Paying Bills
Lesson Plan- Paying Bills
Unfortunately every body pays bills. Just like taxes and death, no one can avoid them. Bills are the money one spends each month to live. They include regular monthly payments for things like water, gas, electricity, and rent. They may also include periodic payments for insurance premiums, unexpected medical bills, taxes, credit card payments, and food.
Dialogue- Paying Bills
Wife: What are you doing honey?
Husband: I’m paying bills.
Wife: Need any help?
Husband: No help needed, but maybe some explanations about some
of these bills.
Wife: Which ones?
Husband: The phone bill for one. Why is it over $300 dollars. Have you
been talking to your brother in Peru again?
Wife: No, we’ve been e-mailing. But didn’t you say you charged a lot of
overseas business calls to our home phone instead of the office phone
when you where in Seattle last month?
Husband: Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Well, what about the credit card.
What did you buy for $800 from Nelson’s Fine Apparel?
Wife: Nothing, but as I recall, you bought a new business suit from there,
didn’t you?
Husband: Right. Okay, the electric bill seems a little high too.
Wife: It shouldn’t be; we haven’t ran the A/C that much. Wait a minute…
when the kids and I went to my mother’s for that four day weekend, didn’t
you say you sat around all day with the air con on full blast because of
the heat wave?
Husband: Was that just last month? Okay, okay.
Wife: How are the water and gas bills?
Husband: They’re average, but why do we have a bill from Penny’s Pet
Groomers? We don’t have a pet.
Wife: Oh that, I forgot to tell you. It was a birthday present for my sister.
I paid for a shampoo, cut, and styling for her pet poodle Fifi.
Husband: $150 for a washing dog
Wife: Don’t forget the hair styling, and Fifi looks so cute now.
Husband: For $150 dollars, who cares!
Wife: That’s what my sister wanted, honey. I could have spent more than
that on clothes or jewelry for her. Consider yourself lucky.
Husband: Right. We kind of over-extended ourselves last month, so no
more credit card use for a few months, unless its an emergency. Agreed?
Wife: Ah… agreed.
Conversation Activities- Paying Bills
1. Pair work- discussion
What kinds of monthly expenses do you have? Tell your partner about
it, covering the topics listed below. Your partner should ask questions
to get more information.
utilities
insurance
medical
recreation/entertainment
food
car payments
2. Group work
Get into groups of three or four.
The group will be a family unit who must decide on how much money to
spend for their monthly bills or expenses. The total amount due for the
month exceeds your income. Decide which bills (or parts of bills) you
will pay and which you will not pay. You may have to eliminate
non-essential expenses. Provide justification for you decisions.
Situation 1
Family of four: mother, father, son, and daughter. The son requires
expensive injections at a clinic for a medical condition. The daughter
is a child prodigy on the piano who dreams of being a concert pianist.
Income: $2200
Bills: Fixed expenses
electricity- $55.00 gas- $45
water- $35 phone- $85
cable TV- $35 newspaper- $15
rent- $850 car payment- $550
medical insurance- $125 clinic bill- $350
piano lessons- $75 car insurance- $75
Variable expenses
credit card (minimum payment $200)
food- (you decide based on income)
entertainment- (you decide based on income)
school clothes for kids (you decide based on income)
Situation 2
Family of 6: mother, father, 2 sons, 1 daughter, and a grandmother. The
sons are taking karate lessons, but just for fun. Father is self-employed
and requires car, telephone, newspaper, and cable TV for his work.
Income: $1800
Bills: Fixed expenses
electricity- $55 gas- $45
water- $35 phone- $85
cable TV- $35 newspaper- $15
rent- $650 car payment- $350
medical insurance- $125 dental bill- $250
karate lessons- $55 car insurance- $65
Variable expenses
credit card (minimum payment $100)
food- (you decide based on income)
entertainment- (you decide based on income)
dress for prom for daughter (you decide based on income)
