PAYDAY$
You are about to put yourself in the shoes of a typical ALICE® family. ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. ALICE families are those that have earnings above the Federal Poverty Level, but are unable to meet a survival budget. In other words, they are working, earning and paying taxes, but struggling each month to make ends meet. 25 percent of Iowa families are ALICE, when ALICE is combined with the Iowans living below the Federal Poverty Level, we find 37% of Iowa households are experiencing financial hardship.
For the next few minutes, you’ll experience some of the tough choices that these families have to make every single day to reach the end of each month. You’ll learn more about the types of struggles faced in Iowa and how United Ways are raising awareness of these issues.
You and your partner have two small children — one infant and one preschooler. After an unexpected layoff at your place of employment, you find yourself scrambling to find a new job. Your partner’s monthly earnings are $2000.
But there is some good news. You have three real job opportunities. The interviews went well, so you have good reason to be optimistic.
Choose your Job
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Grocery Stockroom Associate
$12.25/hour, 3rd shift, 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.,5 days a week
66% of Iowa jobs pay less than $20 per; 57% pay less than $15 per hour. A family of four needs to earn more than $28 per hour to afford a barebones household budget. Learn More
Workers who hold third-shift jobs are often faced with difficulty finding child care and transportation. ALICE workers hold many important jobs in our community like: Retail Sales, Waitstaff, Home Health Aides, Office Clerks, Receptionists, Teacher Assistants and Child Care Workers. Close
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Retail Salesperson
$10.46/hour, full-time, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 5 days a week
There are more than 44,500 retail salesperson jobs in Iowa, paying an average of $10.46 per hour. A family of four needs to earn more than $28 per hour to afford a barebones household budget. Learn More
RetalALICE workers hold many important jobs in our community like: Retail Sales, Waitstaff, Home Health Aides, Office Clerks, Receptionists, Teacher Assistants and Child Care Workers. Close
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Waitstaff at Local Restaurant
$9.00/hour plus tips, Full-time evenings, 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.,5 days a week
66% of Iowa jobs pay less than $20 per; 57% pay less than $15 per hour. A family of four needs to earn more than $28 per hour to afford a barebones household budget. Learn More
ALICE workers hold many important jobs in our community like: Retail Sales, Waitstaff, Home Health Aides, Office Clerks, Receptionists, Teacher Assistants and Child Care Workers. Close
Decide where you're going to live
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Single-Family Homeowner
Small house with 3 bedrooms
ALICE households are often forced to spend more than 35% of their income on rent/mortgage and utility costs. This requires them to make tough choices, often forgoing basic necessities such as food, medicine and in some cases, heat. Learn More
Almost 71% of Iowans own rather rather than rent their homes. 16% of homeowners spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs. Close
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Apartment Rental 1
2-bedroom unit in a large complex
ALICE households are often forced to spend more than 35% of their income on rent/mortgage and utility costs. This requires them to make tough choices, often forgoing basic necessities such as food, medicine and in some cases, heat. Learn More
44% of renters spend more than 30% of their household income on rent each month with 22% spending more than 50% of there income on rent. Close
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Apartment Rental 2
2-bedroom unit in an old house
ALICE households are often forced to spend more than 35% of their income on rent/mortgage and utility costs. This requires them to make tough choices, often forgoing basic necessities such as food, medicine and in some cases, heat. Learn More
44% of renters spend more than 30% of their household income on rent each month with 22% spending more than 50% of there income on rent. Close
Choose your Childcare
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Accredited Center-Based Childcare
Your children are cared for in a high-quality center with social development and a structured early learning curriculum.
ALICE families have difficulty finding affordable, high-quality child care their children. Learn More
When more money is devoted to child care, there is less available for other necessities. ALICE families who overpay for child care often sacrafice saving for their child Close
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Licensed Home-Based Childcare
Your children are cared for by a licensed individual with other children.
ALICE families have difficulty finding affordable, high-quality child care their children. Learn More
Child care is often the single largest expense for ALICE families in Iowa accounting for 22 percent of the Household Survival Budget for a family of four. Close
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Family, Friends and Neighbors
Your children are watched in your home or theirs, requiring you to cover basic expenses.
ALICE families have difficulty finding affordable, high-quality child care their children. Learn More
Center-based child care has been shown to offer higher quality academic preparation than informal settings,equipping children with higher levels of math and reading skills as they enter kindergarten. Close
Choose your Transportation
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Car
You and your partner have one car that is paid for. You have to pay for insurance and gas every month.
More than 80 percent of Iowans drive alone to work. Most households in Iowa own at least one vehicle because owning a car is essential for work, but many ALICE households need to borrow money in order to buy a vehicle.
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Bus
You and your partner each have a monthly bus pass.
There is no public transportation in most Iowa counties making it essential for the majority households to have a car. Just over 1 percent of Iowans use public transportation to get to work.
Choose your Food
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Fresh
All of the freshest and healthiest options available to you including name brands
In Iowa, 1 in 8 people struggles with hunger. Learn More
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Mix
A combination of fresh and frozen options with a mix of name brands and bargain brands
In Iowa, 1 in 8 people struggles with hunger. Learn More
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Low Cost
Limited amounts of healthy options with lots of frozen and processed foods and bargain brands
In Iowa, 1 in 8 people struggles with hunger. Learn More