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Personal Budget Simulator 101

Learn more about Intertwined's Personal Budget Simulator, how to set it up, and how it increases student engagement!

Kerry Ao avatar
Written by Kerry Ao
Updated over a month ago

Intertwined's Personal Budget Simulator is the leading personal finance education solution for K-12 and higher education. It transforms classrooms into interactive learning environments where students master the art of budgeting, saving, and spending through a hands-on, gamified simulation.

Intertwined leverages generative artificial intelligence, powered by Microsoft and OpenAI, to create dynamic financial scenarios that immerse students in real-life budgeting challenges. This variability ensures that each student's learning journey is uniquely tailored to their individual decisions and responses.

Activate Personal Budget Simulator Settings

From the Classes tab, select a specific Class to edit its Budget Simulator Settings. As the Budget Simulator is currently in beta mode, instructors cannot manually configure starting, success, and failure points.

To activate the Budget Simulator in your classroom, click on the blue "Activate Budget Sim" button on the top right. Without activation, students cannot join or use the simulator.

Definitions and Walkthrough

For full understanding, it is recommended to watch the video tutorial of the Teacher Portal here:

Simulation Phases

For full understanding, it is recommended to watch the video tutorial of the Teacher Portal here:

High School Phase

The high school phase is specifically designed to acclimate your student to Intertwined's Personal Budget Simulator. Here, students are prompted with basic financial decisions such as purchasing books, attending social events, and monitoring wellness.

Students simulate through two months of scenarios. These are faked simulated months, not real months.

College Phase

During the college phase, students learn how to use a credit card and build a credit score while understanding an increased level of financial responsibility. This includes paying for food, rent, and utilities.

Students simulate through six months of scenarios. These are faked simulated months, not real months.

Full-Time Employee Phase

Students are officially "adulting," making increasingly challenging financial and career decisions. They must build a good credit score and invest in retirement.

Students simulate through six months of scenarios. These are faked simulated months, not real months.

Early Retiree Phase

After retiring, students learn how to live off of Social Security checks while still making complex financial decisions. They must adjust to a life with a limited budget and increasing costs.

Students simulate through six months of scenarios. These are faked simulated months, not real months.

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