The PersonalFinanceLab Budget Game is a unique resource for schools to teach students about money management in the real world. As one of the cornerstone decisions students make each “week” of the simulation is how they are going to spend their weekend, through our student-driven “Weekend Choice” mechanic.
Besides simply choosing what area students want to focus on during each weekend of the game, each choice also triggers a unique Mini-Game to help really drive up the classroom engagement and keep students as part of the action!
Working Extra Hours – The Cafe Game
Students choose to “Work Extra Hours” when they need to earn extra cash to make their budgets solvent for the month. In the real world, the equivalent would be “gig work”, but for simplification our game allows participants to pick up an extra shift bussing tables at a cafe.
Extra money is earned by serving up orders at the cafe, and taking the dirty dishes back to the kitchen afterwards. The game counts down, and cash is earned based on how many orders can be filled before the time runs out.
Learn More About The Cafe Game
Studying – The Wealth Whiz Quiz
“Studying” during the budget game has two impacts for how the long-term game plays out for participants. First, neglecting to study for too long will result in failed exams – and expensive tutors. But students who choose to frequently “Study” while they are still in school (or its equivalent, “Professional Development” while a full-time worker) will gradually earn raises on their job – permanently boosting their paycheck for a long-term advantage.
The Wealth Whiz Quiz captures this aspect of Studying – students are thrust into the spotlight in a 10-question game show covering financial topics.
Correctly answering questions gives students bonus points that directly apply to their game score – while getting questions wrong can hurt their score instead!
Learn More About The Wealth Whiz Quiz
Socialize – The Time Management Game
Choosing to Socialize on the weekend is a great way for students to boost their Quality of Life – and our Time Management mini-game lets them try to pack their Saturday full of fun – on a budget!
In the Time Management game, students are presented with a variety of activities they can choose to embark on with their friends. Different activities are only available at certain times of day, and are located in different neighborhoods across the city where they live. Activities take up time and cost money – and travel time can be significant when travelling far between neighborhoods based on their distance on the map.
Players choose which events they can fit in their schedule (and budget), and earn Quality of Life points based on how much they can pack in while still meeting their monthly savings goals.
Learn More About The Time Management Game
Household Chores – Comparison Shopping Game
Choosing to take care of household chores is a good way to save money in the long run – neglecting too long can result in fines from your landlord, a cockroach infestation, or worse. Taking care of chores also launches our Comparison Grocery Shopping Game!
In the comparison shopping game, the player is stopping by the grocery store to pick up some items on their shopping list. They need to buy 3 different types of items, and each item has 3 alternatives to choose from. Each alternative has a different quantity (be it units per package or net weight), a “Quality Score” indicating their perceived quality of the item, and a cost (which may be on sale!).
Players are challenged to try to find the best deal on each item, with Quality of Life points earned based on the Quality and Quantity of each purchase, plus bonus points if they were able to choose the “best deal”!
Learn More About The Comparison Shopping Game
The mini-games are just one of the cornerstones that make the PersonalFinanceLab Budget Game the most engaging financial simulation for students!
Happy Learning!
-The PFinLab Team