What are your monthly living expenses?

[Nifty-Chicken]

Not to get too far off topic, but I've always felt very strongly that basic financial skills should have been, and should be a required class in middle school and throughout highschool. IMO, I think the country would be better off if every child was required to take at LEAST 3 years of financial classes around the following topics:

Basic financial principles
Budgeting
Interest (how it works for or against you... especially when compounded)
Investing basics
What happens when you invest early and consistently.
How not to be "penny wise but pound foolish"
Saving for retirement
Retirement plans

In my opinion, I think we'd be better off as a country if we had traded a year of history, humanities, language, etc. for a few years of the topics above. I'm not saying history, humanities, language, etc. isn't important, but in all my years in school I had multiple years of all those things and not a SINGLE required year devoted to any of the items above. I don't know about you, but I use all the financial principles above on a daily basis in my personal and work life, but I rarely directly use the 8+ years of history, etc. (again, not saying to get rid of history.... just exchange 1 year our of 8 to be for finance!)

</rant over>

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Quote:

AMEN!!! Could NOT agree more!

I taught my kids about money as a personal requirement in addition to their state required homeschooling curriculum. Niece will be doing the same materials when she is a bit older even though she is in public school. Dave Ramsey offers homeschool materials for anyone interested in teaching this. It's a bit pricey, but worth every penny in the long run.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

I'm all for that Rob. We had a business class in high school that covered home finance etc. I just took it for an easy credit but it really helped out later. Prior to that I had no clue about running a checkbook, or a budget etc. If you had a couple bucks in your pocket you were good to go.

Steve

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Dang, a required Dave Ramsey type of class for all high school kids would be PERFECT!!!!

It really bothers me that these SUPER important classes were "optional" and not required. Basically that meant that the kids (or their parents) that "chose" to take them probably weren't the ones that needed them.

 

[EweSheep]

I love that idea, Nifty of the requirements of finances. Its a life time tool to use while history has a very small part of it.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Quote:
It is offered in several Tennessee schools now. It is available, just apparently no takers

Go figure.

 

[EweSheep]

Maybe it's the denial of self sufficency.

 

[michelle1017]

Quote:
I agree that finance classes are very important for kids these days. Fortunately, our students are required to take a personal finance class before graduation.

 

[annie3001]

Quote:
exactly us... double ditto!

 

[elijahboy]

400.00 mortgage including taxes and insurance
150.00 light bill
44.00 sewer bill
40.00 water bill
35.00 phone bill
20.00 internet bill
45.00 cell phone bill
500.00 food for 2 adults and 3 children


we eat out atleast 2x a week

i drive a 6 cyl truck he drives a suburban but both are paid off

i pay 250.00 every six months for vehicle insurance he pays 80 a month for his vehicle insurance