Budgeting

In this activity, students will be able to: 

• Examine a number of cartoons about the challenge of identifying needs vs. wants and choose one to analyze in more depth
• Explain the cartoon's key message about needs vs. wants and how it depicts that message

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Get up and out of their seats to identify various budget expenses amongst different categories
• Discuss with classmates about their reasoning for their team's categorizations

In this activity, students will: 

• Explore various stages of technology development for watching videos, internet access, listening to music, and cell phones
• Analyze how new technology products affect their budget 

In this activity students will:

• Simulate living for a month with a $1000 budget
• Make decisions between which expenses they can afford to pay and which to sacrifice
• Read information and facts about unemployed Americans living through poverty

Available in English & Spanish

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Discover the salary necessary to own a home in different cities
• Investigate the type of home someone can own with a particular salary

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Define the millennial generation based on their habits and preferences
• Hypothesize how the habits of millennials will continue to impact marketing, products, and the economy

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Determine whether renting or owning is better for particular people based on parameters
• Calculate the cost of renting versus buying based on criteria

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Estimate their total student loan debt
• Use a Loan Repayment Calculator to compare their monthly payments using various repayment plans
• Choose a repayment plan that best fits their needs and lifestyle

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Calculate unit price and then use their answers, as well as other factors, to make decisions about grocery shopping.

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Determine an appropriate amount to budget for housing
• Find an apartment that balances affordability, amenities, and proximity to public transport in a city of their choice
• Avoid common pitfalls and hidden fees associated with renting an apartment

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Prioritize budget items to determine their needs vs. wants.
• Consider how their values and budget ultimately determine how they spend their income.
• Available in English & Spanish

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Choose 5 US cities to compare using cost of living and economic growth measurements.
• Choose which would be best for them and do an apartment search to determine where they could afford to live.

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Compare the costs and advantages of various health insurance options.
• Search on the Affordable Care Act marketplace for plans.

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Research the cost of utilities for an apartment in the city of their choosing.
• Prioritize to fit their budget.

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Follow multi-step directions to complete a full adult budget including housing, transportation, food, insurance, student loans, etc.
• Reflect on the adult budget they’ve completed and assess how their choices impact their lifestyle.

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Practice budgeting basics using The Bean Game
• Understand the impact a restricted budget can have on their spending habits
• Reflect on their personal budgeting choices 

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Choose a city and research the costs associated with non-car commuting such as bike ownership and public transportation.
• Decide whether a car is a need or want for their lifestyle.

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Do research on car costs such as purchase price, loan payment amount, insurance, fuel, and maintenance.
• Compare these costs to their estimated monthly take-home pay.

In this Common Core Standards-aligned project, students will read a finance columnist’s advice for post-college budgeting and compare it to their own experience creating a budget. Based on their learning, they’ll choose from five possible projects to complete.

• Available in English & Spanish

In this Common Core Standards-aligned project, students will plan a meal for a group of people, comparison shop for ingredients, and create an expense report via spreadsheet to track their “spending.”

In this Common Core Standards-aligned project, students will explore the ever-evolving line of online and mobile budgeting tools available to help them understand their spending.

In this Common Core Standards-aligned project, students will assume the role of roommates deciding how to split costs of a shared apartment. The project focuses on negotiation, clear communication, and budgeting with a spreadsheet.

• Available in English & Spanish

In this Common Core-aligned project, students will create a simple monthly spreadsheet of actual versus budgeted expenses. They will utilize multiple basic spreadsheet functions and formulas as well as do basic formatting.

In this Common Core Standards-aligned project, students plan a potluck Friendsgiving dinner, comparison shop for ingredients, and create an expense report via spreadsheet to track their “spending.”

In this Common Core-aligned project, students will track their spending (using a spreadsheet) for a defined period of time, and then will track their spending a second and third time using small interventions aimed and reducing their spending. They’ll reflect on their process as well as on spending habits as a whole.

• Available in English & Spanish

In this Common Core Standards-aligned project, students will research and compare transportation options for a group vacation in various locations. They’ll use a spreadsheet to calculate cost relative to their projected salaries.

In this Case Study, students learn the basics of budgeting, from setting priorities, creating a savings goal, tracking spending and learning about tradeoffs required to achieve financial goals. They take on the role of a peer providing financial advice and learn to develop various strategies.

• Available in English & Spanish

In this case study, students will take on the role of a trusted friend helping to create a budget and make an important financial decision. Students will analyze current spending, assist in creating a budget, and offer suggestions for how to manage a variety of financial stressors.

With this Fine Print students will be able to:

• Understand the various elements of a rental agreement
• Discover the commitments that are made when signing a rental agreement

With this Fine Print students will be able to:

• Read an electricity bill
• Identify various elements of an electricity bill, such as year-to-year electricity use by month, taxes, and supplier billing details

In this Number Chug, students will:

• Analyze inflation data for common grocery items
• Decide whether inflation affects their long-term budgeting goals

Common Core Alignment:

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.ID.B.6.A Fit a function to the data; use functions fitted to data to solve problems in the context of the data. Use given functions or choose a function suggested by the context. Emphasize linear, quadratic, and exponential models.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.ID.B.6.C Fit a linear function for a scatter plot that suggests a linear association.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.ID.C.7 Interpret the slope (rate of change) and the intercept (constant term) of a linear model in the context of the data.