Imagine that you have graduated and obtained your ideal job! This project will help you connect what you have learned about integers to personal finances.
In this project, you will:
-Learn to describe income using an equation.
-Learn to evaluate your income based on given hours per week or a goal amount of money.
-Learn to make reasonable conclusions about finances.
-Connect the idea of positive and negative integers to credits and debits within accounts.
To complete this project you will:
-Complete the Ideal Job Worksheet to guide you in developing your budget. Be sure to show all work!
-Complete a 2-page, double-spaced, APA formatted report. In the report, you need to present your findings and explain the connections between your calculations and integers. Thoughts to include in the report include: What types of transactions are positive or negative? How can you write an expression to determine your income? How can you write an equation to solve the number of hours you need to work or the amount of money you need to make to reach your financial goals.
In this worksheet you will need to answer each question fully and showing all work. Then use your findings to write your 2 page report on your findings.
1. Research jobs using your degree and identify a job you would be interested. Use a website like Glassdoor.com to determine the salary for the job you are interested in. Then Find out what the hourly pay amount based on what is given. Be sure to cite your source in the worksheet and in your report.
2. Write an equation to express how much money you would make if you worked h hours. Where I equals income:
3. Would you consider your income to be a positive or a negative integer? Why?
4. How many hours would you need to work to earn $400 per week (assume overtime is paid at the regular hourly rate)?
5. Now let’s assume that your car is currently paid off but you have to pay gas and budget for driving to and from your new job. Find out the local gas price and write an equation to describe the price of gas for g gallons. Where M is the amount of money you spend on gas each week. Estimate the mileage to your new job each week and explain what the weekly gas cost would be for your budget.
6. Would the gas cost be considered a positive or a negative integer? Why?
7. Write an expression that calculates your weekly balance in your account based on a 40 hour work week and accounting for the gas amount. Show integers as positive or negative.
8. Now determine your monthly gas cost for your trip to work. To do this assume there are 4 weeks in a month, and be sure to use positive or negative integers as needed. Show all work!
9. Identify other expenses that you may have such as rent, utilities, etc. Estimate amounts for these and complete a monthly budget showing your balance at the end of the month with all income and expenses accounted for.
10. Use the information you found in items 1-9 to write up your report. Start your report with an introductory paragraph on positive and negative integers. Be sure to explain why it is important to identify numbers as positive or negative when working with a budget. Then in the body of your report explain your findings in 1-9. Last in a conclusion paragraph explain what this exercise has taught you about your finances after graduation and how integers are used in everyday life.
