Free online budget tool makes budgeting easier

Create an interactive budget using the High School Financial Planning Budget Wizard.

Tracking on computer.

The term "budget" can feel overwhelming and people, particularly young people, can often wonder where to start. The National Endowment for Financial Education's High School Financial Planning Program (HSFPP) offers a resource to help with creating a spending plan. 

To access the Budget Wizard, you must create a profile through the High School Financial Planning Program. However, this also allows for easy saving and accessing other resources within the website. The Budget Wizard walks you through each of the different sections with helpful questions about income and expenses, allowing you to edit and add rows and amounts. The expense category helps break down periodic and fixed expenses in a helpful way and provides sample line items that are especially helpful for teens and young adults. Once the budget is complete, the program does the math and a pie chart shows how much each expense line items takes up. Most importantly, the Budget Wizard includes categories and information on the importance of savings in a good spending plan. 

The High School Financial Planning Program Budget Wizard is a helpful resource to share with teens, young adults, or anyone generating a budget due to its east of use. 

Michigan State University Extension and Michigan 4-H Youth Development help to prepare young people for successful futures. As a result of career exploration and workforce preparation activities, thousands of Michigan youth are better equipped to make important decisions about their professional future, ready to contribute to the workforce and able to take fiscal responsibility in their personal lives. For more information or resources on career explorations, workforce preparation, financial education, or entrepreneurship, contact 4-HCareerPrep@msu.edu.  

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