Budget Buddy Project Guide

Overview

In this multi-session project, your team will design a budgeting app concept—Budget Buddy—that tracks pretend income and expenses. You’ll practice real-world math, decision-making, teamwork, and creative design!

Project Timeline: 5 sessions × 90 minutes each
Links & Resources:

• Needs vs. Wants Chat
• App Design Walkthrough
• Budgeting App Rubric

Team Roles & Responsibilities

Each team should assign these roles. You can swap roles in later sessions if you’d like!

Session 1: Kickoff & Budget Basics

Objectives: Understand needs vs. wants; form teams; assign roles.

Step 1: Intro to Budgeting

• Teacher explains income vs. expenses.

Step 2: Needs vs. Wants Discussion

• In your team, complete the Needs vs. Wants Chat.

Step 3: Team Formation & Roles

• Confirm your team’s roles using the table above.

Your Notes & Reflections:

Session 2: Exploring Income & Expenses

Objectives: Identify sample incomes/expenses; practice simple budgeting.

Step 1: Review Guide

• Open your Budget Buddy Project Guide.

Step 2: List Examples

• Brainstorm 3 pretend incomes (e.g., allowance, chore pay)
• Brainstorm 5 typical expenses (e.g., snacks, toys)

Step 3: Mock Budget Table
Fill in the table below for one week. Calculate your remaining balance after each entry.

Session 3: App Concept Brainstorm & Sketch

Objectives: Explore key features; sketch initial app screens.

Step 1: Feature Review

• Watch the App Design Walkthrough slides on budgeting app features.

Step 2: Brainstorm Must-Have Features

• List 3–5 features your app needs (e.g., real-time alerts, goal tracker).

Your Feature List:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Step 3: Screen Sketch
Choose one main screen (e.g., Home, Transactions, Goals) and sketch it below. Label buttons and fields.

Screen Name: ______________________

Sketch area:

Session 4: Prototype Sketching & Peer Feedback

Objectives: Refine sketches; gather and apply peer feedback.

Step 1: Detailed Mockups

• Redraw two key screens with more detail (colors, icons, labels).

Screen 1 Title: ____________
Sketch area:

Screen 2 Title: ____________
Sketch area:

Step 2: Peer-Review Rotation
Use the Budgeting App Rubric to give feedback.

Session 5: Team Presentations & Reflection

Objectives: Present your concept; reflect on budgeting skills.

Step 1: Final Prep

• Practice your 3-minute presentation.
• Assign speaking parts to your Presenter and Project Manager.

Step 2: Presentations

• Show slides or sketches of your app screens.
• Explain how your app helps users budget effectively.

Step 3: Reflection
Answer the question below in one complete sentence:

One budgeting goal I have for real life is:

End of Project Guide — Great work, Budget Buddies!

Needs vs. Wants Chat

Objective

Help students distinguish between “needs” (necessary items and services) and “wants” (nice-to-have items), laying the foundation for thoughtful budgeting.

Group Setup

• Divide into teams of 3–4 students.
• Assign one student as Recorder to capture ideas, one as Speaker to share with the class, and others as Contributors.

Instructions

1. Spend 5 minutes defining needs and wants in your own words.
2. Spend 10 minutes discussing the prompts below.
3. Recorder writes key ideas and examples.
4. Speaker shares one example of a need and one example of a want with the whole class.

Discussion Prompts

1. What is a Need?
   • Describe something you must have to live or go to school.
   • Why is it important?

   Your Definition & Example:

   ---

   ---

2. What is a Want?
   • Describe something fun or nice to have but not required.
   • How might it make life more enjoyable?

   Your Definition & Example:

   ---

   ---

3. Sort the Items
   Below is a mixed list. In your group, copy each item into the correct column.

4. Real-Life Scenario
   Imagine you have $10 allowance for the week. You need a bus pass ($4) and a healthy snack ($2). You want a comic book ($5).
   • What will you choose to spend on?
   • How much money will you have left?
   • Would you save any? Why or why not?

   Your Plan & Reasoning:

   ---

   ---

Follow-Up Questions

• How do needs and wants affect your budget choices?
• If you had more money, how might your thinking change?
• How can identifying needs first help you reach a saving goal (like in our app design)?

After the chat, use your group’s ideas to inform your team’s budgeting app design in the Budget Buddy Project Guide. Good luck, Budget Buddies!

Budgeting App Rubric

Use this rubric to assess your team’s budgeting app prototype. Circle the score for each criterion and add comments to guide improvements.

Comments & Next Steps: