MOOSE JAW — Grade 9 students from across Moose Jaw were given a financial “reality check” courtesy of the Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce during this year’s returning namesake event at Sask. Polytechnic.
Reality Check involved approximately 500 students from A.E. Peacock Collegiate and Central Collegiate in the morning and from Vanier Collegiate, Cornerstone Christian School, and Riverview Collegiate on the afternoon of Nov. 20.
“(Reality Check is) opening up the students’ eyes to what their family might be experiencing each month and how they’ll spend their monthly budget,” explained Chamber of Commerce office administrator Heather Bergdahl.
Reality Check is an annual event hosted by the Chamber of Commerce with the goal of teaching Grade 9 students about hands-on budgeting — an invaluable life skill that was only introduced into the high school curriculum this year.
“The program was intended to provide financial literacy for students, and now it really fits in with the curriculum for high school as Grade 10s now have to take a financial literacy course,” Bergdahl explained.
“So, the Grade 9s that participated last year (will be) the first… to take this financial literacy course through high school. It’s pretty awesome.”
Each student was first assigned an instruction card outlining their hypothetical family size, marital status, occupation, and annual income. Budget categories included home and vehicle insurance, utilities, groceries, childcare, clothing, and a few luxury expenses.
Two of those students were Athan Schultz and Jackson Dombowsky from Cornerstone.
“It’s really eye opening to see how much money you spend per month,” Schultz said. “You think you actually have lots of money, and then you realize you’re pretty broke.”
Both students were shocked at the cost of clothing in particular. “Yeah, clothing was really expensive… (especially) if you want the brand name,” Dombowsky said.
Their takeaway: budgeting is essential. “It’s good to remember… how you’re going to spend your money. (You need to) put money aside and always save money too for retirement or anything else you want to save up for,” Schultz explained.
Reality Check would not be possible without dedicated volunteers such as Donna Watson who attended her first event this year.
“My husband works for the Chamber and they were looking for volunteers. I thought, ‘Why not?’” she said.
Watson described her first Reality Check experience as “exciting” and said she was impressed with the students she interacted with. “They kids are quite comical. They’re (also) very intuitive,” she observed. “Some of them are really looking at how they spend their money. Others are just spending.”
Watson’s pavilion covered “beauty” on the assigned budget card involving a range of options from haircuts to pedicures. “Most of them went for their child’s haircut — very responsible.”
Another volunteer was Taysia Nicolson on behalf of H.K. Henderson Insurance. Nicolson also attended her first Reality Check event and covered home and automotive insurance.
“I got out of high school two years ago, so I think it’s really great that the kids are doing this,” she said. “We didn’t get that. It’s awesome to see how they’re all learning to get into the real world because it is a hard reality.”
The Conexus Credit Union once again offered bursaries to five students to start their Registered Education Savings Plans (RESP). Winners were chosen through a random draw from entries collected at the door.
Reality Check was made possible thanks to 19 local businesses and Bergdahl wished to thank each of them for helping the Chamber support Moose Jaw’s future employees and entrepreneurs.
For more information about the Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce visit MJChamber.com or call 306-692-6414.
