Unit 2 WebQuest Project

Down to the Last Penny!

Introduction | Task | Process | Guidance | Resources | Conclusion

Introduction
On your mark, get set, SHOP! Being the cost-conscious shopper that you are, you have been asked to help a family make and maintain a grocery budget that will meet their needs. On this shopping adventure, you'll gather data about the cost of common grocery items, find their total cost, and compare this cost to the amount a family can spend on groceries. You'll also compare costs by calculating the unit cost of items. This family really needs your help, so put on your thinking cap and let's get shopping!

Shopping Challenge 1:
There are two different families who need assistance with creating a budget for their monthly groceries. Work with one of these families to locate groceries that fulfill their nutritional needs. Be sure to stay within their budget!

Shopping Challenge 2:
After locating the proper groceries for your family, analyze 10 different food products purchased by your family. Using the information about each product, calculate the cost of the item per unit.

Shopping Challenge 3:
Finally, use a spreadsheet to create a list of the groceries that your family purchased.

Shopping Challenge 1:

1. Create a grocery list that fits the monthly budget of one of the two families below.
   
   
2. Once you have chosen the family you are going to create a budget for, search the Internet to find the different products you want to buy for your family. The Resources section has links to the stores where these families shop.
   
   
3. Once all of the appropriate products and their prices are found, calculate the family's total monthly grocery bill. Show all of your work.
   

Family 1

Below is a description along with the required needs of the Family 1. Make sure that you read about each family member carefully. In addition to satisfying everyone’s personal needs, remember to purchase the basics that are listed below. You will find it helpful to print this page.

General Information:

• Five family members: Dad, Grandmother, two daughters, and one son
  
• Pets: one fish and two dogs
  
• Monthly grocery budget: $1,000

Basic Food Needs:

• Milk (any type)
  
• Orange juice
  
• Tea or coffee
  
• Butter
  
• Eggs
  
• Bread
  
• Sliced cheese
  
• 8 cans of vegetables or 4 bags of frozen vegetables
  
• 4 cans of fruit or a bag of apples, a bunch of bananas, and an additional fruit
  
• Hamburger or chicken
  
• Ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise
  
• Sugar and flour
  
• Toilet paper
  
• Dish soap
  
• Laundry detergent
  
• Sandwich bags
  
• Aluminum foil

Dad:

• Needs: shampoo, conditioner, 3 packages of ham, and 2 cans of peas
  
• Wants: chips, French fries, apple pie

Grandmother:

• Needs: 2 boxes of instant mashed potatoes, 3 packages of egg noodles, 5 cans of chicken noodle soup
  
• Wants: pancake mix, syrup, and rice cakes

Daughter 1:

• Needs: salad, 2 different types of salad dressing, 1 bag of croutons, and 3 packages of shredded cheese
  
• Wants: Jell-O, apple juice, and ice pop

Daughter 2:

• Needs: peanut butter, honey, 3 different snacks for lunch, 2 cans of vegetable soup
  
• Wants: pudding, fettuccine, Alfredo sauce

Son:

• Needs: 10 jars of baby food, 2 packages of diapers (12-18 lbs)
  
• Wants: baby cookies or vanilla wafers

Two Dogs:

• Needs: dog food (at least 15 pounds of food)
  
• Wants: doggie treats

Fish:

• Needs: fish food (at least 1 oz)
  
• Wants: none

Family 2

Below is a description along with the required needs of the Family 2. Make sure that you read about each family member carefully. In addition to satisfying everyone’s personal needs, remember to purchase the basics that are listed below. You will find it helpful to print this page.

General Information:

• Six family members: Mom, Dad, Grandfather, two sons, and one daughter
  
• Pets: one dog and two cats
  
• Monthly grocery budget: $1,120

Basic Food Needs:

• Milk (any type)
  
• Orange juice
  
• Tea or coffee
  
• Butter
  
• Eggs
  
• Bread
  
• Sliced cheese
  
• 8 cans of vegetables or 4 bags of frozen vegetables
  
• 4 cans of fruit or a bag of apples, a bunch of bananas, and an additional fruit
  
• Hamburger or chicken
  
• Ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise
  
• Sugar and flour
  
• Toilet paper
  
• Dish soap
  
• Laundry detergent
  
• Sandwich bags
  
• Aluminum foil

Mom:

• Needs: sugar substitute, 4 cans of tuna in water, carrots
  
• Wants: diet soda, low-fat cookies, peaches

Dad:

• Needs: toothpaste, 7 packages of lunch meat, snacks for lunch, 3 cans tomato soup
  
• Wants: soda, popcorn, steak

Grandfather:

• Needs: 3 jars of peanut butter, chicken, potatoes
  
• Wants: ice cream, root beer, salsa, and chips

Son 1:

• Needs: ham and turkey lunch meat, crackers, 5 sport drinks, sugar cereal
  
• Wants: pizza, macaroni and cheese, and doughnuts

Son 2:

• Needs: deodorant, 2 boxes of spaghetti, 2 jars of spaghetti sauce, garlic bread
  
• Wants: salad, salad dressing, oranges, and black olives

Daughter:

• Needs: saline solution, 3 cans of corn, fish sticks, and multi-grain cereal
  
• Wants: hamburger, taco shells, salsa, and sour cream

Dog:

• Needs: dog food (at least 8 pounds)
  
• Wants: doggie treats

Two cats:

• Needs: cat food (at least 24 oz of dry food and 3 cans of canned food) and litter
  
• Wants: a toy each

Shopping Challenge 2:

Once you have created a grocery list that fits within your family’s monthly budget, calculate the average amount spent on each item purchased. Print and complete the worksheet provided, filling in the average amount spent on each item. Be sure to show all of your calculations.

Choose 10 of your products to analyze. Find the cost of the item per unit. That is, find the cost of the item per weight measurement (ounce, gram, liter, pound, and so on.). Fill in your calculations on the worksheet. If you have any questions, refer to the Guidance section for some additional help.

Shopping Worksheet

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ______________

1. What is the average amount that your family spent on each item?
   
   
2. Fill in the chart below according to your calculations. Make sure that you attach a sheet of paper that shows all of your calculations for each of the 10 items analyzed.

Shopping Challenge 3:

Using Microsoft Excel, create a spreadsheet that displays the following information:

• items purchased,
  
• quantity of each item purchased,
  
• the price of each individual item, and
  
• the total price for each quantity of items purchased.

Refer to the Guidance section for additional help with Microsoft Excel.

Shopping Challenge 1:

Remember that once you have purchased all of the basic and required foods for each individual, you are allowed to purchase any additional products that your family wants.

Shopping Challenge 2:

1. To review how to calculate the average, or mean, of a set of data, refer to Lesson 2-7 in your text.
   
   
2. When calculating the price per unit of an item, you need to take the total number of ounces, grams, liters, and so on for one item and then divide it by the individual cost of that item.

Shopping Challenge 3:

For a quick tutorial of how to create a spreadsheet using Microsoft Excel click HERE.

Resources

Below are some useful Web sites for you to use. Use only these three sites when you are creating a budget for your family.

Netgrocer
Woolworths
OnlineFoods
Albertsons

Conclusion
Congratulations on the completion of your three shopping challenges. The family you helped is most grateful. Using your grocery list as a guide, they now have a better idea of what groceries they can buy in order to meet their needs and stay within their budget. With the experiences you've gained helping this family, we see nothing but bargains in your future! Thanks for your help!