Real-Life Math
Home support workers help clients in all areas of their lives. They
may help their clients buy groceries, clothes and other household items. They
may also help with chores like paying bills or determining a monthly budget.
You are a home support worker with a number of clients. One of them
is an elderly woman named Mrs. Billsloe. She needs help figuring out her monthly
budget because winter is coming soon and she needs a new pair of gloves, a
scarf and a hat. She needs these items badly, but she honestly doesn't know
if she can afford them.
Mrs. Billsloe is on a fixed income of $850
per month. Out of this, she must pay $375 rent on her apartment. Her telephone
service costs $11.75 every month, and once a month she phones her daughter
who lives out of town. The long-distance call usually adds about $4.50 to
the telephone bill every month.
Mrs. Billsloe's electricity bills
are $41.82 every two months. Her gas bill is $68 every two months. She needs
$150 for groceries and personal toiletry items. Her monthly prescription costs
$13. As well, she has to pay for her laundry, which totals $5 per month.
Of
course, you don't offer your support services for free, so your fees must
be included, too. You charge Mrs. Billsloe $175 per month for your time.
You took Mrs. Billsloe shopping last week and she saw a warm pair
of gloves for $19.99, a scarf for $9.99 and a hat for $24.99. Can she afford
to buy these items?
Note: Add 5 percent tax to the cost of
the clothes.