On Friday, March 4th, sophomores learned how to budget through an interactive simulation activity called Mad City Money. Each student received an "about me" sheet that contains an occupation and salary, student loan debt owed, credit card debit owes, and cost of medical insurance. Some participants will have a spouse, some will be single, and some will be single parents.
Students build a monthly budget based on their incomes. They visit nine merchants in Mad City to purchase housing, transportation, food, day care, and other needs. There's a mall for wants and, of course, a credit union for financial services. The Fickle Finger of Fate randomly visits each student during the simulation and distributes unexpected windfalls and unplanned expenses. Student use debit cards for their purchases and must balance both their debit card registers and their budgets.
Click HERE to see photos of C.C.S. sophomores participating in this exciting opportunity.