A highly visual, scaffolded finance lesson for high school SDC students to understand the real costs of buying and owning a car, featuring simplified budgeting, vocabulary, and practical decision-making.
Do you notice how both cars actually cost much more than the car payment alone?
CLASSROOM DEBATE
SLIDE 6
What Can You Afford?
If your monthly income allows a car budget of:
$500
Can you buy Car A ($550)?
Is $550 less than your $500 budget? Can you make it work?
Can you buy Car B ($699)?
Is $699 too high? What would happen if you tried to buy it anyway?
Use Page 3 of your worksheet to write down your choices! SLIDE 6
SURPRISE EXPENSES
SLIDE 7
Why Do We Save $50 for Repairs?
Cars don't stay perfect forever. Parts wear out, and accidents happen! If we don't save for repairs, we might get stranded.
A small $50 monthly savings creates an emergency safety net for your car!
Example Emergency Repair Costs:
New Tire $150
Dead Battery $100
Oil Change $60
Saving a little bit each month ensures you're never stuck without a ride!
BUDGET HACKS
SLIDE 8
How to Make the Budget Work
If your $500 monthly budget is too small for a car, don't worry! There are practical ways to cut down your driving expenses.
1. Cheaper Car
Look for an older, highly reliable car to drop your monthly payment below $150.
Saves up to $100/mo!
2. Share Rides
Carpool with friends or family members to split gas and maintenance bills.
Cuts Gas costs in half!
3. Transit/Biking
Use public buses or ride a bike for local trips to save on overall wear and tear.
Zero gas used!
Small changes in your transportation habits lead to massive financial freedom!
QUICK QUIZ GAME
SLIDE 9
What Are the 4 Main Costs?
Point to the board or call out! Can we name the four monthly car bills we learned today?
Car Payment
Gasoline
Insurance
Repairs
Great job learning to budget today! You are Road Ready! đźš—
Car Payment:
Insurance: Monthly safety payment to protect you.
Gasoline: Monthly cost for fuel to run the engine.
Repairs: Cost to fix broken parts or maintenance.
CORRECT ANSWER: NO
Owning a car involves recurring costs like fuel, insurance, and maintenance beyond just the purchase loan.
Page 2 Answers: Rounding & Math Additions
Rounding Table:
Item
Actual
Rounded
Car A Payment
$249.70
$250
Car B Payment
$399.20
$399
Gasoline
$99.80
$100
Insurance
$149.50
$150
Repairs
$50.10
$50
Addition & Totals:
Car A (Sedan):
$250 + $100 + $150 + $50 = $550 / mo
Car B (Hatchback):
$399 + $100 + $150 + $50 = $699 / mo
Page 3 Answers: Budgeting & Reflection
• Can you afford Car A ($550 vs $500)? Answer: NO. ($550 is larger than $500).
• Can you afford Car B ($699 vs $500)? Answer: NO. ($699 is larger than $500).
• Reflection Prompts: Neither car fits the $500 budget. Grade based on effort/logic: if a student wants Car A, they must state how they will make up the extra $50 (e.g., parenting help, working extra, or cutting other items).
Instructional Purpose: This activity supports IEP goals around functional math, consumer literacy, and personal independence by linking real expenses to structured, multi-step math tasks.
