Thread: $7,000 What can it buy...

Teenage son has a friend whom spent 16 days in juvy and will have 6 weeks of home arrest that will cost parents about $7,000. Not counting the Parole officer for several more months....

I thought I would like to see what a teenager could buy for that much money since he and his friends think that a stay in juvy would be like getting a badge of honor... and since the parents pay the $...he has no real idea of what this means money wise. Even after I showed him our bills and that I only make if lucky about $27,000 a year.

But I also thought it would allow me to show him what $ his friend's parents are in a sense throwing away.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by gmyers

I didn't know they charged the parents for juvenile hall. I thought the government paid for it like people that go to prison or jail.

Nope parents pay because the parents are financially responsible for their kids....so....if the parents of the kid whom goes to juvy/parole etc can't pay they threaten to arrest the parents...etc...

Really I just want to show son what the money could buy him and others instead of giving the money to the county.

$7000 would pay my house payment for almost a year.

Originally Posted by kidzpca

Teenage son has a friend whom spent 16 days in juvy and will have 6 weeks of home arrest that will cost parents about $7,000. Not counting the Parole officer for several more months....

I thought I would like to see what a teenager could buy for that much money since he and his friends think that a stay in juvy would be like getting a badge of honor... and since the parents pay the $...he has no real idea of what this means money wise. Even after I showed him our bills and that I only make if lucky about $27,000 a year.

But I also thought it would allow me to show him what $ his friend's parents are in a sense throwing away.

Thanks.

why don't you show him by making him do yard work and house work for minimum wage (which in Michigan I believe is $6.85 ph if the child is under 18 years old)... figure 18% would be considered taxes...and let him figure out how much $7000 is ... if only on paper.

he can work for virtual cash.

$7000....a dang good used car plus insurance

Shoes, shoes and more shoes. Oh yeah and a couple of purses...LOL.

Based on your statement that you make about $27,000 a year ( I am going as net, not gross: as I do not know your tax issue or if you figured those)....
That is just over 3 months wages.

SO EVERYTHING in 3 months... electric, cable, phone, internet, wate, garbage, gasoline, car insurance, health insurance, credit card bills, food, car payment (if you have one), clothing, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, school lunches, plus any form of extras: movies, candy, soda, cell phones, extra curricular activites that have fees.

Tell him to live without everything for a quarter of a year.

Just our basic bills (house, car payment, electric, gasoline, cable, water, insurances, groceries) total 1800 a month. That is BEFORE clothes for my daughter that never stops growing, school items that pop up, books, allowances, movies, cell phones, dinners out. That is just the basic stuff to run the house. Then you have medical issues at times... add co-payments, and medicine.

Or you can show him a variety of items children want:
cell phone plus BASIC small minute plans (200 day/500 weekend) runs about $30 a month... purchase the phone for $30 to $80.... again not a fancy phone. That totals $390 to $440 a year...
That is 15 plus years of NO CELL PHONE

a Wii: $350 (basic no extra games)
games: average $45 each (say they get 4 = $180)
contollers: average $30 each (they want 2 = $60)
You could get this 11 times

He could work a job at minimum wage for 1022 hours.
That is everyday after school for 4 hours plus Saturday 6 hours: 26 hours a week for 39 weeks and 2 days.... bye bye social life...
BEFORE TAX and MEDICARE, AND SOCIAL SECURITY. So add another week in total for those to be subtracted.


Good luck

You have to figure in freedom that is lost too with that money being paid. If they didnt have to pay that money they could of gone out and ate, bought a little something they didnt need etc. Cause one definately knows now that till the money is paid back there will be extra stress.