Allowance Image

Allowance

Apr 8, 2014Accents, Articles, Canadian, Life&Food, Money

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Preparation
CONSIDER

How much allowance do/did you get from your parents?

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Transcript
José Cruz: What did you think?

Alex Bodnar: Oh, about the allowance (mm-hmm) topic? Mmm, I think uh *it* makes good points and uh, I generally, sorry I generally agree with the article, um, that one one person said that uh, they should, children should not be given money for just normal house duties. I can agree with that, uh but for maybe extra work around the house maybe a little bit of reward is a good idea.

José: When I was growing up if I remember properly, I got five bucks a week period.

Alex: Wow!

José: Even if I was sick that whole week. “Wow”- that’s a lot?

Alex: Mmm, well how long ago was that?

José: Okay…

Alex: Like 20 years, 30 years…

José: I don’t know, I think I remember we were still using stone tools…no no um uh, no no no, uhh… OK. OK, I was…

Alex: I’m thinking of inflation here.

José: …twelve, ten ten, forty years ago.

Alex: Okay, so five dollars a week 40 years ago, uh, in today’s money ($12) inflation…

José: $13.

Alex: Yeah.

José: $12 – $13 a week (mm-hmm) today? Oh I don’t think that’s that much.

Alex: I suppose you’re right.

José: You know, what is a meal at McDonald’s these days? I mean if you think about Canada, six dollars? Five dollars?

Alex: Yeah yeah that’s true, that’s true, yeah.

José: So you’re down to three, you know you’re down to a nice weekend and if you’re lucky you’ll save a couple of dollars at the end of the week.

Alex: I was in a unique situation. Uh, I didn’t really get an allowance per se because uh, we had a family business. My parents owned a convenience store, so I I uh- in the beginning I was like mainly free help, kind of you know, uh, here and there. But eventually I started getting paid and my, you know, my father opened up (what age?) bank accounts.

José: What age did you start getting paid at?

Alex: I can’t remember, um…

José: You were still a teenager or not yet a teenager?

Alex: Just becoming a teenager I think, before I entered high school.

Consolidation
DISCUSSION

How much money did José make a month when he was a kid?

How were José’s and Alex’s situations different in terms of receiving an allowance?

How much is $5.00 in the year 1973 worth in terms of value in the year 2013? Answer: $27.79. José’s estimate was way off!

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Speakers

José Domingo Cruz image

José Domingo Cruz

Canadian

Vancouver, British Columbia

Alex Bodnar Image

Alex Bodnar

Canadian

Harriston, Ontario


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