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History, Civics & Social Studies · Grade 8

Budgets, Cash Flow and Tradeoffs

A budget is a plan for money before it is spent. Using fictional young adults, learners build a monthly budget from net income, separate fixed from variable expenses, follow cash flow through the month to catch shortfalls, plan for irregular income and emergencies, test one common rule of thumb (50/30/20) and its limits, and adjust a budget when circumstances change.

  • 4 lessons
  • About 115 minutes
  • Budgeting check: 9 questions
  • Ways to answer: choose an answer, highlight a text, match pairs, type a number, put in order and sort into groups
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What learners will discover

  • Build a budget from net income and classify fixed and variable expenses.
  • Track cash flow through a month and identify when shortfalls could occur.
  • Plan for irregular income and calculate an emergency fund target using a rule of thumb.
  • Apply and critique the 50/30/20 rule of thumb and adjust a budget to new circumstances.

Lessons

  1. Budget basics 4 steps3 practiceabout 28 min
  2. Cash flow timing 4 steps3 practiceabout 29 min
  3. Irregular income and emergencies 4 steps3 practiceabout 28 min
  4. Rules of thumb and adjusting 5 steps4 practiceabout 30 min
  5. Budgeting check 9 questions at the end

Keep exploring

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