Reality Store
Students learn financial fitness
Each student received an education level, occupation with salary, marital status, and number of children. Working with a monthly salary, students needed to prioritize their spending as they visited 20 different stations.
Stations included:
- housing/utitlities
- transportation
- clothing
- groceries
- telephone, internet, cabel TV
- childcare
- personal care
- college expenses
- entertainment
- restaurant dining
- vacation
- pets
- savings
- charitable giving
Students also visited two "fate" stations where they drew random situations that cost or added money to their account such as having an accident, car trouble, or receiving a job bonus. In addition a police ticketed students for various infractions such as speeding or loitering, for which students had to pay fines.
Seventh grader Cheyenne Riegsecker said, "This was fun, but I ran out of money so fast." However, she was not alone as indicated by the long line at the financial aid financial aid station, where students could get loans or have some items repossessed, in which case the needed to revisit that station. For example, they may have purchased a higher cost car which they couldn't afford and needed to go back and find cheaper transportation.
Laurie Sula, 4-H youth development director for the Extension Office and organizer of this event, noted that some of the volunteers who staff the stations do a good job of pushing students to buy something more expensive--whether or not they can really afford it--just like it is in the real world.
However, not all students needed to visit the financial assistance station. Eighth grader Ryan Miller, who ended up with over $1,000 left after visiting all stations, said, "I took after my dad and bought all the cheap stuff. I know I can live on it from experience."
Hopefully students now have a little better sense of the choices and responsibilities that go with being an adult.
Police officer Tim Lehman gives a student a citation.
Darienne finished with a positive balance, but did get a citation for loitering.
Mrs. Mast helps students budget for groceries.
