Financial Reality Fair gives students budgeting practice

Students at Northgate High School got a better look at what it’s like to live within a budget at the school’s Financial Reality Fair. Sponsored by credit union associations across the nation, the event began with students choosing a career path and receiving information about how much they might make as a starting salary. They then visited booths that represented costs such as housing, transportation and food and completed a budget sheet showing how they would spend their salary. The students each met with a financial counselor to discuss the results of the budget balancing activity. The purpose of the activity was to help students determine the difference between wants and needs and how they might navigate financial responsibility in the future.