Budgeting Activities
PLAY: The Bean Game
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
CARTOONS: Needs vs. Wants
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
MOVE: Organize Budget Expenses
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
INTERACTIVE: Money Magic
In this activity students will:
- Create a budget to meet a predetermined savings goal
- Manage tradeoffs when making purchasing decisions
INTERACTIVE: Living Paycheck to Paycheck (Sp)
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
COMPARE: Comparison Shopping
In this activity, students will be able to:
- Identify which factors are most important to them when comparing options for three different products
- Conduct research on different options available to them from various vendors to find the best product for them
- Explain how comparison shopping can be a useful strategy when making a purchasing decision
COMPARE: Find an Apartment
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
COMPARE: Needs vs. Wants (Sp)
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
COMPARE: Select a City to Live In
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.
COMPARE: Select Your Utilities
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.
CREATE: A Salary-Based Budget (Sp)
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.
FINE PRINT: Electricity Bill
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
FINE PRINT: Residential Lease
With this Fine Print students will be able to:
- Read a residential lease
- Identify various elements of a residential lease, such as length of lease, rent, and utility details
PROJECT: Budgeting with Roommates (Sp)
In this activity, students will be able to:
- Assume the role of roommates deciding how to split costs of a shared apartment
- Focus on negotiation, clear communication, and budgeting with a spreadsheet
- Available in English & Spanish
PROJECT: Plan a Friendsgiving Dinner
In this activity, students will be able to:
- Plan a potluck Friendsgiving dinner
- Comparison shop for ingredients
- Create an expense report via spreadsheet to track their “spending"
PROJECT: Rein In Your Wants (Sp)
In this activity, students will be able to:
- Track their spending (using a spreadsheet) for a defined period of time
- Track their spending a second and third time using small interventions aimed and reducing their spending
- Reflect on their process as well as on spending habits as a whole
- Available in English & Spanish
READ: Making It in the Gig Economy
In this activity, students will be able to:
- Explore how to adopt new financial strategies when you have a side gig.
RESEARCH: Monthly Cost of Car Ownership
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.
RESEARCH: Online Tools and Apps
In this activity, students will be able to:
- Research various online tools and apps pertaining to payments, saving, budgeting, and robo-advising to discover and compare their features
- Identify the tools they would like to use in the future
- Reflect on why online financial tools and apps have increased in popularity