Question

Personal Budget

At the beginning of the school year, Katherine Malloy decided to prepare a cash budget for the months of September, October, November, and December. The budget must plan for enough cash on December 31 to pay the spring semester tuition, which is the same as the fall tuition. The following information relates to the budget:

Cash balance, September 1 (from a summer job)	$6,430
Purchase season football tickets in September	90
Additional entertainment for each month	220
Pay fall semester tuition in September	3,500
Pay rent at the beginning of each month	310
Pay for food each month	180
Pay apartment deposit on September 2 (to be returned December 15)	400
Part-time job earnings each month (net of taxes)	800

a. Prepare a cash budget for September, October, November, and December. Enter all amounts as positive values except an overall cash decrease which should be indicated with a minus sign.

KATHERINE MALLOY
Cash Budget
For the Four Months Ending December 31
	September	October	November	December
Estimated cash receipts from:
Part-time job	$	$	$	$
Deposit
Total cash receipts	$	$	$	$
Estimated cash payments for:
Season football tickets	$
Additional entertainment		$	$	$
Tuition
Rent
Food
Deposit
Total cash payments	$	$	$	$
Overall cash increase (decrease)	$	$	$	$
Cash balance at beginning of month
Cash balance at end of month	$	$	$	$

Feedback

Sometimes an item may be a decrease in one period and an increase in a different period.

Review the definitions of static budgets and flexible budgets.

What weaknesses are shown by this cash budget?

b. Are the four monthly budgets that are presented prepared as static budgets or flexible budgets?

Static

c. Malloy can see that her present plan will not provide sufficient cash. If Malloy did not budget but went ahead with the original plan, she would be $ short at the end of December, with no time left to adjust.

Answer 1

a.

KATHERINE MALLOY
Cash Budget
For the Four Months Ending December 31
	September	October	November	December
Estimated cash receipts from:
Part-time job	800	800	800	800
Deposit				400
Total cash receipts	800	800	800	1200
Estimated cash payments for:
Season football tickets	90
Additional entertainment	220	220	220	220
Tuition	3500
Rent	310	310	310	310
Food	180	180	180	180
Deposit	400
Total cash payments	4700	710	710	710
Overall cash increase (decrease)	-3900	90	90	490
Cash balance at beginning of month	6430	2530	2620	2710
Cash balance at end of month	2530	2620	2710	3200

b. The four monthly budgets presented are prepared as static budgets.

c. Malloy can see that her present plan will not provide sufficient cash. If Malloy did not budget but went ahead with the original plan, she would be $300 ($3500 - $3200) short at the end of December, with no time left to adjust.