“Welcome to my financial life at age 25….”

With these words, a Middle Schooler launched our Personal Finance Quest, the culmination of five weeks of work where each Eagle:

• Researched the most important financial decisions he or she would face in life – like deciding whether college is worth the cost; selecting a profession; and choosing when to start a family.
• Kept a log of personal spending, to see how cheaply you can live, without sacrificing the things in life that matter.
• Learned to use Google Spreadsheets to create personal income statements and balance sheets from age 25 until age 70.
• Practiced writing, critique and revision; as well as delivering ethos, logos and pathos; preparing to debate life’s most important financial decisions; and
• Most importantly, explored whether money represents a false sense of security or love, instead of just a way to keep score.

The Exhibition started with a series of debates, as Eagles faced off with opposing arguments on life’s most difficult financial questions.  One crowd favorite: “Is having children a wise financial decision?”

Following the debates, visitors examined each Eagle’s personal finance displays and spreadsheets, asking probing questions about “financial life at 25.”

We ended with a discussion of “lessons learned” by guests and Eagles about money and its relationship to a life well lived.

Reading, writing and arithmetic – important.   Lifelong lessons about personal finance and the meaning of money – priceless.

When we return from Fall Break, we begin a Behavioral Economics Quest, to explore how instincts and impulses can derail even the most carefully constructed financial plans.