Money Basics

Earn Your First Income

Elective. Earn money through your own effort — babysitting, lawn mowing, selling something you made, or a first part-time job. Any legitimate income counts. Proof is a payment record plus a short reflection on what you learned.

Make Your First Budget

Elective. Track every dollar you spend for one full month. Build a simple income/expense spreadsheet or use a free app. Proof is your completed record plus a reflection on what you'd change. A great starting point even if your income is $0 — knowing where money goes is the foundation.

Save Up for Something You Want

Elective. Pick a specific savings goal, write it down before you start, and track weekly progress for at least 6 weeks until you hit it. Proof is your written goal, a savings tracker, and evidence of reaching the target. Works best after making a budget (seq 20) — you'll know exactly where to cut.

Complete Personal Finance Fundamentals

Elective — recommended Grade 9+. Complete a structured personal finance course (Khan Academy personal finance is free and comprehensive) and apply every concept to your own finances with a documented plan. Goes deeper than the budget step — covers tax, insurance, credit, and retirement basics.

Build and Keep a Budget for 90 Days

Elective — advanced, recommended Grade 10+. Track your income and expenses for 90 consecutive days with weekly log submissions. The challenge here is consistency: three months of honest data is hard to fake and genuinely changes how you think about money. Best tackled after completing the one-month budget (seq 20).

Free, comprehensive personal finance course covering income, budgeting, saving, credit, investing, and insurance. Works at every level from Grade 6 through adult.

Free financial education platform specifically designed for K-12 students. Includes interactive activities, games, and lesson plans — more engaging than a textbook.

Free financial literacy resources including calculators, games, and lesson plans. The compound interest calculator is a good starting point for understanding why saving early matters.

Free. Search 'personal budget template' in Google Sheets to find pre-built templates. A simple income/expense tracker is all you need — pick the simplest one and fill it in honestly.