The document describes a budgeting game for teenagers called the NatWest Budget Game. The game teaches players how to manage their money over three months by having them pay bills, budget for food and travel, and balance spending with savings goals. Players choose a difficulty level, currency, personal traits and hobbies. The game involves making weekly spending choices for activities, food, and transportation while monitoring expenses, savings, and overall well-being. The goal is to manage finances and avoid running out of money while maintaining a high well-being score.

1. Let’s play
https://natwest.mymoneysense.com/students/students-8-
12/the-budget-game/
If you need a money boost get yourself playing this NatWest Budget Game
A budgeting game for
teenagers.
natwest.mymoneysense.com/students/students-8-12/the-budget-game

2. -> Keep an eye on your
cash in hand, weekly
expenses, spending
habits and saving goals.
https://natwest.mymoneysense.com/students/students-8-12/the-budget-game/
-> Do not run out of
money.
-> At the same time,
keep your wellbeing
score high.

3. Let’s play
https://natwest.mymoneyse
nse.com/students/students-
8-12/the-budget-game/
Can you manage your money for three months? There are bills
to pay, food and travel to budget for, plus loads of fun things to
spend your money on. Get it right and your happiness will soar,
but spend too much and you’ll have a financial headache!
Press New to start the game Choose your difficulty level Choose your currency

4. Let’s play
https://natwest.mymoneyse
nse.com/students/students-
8-12/the-budget-game/
What are
you like?
Lucky
Sociable
Calm
Smart
shopper
Sporty
Outdoorsy
Pick three things that describe you to get extra help in the game.
Healthy
Practical

5. Let’s play
https://natwest.mymoneyse
nse.com/students/students-
8-12/the-budget-game/
Cycling
Cooking
Reading
Playing sport
Gaming
Internet
Film & TV
Music
Pick
three
hobbies

6. Many money problems arise because many do not have a clear picture of
what they want to do with their money and therefore spend it randomly,
without much thought.
How do you describe yourself? What are your goals, ambitions, hobbies?
What are your weaknesses? What are your faults? Do you spend all your
pocket money / salary at one go? Are your goals and ambitions clear
enough to help you build your plan?
The next step forward in financial goals setting is thinking about how much
you need to save, for how long and how you will accumulate those savings.
Who are you? What do you enjoy doing? What are your financial aims?
long-term

7. Let’s play
https://natwest.mymoneyse
nse.com/students/students-
8-12/the-budget-game/
Important Info – both in the game and in life
Your take-home
salary
Your fixed expenses
Your remaining
balance
In NatWest Budget Game, a situation is provided where you are guided towards:
• Your take-home salary –> actual cash taken home
• Your fixed expenses –> rent; home loan;
• Your remaining balance –> the amount you have left after you pay your fixed expenses
This can be spent on food, transport, activities and items you want to buy.
Another important note to remember is that bills like water and electricity bills might
change, depending on their usage, so they are not fixed, but they still need to be paid
before you spend money on activities and items that you want.
Also, items such as food, toiletries, and cleaning products are necessary too.

8. Let’s play
https://natwest.mymoneyse
nse.com/students/students-
8-12/the-budget-game/
(1)
(2)
How to play

9. Let’s play
https://natwest.mymoneyse
nse.com/students/students-
8-12/the-budget-game/
(3)
(4)
How to play

10. Let’s play
https://natwest.mymoneyse
nse.com/students/students-
8-12/the-budget-game/
(5)
(6)
How to play

11. Let’s play
https://natwest.mymoneyse
nse.com/students/students-
8-12/the-budget-game/
- reading the weekly messages
- watching your spending
- checking what you need to buy, sell and repair
- selecting three activities a week, three food choices and three travel
choices a week (same activities can be chosen)
Look for exclamation marks!
Look for information on the right hand side
Playing the game consists of:
Watch your monthly available balance
what you own less your fixed expenses
Information include fun, health, comfort
and costs. Sports add you to your overall
holistic growth.

12. Let’s play
https://natwest.mymoneyse
nse.com/students/students-
8-12/the-budget-game/
Food Expenditure
Take note of the costs. Are you spending money unnecessarily on food?

13. Let’s play
https://natwest.mymoneyse
nse.com/students/students-
8-12/the-budget-game/
A recap
Click onto to proceed to the following week
Weekly messages provide you with tips and advice.

14. The Inventory
Things to think about
Remember that to use a car, you need to have bought a car, to go to the gym, you need to
buy a gym membership, to go for a walk, you need to have walking shoes, to use a bicycle,
you need to own one.. And so on
In life, open your eyes to unusual and infrequent spending habits. Can they be reduced or eliminated entirely?
Also, think of best
alternatives to save
money.

15. How often do you check your cash balances? Are you awaiting middle age (commencing at
about 40 years) or when you get serious about your career to start calculating and managing
your cash balances?
Your cash in hand and money at the bank
Do you look at your cash / bank balances only when you fall short at
the end of the month? https://gemma.gov.mt/what-is-a-budget/
Having trouble distinguishing between your needs and wants? -
https://gemma.gov.mt/needs-and-wants/
Have you ever bought things on the impulse of a moment and then
feel guilt or regret for having done that purchase?
https://gemma.gov.mt/?s=impulse+buying&lang=en
Start managing cash
finances without
delay.

16. For teenagers (13-17):
o go for healthy shopping choices – not costly, yet healthy and filling.
o help in the preparation of meals for the whole week rather than relying on expensive last-minute
salty fatty take-aways.
o do not throw away your home-made lunches to buy snacks.
o read about healthy eating - fast-food meals are high in fat and sodium and low in fiber and nutrients.
For those in their late teens:
o make a weekly menu plan using inexpensive ingredients in various ways (there are helpful free
applications you can use)
o set aside enough time to prepare lunches, snacks and meals – let’s say Saturday afternoon or Sunday
mornings,
o take your own sandwiches or a salad other than junk fatty salty foods that lead to other problems
such as obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetics among others
Reduce the intake of junk food and take-away food.
How to cut down on convenience foods?
Junk foods are
unhealthy, costly and
short term snacks.
You are hungry again in no
time.

17. Your NatWest Budget Game
Some expenses are essential expenses – needed, yet overspending starts gradually and
everyday little things end up costing more over time. How you spend your money is
based on choices you make and priorities that you identify.
Activities, food and transport might in reality be more costly than those
in the game. However, NatWest Budget Game is a game that helps you
instill better money habits to improve your health and life style.
Concerns and awareness are great but action is essential and it's never
too early nor too late to start caring for your finances, even at a very
young age.
Let’s play
https://natwest.mymoneyse
nse.com/students/students-
8-12/the-budget-game/

18. Imply effective money management techniques.
• Do not shop when you are tired, hungry, in a hurry, without a list, on the impulse of the
moment. You are more likely to spend money on unneeded things.
Set a spending limit on a weekly basis.
• Small sums add up to a lot of money
Keep a diary of how much you spend.
• Identify interests, desires, or aspirations, and then break these down into steps for the
accomplishment of that goal
Realistic goal setting
•Once spent it will never return back. Also, plan ahead for fixed expenses.
Think before you buy.
Money management is
not something that will
happen by accident. You
must work towards it.