The document provides a personal finance lesson that asks students to allocate $300 they earn each month from a part-time job among various spending categories like transportation, clothing, entertainment, charity, and savings. It asks them to decide how they will spend the money over 4 weeks and to answer questions about their spending priorities, whether choices are based on status or savings, emergency planning, and how price changes may impact their decisions.

1. How Would You Spend
$300?
Personal Finance Lesson: How
does your spending reflect your
values?

2. Find a partner and discuss the
following questions:
 1. What were the last three purchases you
personally have made?
 2. Why did you make these purchases?

3. Your situation:
In high school, you work a part time
job and earn $300 a month while
your parents still pay for your basic
needs.
 You must decide how you will spend your
money for 4 weeks.
 Allocate, or assign for a purpose, your
money from the following options.

4. Expense Options:
Entertainment/Food
Transportation  Music - $15/CD
 Car - $250 (includes  Computer Games -
insurance, gas, etc)
$50/game
 Public Transportation -  Movies $10 ticket
$50
 Movie/Game Rental - $3
Clothing  Restaurant - $15/visit
 Designer - $150  Fast Food - $7/visit
 Bargain Brands - $50  Eat at home – free
Charity - Local  Hang with friends – free
organization that helps
others. You decide the
amount. Save - You decide the
amount.

5. Allocate your $300 and answer the following
questions on the back of your worksheet.
 What is the one thing on the list you would keep as a
priority to buy if you had this set monthly income? Why?
 Were most of your spending choices based on status (to
look good), savings (have money later), personal
preference, or something else?
 Would you save any of the money? If so, what is the goal?
If not, how would an emergency affect your budget?
 What impact would a rise in cost of one of these items have
on your decision to purchase this particular item? Would
you change your spending choices?