Wheeling Company is a merchandiser that provided a balance sheet as of September 30 as shown below:

                                       Wheeling Company

                                           Balance Sheet

                                           September 30

Assets

Cash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 59,000

Accounts receivable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $90,000

Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $32,400

Buildings and equipment, net of depreciation . . . . . . . . . $214,000

Total assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 395,400

Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity

Accounts payable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 73,000

Common stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $216,000

Retained earnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $106,400

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 395,400

The company is in the process of preparing a budget for October and has assembled the following data:

1. Sales are budgeted at $240,000 for October and $250,000 for November. Of these sales, 35% will be for cash; the remainder will be credit sales. Forty percent of a month's credit sales are collected in the month the sales are made, and the remaining 60% is collected in the following month. All of the September 30 accounts receivable will be collected in October.

2. The budgeted cost of goods sold is always 45% of sales and the ending merchandise inventory is always 30% of the following month's cost of goods sold.

3. All merchandise purchases are on account. Thirty percent of all purchases are paid for in the month of purchase and 70% are paid for in the following month. All of the September 30 accounts payable to suppliers will be paid during October.

4. Selling and administrative expenses for October are budgeted at $78,000, exclusive of depreciation. These expenses will be paid in cash. Depreciation is budgeted at $2,000 for the month.

Required:

1. Using the information provided, calculate or prepare the following:

a. The budgeted cash collections for October.

b. The budgeted merchandise purchases for October.

c. The budgeted cash disbursements for merchandise purchases for October.

d. The budgeted net operating income for October.

e. A budgeted balance sheet at October 31.

2. Assume the following changes to the underlying budgeting assumptions: (1) 50% of a month's credit sales are collected in the month the sales are made and the remaining 50% is collected in the following month, (2) the ending merchandise inventory is always 10% of the following month's cost of goods sold, and (3) 20% of all purchases are paid for in the month of purchase and 80% are paid for in the following month. Using these new assumptions, calculate or prepare the following:

a. The budgeted cash collections for October.

b. The budgeted merchandise purchases for October.

c. The budgeted cash disbursements for merchandise purchases for October.

d. Net operating income for the month of October.

e. A budgeted balance sheet at October 31.

3. Compare your answers in requirement 1 to those that you obtained in requirement 2. If Wheeling Company is able to achieve the budgeted projections described in requirement 2, will it improve the company's financial performance relative to the projections that you derived in requirement 1?