In the Budget Simulator, you live through four stages of life on the paycheck each one brings: high school, college, your first full-time job and early retirement. Bills arrive on schedule, surprises show up when you least expect them, and every choice moves your money and how you feel. Here's how to get started, what everything on the screen means, and how to make it through every phase.
Joining the simulator
Tap or click Simulators in the sidebar.
Open the Budget band and tap or click Start Budget. (If you've already started, it says Continue Budget.)
On the Budget Simulator page, click Join Classroom Simulation. You'll land on your dashboard.
If you see "No Active Budget Simulation. Contact your teacher for more information.", the Budget Simulator isn't set up for your class yet. Let your teacher know.
Your dashboard
The blue banner at the top shows which phase you're in (for example, Phase 1 of 4), how far through the phase you are, and the big yellow Continue to next scenario button. That button is how you move through the game.
Under the banner are your balance cards: Checking, Savings, Credit card and Safe to spend. Safe to spend is what's left after the bills already on your calendar, which makes it the most honest number on the page.
The big panel has four tabs:
Calendar: your month at a glance, with paydays, bills and the life events you've already decided on.
Accounts: each account in detail. Use Transfer money to move money between checking and savings, and the pay buttons on your credit card (Pay the full amount, or Pay another amount) to pay it down.
Statement: every life event so far, what you chose and what it did.
Insurance & Goals: buy or drop insurance, and set savings goals.
On the right side you'll find Phase goals (your meters), Coming up (bills and paydays on the way) and Just happened (your latest transactions).
Moving through time
Each time you tap or click Continue to next scenario, time moves forward a few days. Then one of these happens:
Money moves. A payday or a bill comes due, and you see a summary of what came in and what went out. Click Continue to go back to your dashboard.
A scenario appears. Something happens in your life, and you decide what to do about it.
Nothing happens. A few quiet days pass. Click Keep going to move on, or Back to dashboard.
Making a choice
Every scenario has a title, a short story, and tags showing what part of life it's about (like Housing or Health) and how big it is: Minor, Medium or Major.
Read the story, then look at the options under What do you do? Each one shows what it costs (or pays) and how it moves your meters, like Stress +10 or Health -5.
Tap or click the option you want.
If it costs money, pick the account it comes out of under Pay from.
Click Continue. Your decision is final once you continue.
Some choices cost nothing today but come with a catch, like more stress or a problem that gets worse later. Free isn't always cheap.
If you close a scenario without choosing, it'll be waiting for you the next time you click Continue to next scenario.
Your meters and phase goals
The Phase goals card tracks five meters: Health, Social life, Stress, Credit score and, once you have a car, Vehicle. Each one shows your target for this phase and a status:
On track: you're meeting the goal.
Cutting it close: you're just barely there.
Below the line or Over the limit: you're missing the goal. For stress, lower is better.
To move on to the next phase, every goal needs to be met when the phase ends. Watch these as closely as your bank balance.
The four life phases
High school: a part-time job, small expenses and no credit card yet. A warm-up.
College: rent, food, books and your first credit card. Your credit score starts to matter.
First job: a real salary and a real budget, with rent, a car, utilities and retirement savings.
Retirement: living on investment income while big bills keep coming.
When a phase ends, you'll see how you finished on each goal, marked Met or Missed. Each new phase starts you with fresh balances and meters, so every phase is a new chance.
Warnings and Game Over
Yellow warnings appear at the top of a scenario when something needs your attention, like a low balance or a credit card that's nearly maxed out. Don't ignore them.
The big one is overdrafts. If you spend more than you have in checking, you're charged a fee and get a warning, like "Overdraft warning 1 of 3." Three overdrafts in one phase means you have to restart the phase. Moving money from savings into checking stops the fees.
Your run stops with a Game Over screen if:
Checking and savings together drop below $0
You overdraw three times in one phase
Checking stays negative for a week
Your stress gets too high
A phase ends without every goal met
The screen tells you what ended the run. Click Restart Phase to go back to the start of that phase with the balances you started it on. Everything from earlier phases stays the same, and your overdraft count starts over.
Finish all four phases and you'll see Congratulations! Nice work.
Insurance and savings goals
On the Insurance & Goals tab:
Insurance: each option shows a monthly cost and what you'd still pay on a bill. Click Get covered to buy it, or Cancel cover to drop a plan you have. High school has no insurance to buy.
Savings goals: type a name and a Target, then click Add goal. A bar shows how close you are. Each phase also comes with an Emergency fund goal that you can't remove.
How you're scored
If your teacher grades the Budget Simulator, they'll look at how far you get through the life phases, how many phases you pass, and how often you overdraw your account. Your teacher always makes the final call on your grade.
Tips
Check Coming up before you spend. A big bill might be two days away.
Keep a cushion in checking, and move money from savings before a bill, not after.
Pay your credit card down. The Accounts tab reminds you to keep your balance under 30% of your limit to build credit.
Look after your health and stress, not just your money. A full bank account won't save a phase if your meters are below the line.
Build your emergency fund early. It's what turns a surprise bill into a small problem.
Common questions
Why didn't anything happen when I clicked Continue to next scenario?
Some days are quiet. Click Keep going to move forward again.
I got Game Over. Did I lose everything?
No. Restart Phase takes you back to the start of the phase you're in. Your earlier phases are kept.
Can I change a choice after I make it?
No. Once you click Continue, the decision is final, so read the options carefully.
I see a message that "We hit a snag." What do I do?
Click Back to dashboard and try Continue to next scenario again. If it keeps happening, tell your teacher.