Living Paycheck to Paycheck

Living Paycheck to Paycheck

Part 1: Set the Stage

Living paycheck to paycheck means that you need every bit of your paycheck to meet your expenses which drains your balance back down to near $0 before your next paycheck arrives...and then you start the cycle again. As a result, you don’t have savings to fall back on, every dollar counts, and you’re faced with tough decisions on a daily basis. 66% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. In this activity, you’ll experience what it’s like to live paycheck to paycheck by playing the game Spent. At the start of the game, you are faced with the following scenario: 

Open Ended

According to the previous slide, (but in your own words) what does it mean to live "paycheck-to-paycheck"?

Multiple Choice

What percentage of Americans live paycheck to paycheck?

• 75%

• 38%

• 50%

• 66%

• 24%

Millions of Americans are unemployed. Now imagine you’re one of them. Your savings are gone. You’ve lost your house. And you’re down to your last $1,000. Can you make it through the month?

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​Scenario

Open Ended

Imaging you are in the scenario described in the previous slide. How do you feel about your situation? Do you think you can live 30 days with $1,000? Explain.

Part II: Play the Game

• On the next slide, play Spent or Go to playspent.org to play. Click on Continue to Spent on the right side of the screen to start the game and play it all the way through. 

• Make sure to reflect on your choices and feelings during the game.

• PRO TIP: Keep an eye on the left-hand bar which keeps track of your progress and includes 3 options to get more money during the month. 

• Take screenshot of your final results.

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Take a Screenshot!

​Use your snipping tool.

Take a screenshot of your Score results and submit it to this assignment on Google classroom.

Open Ended

After playing Spent, did you make it through the entire month? If so, how much money did you have left? If not, on what day did you run out of money?

How do you feel?

Think about your emotional state as you played the game and select the top 5 adjectives below that best describe what you felt. 

Calm	Disappointed	Embarrassed	Excited
FOMO	Frustrated/Angry	Hopeful	Hopeless
Motivated	Proud	Relieved	Sad
Scared	Self-sufficient	Shocked/Surprised	Stressed
Other _______________________________

​Write down your adjectives for the next question.

Open Ended

What were your top 5 adjectives you chose from the previous slide?

Open Ended

How did some of your initial decisions (job, health insurance, where to live) impact the rest of your month in ways you did not expect?

Open Ended

Did you ever reach out to a friend for help? Why or why not?

Open Ended

Describe a scenario in the game in which you thought you were making a good decision but there was still a negative outcome.

Open Ended

Describe a scenario that forced you to wrestle with your values. What was your ultimate decision and how do you feel about it? Explain. 

Open Ended

Did you ever use any of the 3 options on the left-hand side of the game to get more money? 

If yes, which one(s) and why? 

If no, why not? 

Open Ended

Discuss your experience with Spent with your neighbor. How did their experience differ from yours?

Open Ended

Compare this activity to the Bean Game we did in the beginning of the year. How did your experience differ between the two activities?

Open Ended

Think back to your NEFE LifeValues Quiz. Did your values make it harder or easier for you to make your financial decisions? Explain.

Open Ended

What is your main takeaway after playing Spent? 

Congratulations

​Don't forget to take your screenshot.

You have completed the Paycheck to Paycheck lesson. Remember, over 66% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. The values, habits, and decisions you make now can ensure that you are not in the situation of living to paycheck to paycheck when you are an adult. Take a screenshot of your Quizizz results and post to Schoology.