Discussion Starters

In the Car

How much do you think that ________(school, church, bus, stoplight) would cost.
Find a car that you think you will be driving in 10 years. How much would it cost?
What do you think the gas mileage is?
Why do we put our money in the bank if we have to keep going back for it?
What does the bank do with the money people put in it?
What does it mean if a check bounces?
Where does the money in the bank machines come from?
Look around and find five things that were made with tax money.
There’s the bank and a hair styling salon. Would you like to work at a place like one of those? What would your day be like?
Is it right to play finders-keepers? Is it really mine if I find it?

At the Dinner Table

How much did this meal cost our family, per person?
If you could be happy and poor, or rich and miserable, which would you choose?
Why do people sometimes keep all of their money for themselves instead of sharing with others?
What is the quickest way to save money?
Why can’t we just keep all of our money under the bed?
Grandma and Grandpa are retired. Why can they go on big trips without working at a job?
If we own our house, why do we have to pay property tax?
Are credit cards good or bad?
If our home was burning down and you had two minutes to rescue three items, what would they be? Would our insurance cover those items?
If I owe someone money and I don’t have any left, what do I do?
Where does dad’s boss get the money to pay him?

On Vacation

How much money have we spent so far? How much will we have spent by tomorrow at this time?
How can we save $5 on our next meal?
Why would happen if we tried to trade something we have for something we need?
Why do people waste their money on dumb things?
Why can’t we have everything we want, even though we are on vacation?
Why do we still want more when we have so much?
Why do we need to save before we go on vacation?
How can people go on vacation if they don’t have money?

Around the House

If you could choose one thing that would be free for the rest of your life, what would it be?
What happens if you are late paying a credit card bill?
If someone offered you a job being a voice for a cartoon, how much would you charge them?
If you won $100, what would you do with it?
If you could invent something that would make life easier, what would it be?
What are five things in your room you could do without or donate?
How do parents decide if their kids just get allowance or if they work to earn their allowance?
Why do the people playing sports on TV make so much money?
How should we decide what to spend our money on?