2006 June 03 | Wheatworks Blog: Financial Matters

Home

Archive for 3rd June 2006

Basic Family Budget Calculator

6/3/2006, 9:14 am

The Economic Policy Institute which provides “research and ideas for working people” offers an interesting tool on the web site. It’s the “Basic Family Budget Calculator”

This Family Budget Calculator customizes its results for every U.S. community. You choose the family structure (1 parent/2 children, 2 parents/1 child, etc.), pick your state and community and the calculator determines how much income the family will probably need to take care of basic living expenses.

For each calculation, it also reports the number of people in the selected state who live below the family budget line. In Louisiana, for example, it reports that 28.2% of all people in the state are living below the family budget line.

Surprising, too, are the differences the Family Budget Calculator determines for different locations in the U.S.

It’s an excellent tool and the EPI web site is a useful resource. “The mission of the Economic Policy Institute is to provide high-quality research and education in order to promote a prosperous, fair, and sustainable economy. The Institute stresses real world analysis and a concern for the living standards of working people, and it makes its findings accessible to the general public, the media, and policy makers.”

Check it out and explore the EPI web site.

Share This Post ...