BUDGET YOUR FUTURE Instructions:
This is a lesson, a reality check and a real planning tool. That archeology job earning $28K, may include living quarters and food at the dig six months of the year, and the cost of living in China or Wyoming at the lab may be extremely low. The cruise line entertainment crew job will include room and board so virtually all the salary can go into savings. The finance job earning $200K will be eaten up quickly with high cost city living and high taxes, and paying off student loans.
This knowledge empowers your child to be able to cope. Throwing them in to cope when the bills start piling up is cruel.
The student needs to be honest. Can they do with basic cable or slow internet? Do they feel entitled their daily Starbucks that mom funded or can they cope with the Big Gulp for $.99. Is there a shopping addition? Gym memberships aren’t free. An expensive hobby or sport? How about the taco meal, beer and a movie---that may be extra. Do they need a printer? What if the car broke down? How much is a monthly Via account (a shared ride service in NYC) for safe travel when the person rents cheaper in a less gentrified area to avoid subway attacks. (This happened to my daughter last week.) Make sure they look at the photos of the cheapest apartment—are they really okay living there.
Whether for cost of living during higher education, college or out in the world working, the teen should choose several places he or she might want to live and research online to fill in the following chart.
Fill out Now for what they would be willing to settle for now and where they ideally want to be with a house, or a luxury apartment (single) in ten years. Factor in the lifestyle, the travel, buying a new TV or computer, buying a car, higher entertainment costs. For ten years in the future, make that the year, the 28 year-old buys a house and a car. DOWNLOAD WORKSHEET
This knowledge empowers your child to be able to cope. Throwing them in to cope when the bills start piling up is cruel.
The student needs to be honest. Can they do with basic cable or slow internet? Do they feel entitled their daily Starbucks that mom funded or can they cope with the Big Gulp for $.99. Is there a shopping addition? Gym memberships aren’t free. An expensive hobby or sport? How about the taco meal, beer and a movie---that may be extra. Do they need a printer? What if the car broke down? How much is a monthly Via account (a shared ride service in NYC) for safe travel when the person rents cheaper in a less gentrified area to avoid subway attacks. (This happened to my daughter last week.) Make sure they look at the photos of the cheapest apartment—are they really okay living there.
Whether for cost of living during higher education, college or out in the world working, the teen should choose several places he or she might want to live and research online to fill in the following chart.
Fill out Now for what they would be willing to settle for now and where they ideally want to be with a house, or a luxury apartment (single) in ten years. Factor in the lifestyle, the travel, buying a new TV or computer, buying a car, higher entertainment costs. For ten years in the future, make that the year, the 28 year-old buys a house and a car. DOWNLOAD WORKSHEET