Conducting spending interviews
Students interview an adult about how they make financial decisions and analyze their findings to come up with their own rules to live by.
Big idea
Understanding the difference between needs and wants can help you be strategic about your spending.
Essential questions
- How do needs and wants factor into an adult’s financial decision-making process?
- How do needs and wants change over time?
Objectives
- Learn about and analyze different ways adults make spending decisions based on an understanding of their needs and wants
- Discover how adults develop rules to live by about spending to fit their own financial life
What students will do
- Interview a parent or another adult in their life to discover how they manage needs and wants.
- Analyze their interview notes to improve their own knowledge and decision-making skills.
Download activity
Teacher guide
cfpb_building_block_activities_conducting-spending-interviews_guide.pdf
Student materials
cfpb_building_block_activities_conducting-spending-interviews_worksheet.pdf
Note: Please remember to consider your students’ accommodations and special needs to ensure that all students are able to participate in a meaningful way.