Financial literacy
How much does it cost to live where you are? The cost of living is a measure of how much it costs to live an average quality of life -- and it varies. The 2020 world cost of living report analysed the prices of the same 160 products in cities around the world. It found Singapore the most expensive city in the world, with Hong Kong and Japanese city Osaka not far behind. At the other end of the scale, Argentinian capital Beunos Aires and Karachi in Pakistan were the cheapest cities.
Understanding how to manage money is a key skill that is required for all aspects of daily life. It allows us to make informed financial decisions – from buying products at the supermarket to saving up for a trip. One way of doing this is to be aware of the cost of living. Another is budgeting.
Creating and sticking to a budget is an easy way to keep track of money, plan ahead, and avoid uncontrolled debt. For many, debt is a natural side effect of buying a house, a car, or going to university – they know they can pay it back. But when it becomes uncontrollable, debt can have devastating consequences.
It not only makes paying for necessities, such as food, difficult, but can lead to family breakdown, homelessness, and mental and physical health problems. The best defence against this is to learn how to manage money.
Get started this week by following these budgeting tips.
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Assembly
Should people be given free money? For two years, Finland gave a group of its unemployed citizens money each month. They did not have to work or look for jobs. Watch this video to find out how the experiment worked for two of the recipients.
Activities
- Imagine you were given £2,500. Make a list of three different ways you could use the money. Put them in order, from most to least responsible.
- Think of 10 tips for managing money. Make a poster sharing this advice, that you could put up on the school website.
- Keep a diary of your spending for a week. Note what you spend most on, and how you could save the following week.
