Your numbers so far — carried from Parts A and B
Part B · Others spent on you
$—
Part C zooms out to the full picture — housing, food, health, education, transportation — everything it takes for one person to live a full year. This is the number your family pays to keep you in the world.
↓ Download Printable Workbook (PDF)
Section 1 of 6
Home
Before food, before school, before anything else — someone is paying to keep a roof over your head, the lights on, and the water running.
Something to Notice
The average one-bedroom in Colorado Springs runs $1,100–1,400/month before utilities. At Colorado minimum wage ($14.42/hr), that is 80–100 hours of work just to keep the lights on and the door locked.
Section 3 of 6
Health
Health costs are invisible right up until they aren't. Most young people are on a parent's insurance and never see these numbers.
The Number Nobody Talks About
Average cost of health insurance for a child on a family plan: $200–400/month. A single ER visit without insurance: $1,500–3,000. A broken arm: $2,500–7,500. Health insurance is not optional. It is one of the first things you will need to figure out when you are on your own.
Section 4 of 6
Education and Activities
Section 5 of 6
Clothing and Personal Care
Section 6 of 6
Transportation
What One Year Costs — Monthly Summary
Monthly Total — What your family spends
$—
Enter your numbers to see the monthly and annual totals.
Questions Worth Sitting With
Reflection
What number on this list had you never thought about before? · Is there anything on this list you feel you could start contributing to? · One person you could ask how they managed these costs when they started out:
"You are not a burden. You are a preparation. Most people learn these numbers when they are already behind. You just learned them now, while you still have time to prepare."
From Your Budget to Your City's Budget
The housing number in Section 1 connects directly to a county funding decision happening right now.
The county boards that oversee housing assistance, social services, and public health funding for families who can't cover the numbers in this worksheet meet in public every month. The meetings are open. The seats are almost always empty. Showing up once — and submitting one written comment — is a civic credential. It goes on a resume, a college application, and in the public record.
Housing & Community Services · Direct Connection
Community Development Advisory Committee
3rd Wednesday · 12:30 PM · 9 E. Vermijo Ave · Allocates CDBG funding to housing and family services
Health Funding · Public Health
El Paso County Board of Health
4th Wednesday · 8:30 AM · 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Rd · Sets priorities for health services and vulnerable populations
"The skill you just practiced — reading a budget line, finding the gap between what was spent and what it actually costs — is the exact skill that makes someone valuable in that room. You do not need a credential to walk in. You need to have done the math."
See open board positions →
Read the next agenda →
