The Budget Map

What your kid learns

• Start with what you have

  A budget starts with how much money you have. List your needs first. Wants come next.

• Give every dollar a job

  Keep giving dollars jobs until none are left. Each job is a category, like snacks or games.

• Change the plan

  If it doesn’t fit, change the plan. Pick cheaper, fewer or later. A plan you can change beats no plan.

The story: The Case of the Class Party

In a classroom, Priya and Marcus plan a pretend $50 class party, then change the plan when more students are coming.

1. Helper: Big case! The class has a pretend $50 for a party.
2. Teacher: Plan it before you spend it. Snacks, decorations and a game.
3. Priya: Needs first. Snacks for everyone come first.
4. Marcus: Then the fun stuff. Every dollar gets a job.
5. Teacher: Surprise! Three more students are coming.
6. Priya: Then we need more snacks. Let’s buy fewer decorations.
7. Marcus: We changed the plan. It still fits!
8. Helper: Case closed! Plan it before you spend it.

The game: Class Party Planner

Split the pretend $50 for the party. Snacks come first, at least $25. Give every dollar a job.

Games use pretend money and work with taps or a keyboard. Nothing is timed.

New words

budget

a plan for your money

Also called: spending plan

limit

the most you can spend

category

one job in your plan, like snacks

Also called: budget category

Questions at the end

• What is a budget?
• A pretend party plan is $5 too much. What could you do?
• What goes in the plan first?

Remember this

Plan it before you spend it.

Talk about it

Plan a pretend family pizza night together with a set amount.

Try it at home: Plan a pretend pizza night

1. Pick a pretend amount, like $20.
2. List what a pizza night needs first.
3. Give every dollar a job.
4. Too much? Pick cheaper, fewer or later.

Plan a pretend pizza night.

School standards

• National Standards for Personal Financial Education: Spending
• Common Core Math 4.NBT.B.4
• Common Core Math 4.OA.A.3