


Morgan and Alex were pretty good at budgeting their money for 30 days. Alex was more cautious about spending money, but Morgan was more willing. During the weekend when the kids stayed with Morgan and Alex, Morgan spent more money than Alex was comfortable with. Morgan spent about 80 dollars that weekend, which is about a day's wages (between both of them). Spending those 80 dollars meant that they didn’t have that money to help them pay for the bills. Morgan also was willing to spend some money on Alex’s birthday. They spent about 15 dollars more than Morgan had planned on, which left them with about two dollars. Other than that, they both worked hard to save and spend money reasonably, which them pay for the bills and buy things that helped them survive.

9.  Why do you think that Alex became so emotional about the services that were given to her and Morgan at The Free Store?

I think Alex became so emotional about the services that were given to her and Morgan at The Free Store because after a few days into the project, she was already tired of not being able to eat at a table or sit on a couch. She didn’t have all the luxuries that she was used to having and I think she felt very lucky/happy to be able to get some of those luxuries back. I think she also appreciated the people who volunteer their time and donate items that can help the less fortunate. I think she also really liked knowing there are kind people in this world who will help make other's lives a little better.

Angela Zachery

9. Why do you think that Alex Became so emotional about the services that were given to her and Morgan at The Free Store?


Alex became so emotional at The Free Store because she was relieved and happy to see that there are people that are willing to give things to the less fortunate. Even though she was living that life for a little bit she was able to feel how stressful life is for people that don't have much, but she saw that their are those people that see and want to help. It was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders because she got what she needed and also it was free so they didn't have to go into debt.

12.  Observe how easy it was for Morgan and Alex to get into an argument over finances. Wha is the underlying feeling that you think is at the cause of the conflict?

When Morgan And Alex had gotten into that argument I feel like they were feeling overwhelmed. Due to the fact that they practically started with no money, and their jobs were only giving them minimum wage was already pretty difficult. Also they had bills to pay and also they had no car that could help them get to the places that they need to get to, so either they took public transportation, which costs money, or they had to walk in order to get places. That is already a lot of stress for someone with little money because the distance that you would have to travel. Also they have different views on how they should be spending money on themselves and others so that causes conflicts between them which makes them stressed and gets overwhelmed.