The key thrust of the MoneySmart series is its emphasis on intelligent shopping and management of funds. Students are challenged to rethink the modern idea that "the one with the most toys wins. Smart handling of money will give them more freedom than a mountain of bills and will equip them with the tools to handle their finances efficiently
- Shopping Savvy teaches skills necessary to survive in a society that emphasizes the accumulation of things. It provides students with techniques to apply to real-world experiences they probably will encounter, if not now, in the future when they have a steady income and available cash.
- Money Management teaches students how to maximize their earnings and not foolishly squander those funds. It shows them what to be wary of and how to handle situations involving their money.
- Shopping Savvy and Money Management emphasize taking control of finances for maximum benefit. It is far better for students to learn to control their money than to allow the money to control them.
MoneySmart will show students how to take that control.
Financial knowledge is especially critical in our society where consumer spending and indebtedness are at record levels and bankruptcies are commonplace. It is also critical for students to be able to recognize and evaluate the sales ploys thrown at them, whether shopping in person or through the mass media. Being a savvy shopper and a wise money manager requires students to evaluate their needs and wants and to make judgments on how best to meet both. Look at this series as a toolbox that students can access to build and repair their finances today and into the future.
The MoneySmart Series is composed of six modules:
- Part 1: How To Avoid Being A Compulsive Shopper. Everybody loves to shop and buy what they want when they want it, but that is not always possible. Students learn ways to avoid compulsive shopping and how to become a savvy shoppers.
- Part 2: How To Avoid Being A Spendthrift. Buy. That's what our culture says. What happens when there is no money to cover the bills? This module shows students what to do to avoid behaving like a spendthrift.
- Part 3: How To Be A Savvy Shopper. Flattery will get you everywhere. That's one of the ploys salespeople use to lure people to buy their product(s). In this module, students learn techniques salespeople use and how to avoid them, as well as tips on what to do once they make a purchase.
- Part 4: How To Avoid Blowing Your Budget. Students learn that it takes more than a willingness to pay bills – it takes work. Budgeting work. Students learn how to budget and ways to honor the limits of that budget. They also learn to differentiate between a need and a want and realize not everything they want is a need.
- Part 5: How To Avoid Being Duped Or Scammed. Students learn that it's better to be safe with their money than sorry. Costly scams are a dime a dozen. In this module, students examine some types of scams and ways to avoid them.
- Part 6: How To Be Safe While Shopping. Safe shopping tips are what students will glean from this video. It takes students through common errors people make while shopping that could have disastrous consequences.
Easy-to-Use Discussion Structure for Each Lesson
Each MoneySmart module is composed of six to ten stand-alone video segments or lessons. Nearly all video segments are in two parts.
The "NotSmart-Money Smart™" Teaching Model
Part 1 of each vídeo segment stimulates discussion by demonstrating problem behavior.
This guide provides a three-step structure for discussing such behavior.
- First, students are asked to identify what exactly is wrong, or NotSmart, about the person's behavior.
- Second, students identify the negative consequences of this behavior.
- Third, students discuss how the person could have performed better, or MoneySmart, in the same situation. This discussion gives students an opportunity to initially determine a MoneySmart alternative to the problem behavior.
Part 2 of each video segment demonstrates MoneySmart behavior in the same situation the person faced in Part 1. While viewing Part 2 of the video segment, students are able to compare their suggested appropriate behavior with the behavior modeled in the video.
- First, students identify what is MoneySmart behavior.
- Second, students discuss the positive consequences of MoneySmart behavior.
- Third, students discuss the enduring lessons from this video segment. Use your discretion in adjusting this discussion to the level of your audience. For disabled audiences, make the segment's moral or lesson as clear and simple as possible. For advanced audiences, this Guide raises some of the more subtle points that you may want to explore in each segment. For example, with certain audiences, you may want to restrict your focus to NotSmart and MoneySmart behaviors and their consequences. With other audiences, you may want to examine the motivations underlying these behaviors.
Use your discretion in expanding each lesson and employing the teaching approach that best serves the needs of your students, your objectives, and your time constraints.