Budget Challenge exceeds expectations to provide the most comprehensive and engaging financial capability program available.

It goes beyond knowledge, teaching the skills, attitudes, and positive behaviors students need to successfully manage adult finances. The program includes a comprehensive 17-chapter e-textbook and our award-winning, real-world simulation where each student manages all the finances of an independent young adult in real time for ten weeks. Budget Challenge teaches ALL 206 of the new national Jump$tart/CEE standards for financial education. Complete teacher resources, including lesson suggestions, parent engagement toolkit, ancillary activities, video library, and self-scoring authentic and traditional assessments, are included at no additional charge. Optional +Investing expands the retirement investing component of the simulation, teaching the investing skills and knowledge students need most. Go beyond financial literacy and create the next generation of financially capable young adults.

Most Complete Financial Literacy Program

Budget Challenge is the most advanced and comprehensive program available.  We deliver the most realistic educational experience and are proudly creating the next generation of financial capable young adults.

Setting Higher Standards with 10-week Learning-by-Doing Simulation

We 100% meet all national standards, but those standards only cover the knowledge and do not go far enough to prepare young adults. Aren't you tired of reading about how young adults are making a mess out of their financial lives? We are too, and that is why we have made capability a core focus of Budget Challenge. The only way to teach capability is through Learning-By-Doing. The only place that has Learning-by-Doing is here.

National standards + Learning-By-Doing = Learning that Lasts®

The Home of Learning-By-Doing

Knowledge is only half the battle. Capability is the other half. Budget Challenge contains six trophies that students can earn by demonstrating capability in the areas that adults struggle with most. Learning by doing is what we do best!

Emergency Fund: Nearly half of Americans lack available funds to cover a $400 emergency.
Retirement Savings: 1/3 of American adults have nothing saved for retirement.
Credit Card Management: 38% of households have credit card debt. Average balance: $16,048.
Credit Health: 68 million Americans have “Bad” or “Poor” credit scores.
Debt Reduction: Average student loan borrower graduated with $29,900 of debt.
Perfect Pay: A single reported late fee can cause a 780 FICO score to drop 90 to 110 points.

Cash Flow Budgeting

Another innovation that you can only find here is Cash Flow Budgeting. We combined two important concepts into one, Budgeting and Cash Flow Management to create a tool that changes the way people learn and handle personal finance. Cash Flow Budgeting is the Better Way To Budget®   This tool is included free in Budget Challenge.

Leader in Protecting Student Data

Another Budget Challenge innovation is De-Identified Student Registration. No one is more committed to keeping students' privacy and data protected and safe.

Best-in-Class Support

Have the confidence to use Budget Challenge in any situation knowing that we are here to help.

  • In-class
  • Remote 
  • Hybrid 
  • Unsure?

We provide assistance on the issues modern technology brings like login assistance and answering student questions so teachers can spend more of their time teaching.

FIT Certification

Budget Challenge is the capability certification provider and content specialist for the Financial Intelligence Teacher Certification. This is a 100% free certification opportunity for teachers, sponsored by the Foundation for Economic Education.

Register at teachers.fee.org/courses/FITcertification

Register for Certification

Integrates with Popular Classroom Tools

Take advantage of Single Sign On with Clever. Register and log in with Clever for teachers and students. Our curriculum and Better Way to Budget® CFS tool can be integrated into OneNote or Google Classroom.

Log in with Clever

From our Blog: Teachers Share their Experience

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Introducing Investing

Financial experts rarely agree on anything, but the only thing they do agree on is investing advice for young adults under 30.  

  • Start early
  • Use tax advantaged accounts
  • Invest aggressively
  • Avoid fees

This is exactly what we teach in Plus Investing. Budget Challenge realizes that nearly all young adults won't be able to save more than the 401(k) cap of $19,500 per year. We focus on teaching how simple and effective investing to a 401(k) can be.

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