Throughout March, the MyCityMySay.ca website housed a web poll entitled “where does the money go?” The poll asked Winnipeggers to think about the minimum amount that a family of four people – two adults and two kids – would need to spend on their basic needs every month. In other words, how much does a family of four need to spend every month to keep an average standard of living?
Specifically respondents were asked to weigh in on food, child care, shelter, clothing, transportation and recreation (even though there would be additional expenses that the family would incur).
Respondents could then access a report – the Acceptable Living Level Report (A.L.L.) – prepared by the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg, and Winnipeg Harvest that explores the minimum amount different types of families need spend on the basics in order to maintain a medium standard of living. While the report (2003) is a few years old, respondents could compare their own answers with those provided in the report.
Here’s how the web poll respondents fared:
| Web Poll Average | A.L.L. Report | |
| Food: | $608.87 | $637.44 |
| Shelter: | $875.13 | $724.00 |
| Clothing: | $196.63 | $153.28 |
| Transportation: | $397.23 | $244.34 |
| Child Care: | $455.71 | $428.80 |
| Recreation: | $223.76 | $380.11 |
| Total: | $ 2,757.33 | $2,567.97 |
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In looking at the responses submitted on the MyCityMySay.ca web poll, most respondents estimated more than the A.L.L. report which may be due in part to levels of inflation during the past 6 years. The only category in which respondents estimates were lower than those of the A.L.L. was in the Recreation category where there was s difference of $156.35 – a 41% difference.
In total, the respondents on the web poll only estimated $189.36 more than the level suggested in the A.L.L. report which is only a difference of 7%.
A big thanks to all who participated and left comments on the poll. We eagerly anticipate the latest A.L.L. report which is due out this fall.
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