Bromfield 10th-graders know a lot more today than they did just a week ago about what things cost in “the real world.” At the June 1 Reality Fair in the gym, they had a chance to see just how far a paycheck would go when spread over expenses ranging from rent and utilities to Netflix and haircuts.
And that was the goal of this first Bromfield Reality Fair, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Ayer, Harvard, Shirley, and Devens, with help from Gervais Ford and Fidelity Bank. Main Street Bank and Rollstone Bank also took part, as did more than 40 volunteers.
The idea for the fair originated with the Bromfield School Council, whose members were interested in providing more career preparation for students. Council member Jody Specht, who is also guidance director at Nashoba Regional High School, raised the idea of a reality fair, which Nashoba has held for several years with the assistance of the Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley. School Council member Karen Strickland coordinated the link with Rotary, and member Ben Myers organized the fair’s many volunteers.
—Wheel of fortune outcomes
Students came to the fair in three groups, spread over the morning last Friday. Each 10th-grader had selected a possible career through the guidance department’s Naviance program, a software system that helps students plan for college and careers. So, upon entering the gym, each student received a folder with a possible starting salary for that job, along with take-home pay after deductions. It was also assumed that 20 percent of take-home pay would go toward paying off college loans. Starting salaries ranged from $40,000 to $75,000, depending on the job. (By the end of the fair, a few kids seemed to be having second thoughts about their career choices.)
Buy or rent? And find a roommate!
Tables were positioned around the gym, each offering information on a specific budget area. Students roamed from table to table, sometimes singly, but often in twos, threes, and fours. They had to visit each table and decide how to allocate their funds, all within a 45-minute school period.
Each table posed choices for the prospective customers. At the housing table, the first decision was whether to rent, buy a condo, or live at home. And should they live alone or get a roommate to share expenses? With Suzanne Dutkewych and Deb Kotlarz available to answer questions, kids pondered monthly rents that ranged from $1,076 for a one-bedroom apartment in Marlborough to $2,585 for a two-bedroom place in Boston. Condos cost even more, but they had the attractions of ownership and growing equity. Given the cost of housing, roommates quickly became a very popular option. Even students who opted to live at home were expected to pay a minimum $400 in rent to their families.
“Living out there and trying to be an adult is really hard,” commented one of the comparatively few students who decided to live at home, “and I wanted to save as much money as possible.” She finished with a $600 surplus in her monthly budget.
Apartments need furniture, and moderately priced Ikea was the most popular choice, beating out both top-of-the-line furniture and thrift-shop finds, according to volunteers Laura Johnson and Deborah Butcher. When reminded that an Ikea bookshelf or table would have to be assembled, quite a few kids responded confidently, “My dad will put it together.”
Deciding how much to spend each month on food led to more choices. Buy lunch at work or bring a sandwich from home? How many times a week to have dinner out? Jessica Finnigan and Erin McBee were two of the volunteers helping kids decide on food budgets that cost $367 a month for those who packed their lunches and cooked dinner at home, or up to $606 a month for kids who bought their lunches and ate out often. And that amount didn’t include the extra-large lattes or mocha cappuccinos—coffees were a separate budget item.
As for transportation, the options were limited: Buy a car or take the T? If the choice was to have a car, should it be new, used, or “old”—that is, something handed down for free from a family member? For a brand-new luxury car, students had to shell out $550 a month. The old family car was free, but it came with repair costs instead of a warranty. Whether new or old, every car also required insurance and gasoline. And the price of parking at a job in Boston could be a real shock. (Used cars were the most frequent choice, according to Ryan Galloway of Gervais Ford.)
Spinning the wheel of fortune
Everyone also had to pay at least one visit to the wheel of fortune—or misfortune—in the center of the gym. If a student was lucky, the wheel might stop at a windfall like an IRS refund or a profitable sale on eBay that provided $150 or $200 in income. But far more numerous were the unexpected expenses: “Speeding ticket—pay $150” or “Damage to carpet—pay $250.” The biggest groans came when the wheel stopped at “Lost cellphone—pay $150.”
Sometimes 10th-graders found the commands of the wheel confusing. Three boys approached together, and the first spun the wheel, which stopped with its pointer at “Buy a wedding present—pay $100.”
“No! Don’t get married, dude!” his friend exclaimed, clearly appalled.
“He’s not getting married,” the third said reassuringly. “Someone he knows is, so he just has to give them something.”
Retirement savings, charitable contributions, utilities (including cellphone and cable plans), and entertainment were among the other tables students had to check off on their route around the gym. At the entertainment table, volunteer Patricia Wilkey said Netflix seemed to be a must-have for everyone, with Spotify not far behind.
After visiting all the tables, students carried their monthly expense sheets to a table of “credit counselors” who checked the results. Most students found they were spending more than they were earning, counselors Lindsey English and Eric Brose said, but most were also receptive to finding ways to cut their costs. For example, two girls who were several hundred dollars in the hole each month found they could stay within budget by renting an apartment in Worcester instead of Boston, even though their transportation costs increased. And each then had a little left over for a savings account.
The credit counselors also collected the students’ budget worksheets, which the school will send home to parents, so that families can discuss the experience together.
Many students said they found the fair informative. “It’s cool to see what things actually cost,” several kids agreed. But another boy looked at his monthly budget and sighed, “It’s sad to see my money slipping away,” even though the money in this case was imaginary.
Fair organizer Ben Myers said, “The criterion for success is if a majority of kids leave with smiles on their faces.” And by that measure alone, the fair was indeed a success.
