Tracking, Managing, and Planning How You Use Your Money

The key to staying in control of your money is to set goals so you know where you want your money to go – today and in the future. Then, have a plan to make sure your money goes to the uses where you want it to go. It is important, then, to help youth learn how to set realistic goals and develop a plan for how they want to use their money, create a budget to help implement their plan to achieve their goals. It is important then to help youth know how to track where their money is actually going so they can make changes if they find they are getting off track. Staying in control of money is the key to financial health.

Please Note: Teaching Units provided are for support and consideration by teachers and are not prescriptive.

Learning Map and Supports for Instruction

The “Learning Map” identifies teaching opportunities in Alberta’s curriculum for each topic and you will find them as part of the Support Teaching Materials provided here. Teachers can, of course, integrate the target areas of financial knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviours anywhere they can find a fit. The Supports for Instruction provide videos, animations, and links to other resources to support teachers in their efforts to improve the financial literacy of their students.

Planning and Budgeting - Division IV: Gr. 10-12

Knowledge

  • Why it is important to set goals

  • How setting goals can help with money decisions

  • Why it is important to stay in control of your money

  • How a budget can help keep control of money

  • What is included in a budget

  • Why it is important to know where your money is going and track expenses

  • The importance of reviewing a plan and budget to change if needed

  • As possible, allocate some money to saving

  • Set personal limits on spending and borrowing to stay in control of money

Skills

  • How to set realistic, achievable goals

  • How to create a plan to achieve goals

  • How to create a budget as part of plan to achieve goals

  • How to track where money is going

  • Ways to save money

Attitudes/Behaviours

  • Set goals to help guide money decisions

  • Work with a plan to help stay in control and achieve goals

  • Use a budget as part of a plan to help manage money and money decisions

  • Track where money is going to help ensure it is going to where you want it to go

  • Consider the benefits that can come from saving for the future

  • Avoid impulse buying and making unwise decisions based on advertising and the impact of influencers