30 Days on Minimum Wage - Lukas Durand

1. How good were Morgan and Alex at budgeting for the 30 day period?

Budgeting is no simple accomplishment, especially when living off minimum wage. Their combined daily income did not leave them much to live on once allocating money to pay the rent. Alex focused on making very cheap yet healthy meals and they both walked as much as possible in order to save every penny they could. Overall they both were quite decent at living a frugal lifestyle. It was only when the kids were thrown into the equation that Morgan and Alex started to make budgeting mistakes. They focused too much on making sure the kids were happy that they overspent on entertainment and food. This demonstrated how hard it is to have kids while living in poverty. By the end of the 30 days it was apparent that both Alex and Morgan had a greater appreciation for money.


9. Why do you think that Alex became so emotional about the services that were given to her and Morgan at The Free Store?

Going from riches to rags can sometimes be a more difficult mental undertaking than doing the opposite mainly due to the accustomed luxuries associated with wealth. Morgan and Alex were very rich before shooting this documentary, and living on minimum wage was definitely a change of scenery. They went from living in a big furnished home to an unfurnished apartment above a busted crackhouse. This, along with the strenuous labor associated with minimum wage, seemed to really take a toll on both Alex and Morgan over the course of this challenge. Since their daily incomes were barely enough to cover both the food and rent, they did not have extra money to spend on furnishings. Alex appeared to be the most affected by this. When she found The Free Store, which provided free furniture to the less fortunate, Alex became very emotional. I believe she was incredibly grateful for the kindness of the volunteers and realized how much her life will improve thanks to their charity and services. This was a moral booster which allowed them to keep going and make it to day 30.