ELIDA, Ohio (WLIO) - Elida Middle School students learning some dollars and sense on Friday.
It was part of the Real Money, Real World career simulation put on by Superior Credit Union and the OSU Extension Office. Students were given a set budget to work with and had to jump from station to station to pay their bills. That included everything from a mortgage and utilities to paying for groceries and transportation costs.
Students were given a set budget to work with and had to jump from station to station to pay their bills.
The hope is the kids will learn how to budget their money, learn the difference between wants and needs and not be blind-sided by how much things cost.
"The main goal is just to provide some hands-on experience of what it's like to manage your monthly bills," said Chandler Clarkson, marketing and member experience coordinator for Superior Credit Union. "The biggest concerning comment we get from the students is how much child care and housing costs. That seems to be the biggest one that they're very surprised about."
"I can tell you one thing - the child the child care was really expensive," said Isaac Agozzino, an 8th grader at Elida. "I can really tell how parents feel when they see their child go away; they're really sad, but also they're paying the bills - so yikes!"
The students also learning about some of those unexpected bills life may throw at them like speeding tickets and car repairs along with entertainment expenses.
