1. Budget WebQuest
Introduction
Congratulations! You just graduated college and you are finally living on your own. Your annual salary is $40,000. You will need to learn to manage your money and maintain a monthly budget - without the help of Mom & Dad! You will receive a paycheck every other week and pay a variety of bills including cable, electric, student loans, car payment and most important - rent. You will need to make sure you have enough money to pay all your bills and still have some left over to have some fun!
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2. Task
Introduction
Your task will be to determine the cost of all of the monthly expenses needed to live on your own.  You will research your expenses and you will complete various worksheets to help you figure out your expenses. At the end you will complete a monthly budget worksheet to see if you can live within your means. You will need to print out all worksheets and Internet pages used. You can get copies of all word documents from me.
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3. Procedure Actual Budget Sheet Home Car Utilities Student loans Food
Click on the picture or words below to create your monthly budget
Actual Budget Sheet
Home
Car
Utilities
Student loans
Food
Miscellaneous Personal/Cleaning
Entertainment
Final Budget Expenses
Introduction
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Procedure
Evaluation

4. Budget Estimation
How much does it really cost to live on your own?
Introduction
Your first step will be to complete the Budget Estimation Sheet. You will predict what you monthly expenses will cost. At the end of the project you will complete an excel worksheet that will calculate the differences between what you predicted, and your actual costs.
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5. Home
First you must find a place to live. You can find a house or an apartment in the newspaper or by using one of the following websites. You will want a picture of your place. Make sure you print the page when you find your place and place it in your folder.
Introduction
Tasks
Find an apartment
Find a house
Sales tax rate in the state
You plan to live in
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Evaluation
Don’t forget to fill in your Actual Budget worksheet

6. Car
Now it is time to find your car! You will need to find a car to purchase, determine the cost of insurance, and gas You can find a car by using one of the following websites and figure out you monthly payment by using the car loan calculator. You will want of picture of your car. Print the page with your car, and the Car loan calculator page.
Introduction
Tasks
Edmunds
Carpoint
Autoweb
Car Loan Calculator ( make sure you use the correct interest rate for a new or used car)
Procedure
Evaluation
Use the following worksheet to figure out your insurance cost and your cost of gas. Print out both the insurance and gas worksheet
Insurance and gas worksheet
Don’t forget to fill in your Actual Budget worksheet

7. Utilities
Next you will have to figure out the cost of your utilities. First, electric. How much will your electric bill be every month, (assume you have an electric heat)
Find the state where you have found your house or apartment, then find the cost of electricity in that state. Then go to the Utilities worksheet to find out how much your electric bill will be.
Cost of eclectic in your state
Utilities worksheet
Don’t forget to print out the utilities worksheet.
Introduction
Tasks
Procedure
Evaluation
Don’t forget to fill in your Actual Budget worksheet

8. Phone
Next, how will you communicate? Will you have a house phone (land line) and a cell phone, or just a cell phone?
Introduction
House phone (land line) worksheet
Next, choose the type of phone you want
Cell phone
AT&T
Verizon
Cell phone worksheet
If you decided to go with a cell phone, decided on a plan, and continue shopping until you get to the shopping bag. Then print out that page for you folder. Also print out the phone worksheet
Tasks
Procedure
Evaluation
Don’t forget to fill in your Actual Budget worksheet

9. Cable
Next is your cable bill. What do you watch, what is important to you. Do you want cable? How about Internet Access. Right now, the cable company is the only way you can get the Internet.
Introduction
Tasks
Go to the Cable section of the Utilities worksheet to figure out how much cable will cost you. Print out the utilities worksheet.
Procedure
Evaluation
Don’t forget to fill in your Actual Budget worksheet

10. Student Loans
Mom and Dad helped with college, but they did not pay for everything. Now you must pay back those student loans. Assume that you have a student loan of $15,000 if you attended a public or state university or $30,000 if you attended a private college or university. Using the Loan Payment Calculator , calculate your monthly loan payment and enter it on the budget worksheet. Use 6.8% for the annual percentage rate (APR), and select 10 years as the loan period to start with.
Print the pages for you folder.
Introduction
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Procedure
Evaluation
Don’t forget to fill in your Actual Budget worksheet

11. Food
How much will it cost to feed yourself every month? Will you eat at home, or eat out. Use the cost of eating worksheet to figure out how much it will cost to eat in and eat out. Then figure out the cost of your food.
Introduction
Tasks
Cost of eating worksheet
Create a menu worksheet
Cost of food & supplies worksheet
Print out your menu and the grocery cost worksheet.
Procedure
Evaluation
Don’t forget to fill in your Actual Budget worksheet

12. Miscellaneous Personal/Cleaning Supplies
In addition to a home, transportation, and food, there are a number of other monthly expenses that you will be responsible for. These include cleaning supplies like soap, shampoo, and dish washing detergent, as well as basic supplies like trash bags, paper towels and aspirin. You must also include clothing in this list.
Introduction
Tasks
You may use the local grocery store ads for prices or may use the following sites:
Netgrocer Acme markets
YoungGrocer
Then fill out and print the Supply worksheet to figure out the cost of supplies. You may add whatever supplies you feel are necessary.
Procedure
Evaluation
Don’t forget to fill in your Actual Budget worksheet

13. Entertainment
Now comes the fun part! If you have any money left over, it is time to spend it on something fun. Decide how you want to spend the rest of your money. Do you want to go to the movies, rent a movie, go out for a night with friends…
Introduction
Tasks
Use the Entertainment Worksheet to figure out how much all this fun stuff will cost. Print out the Entertainment worksheet.
Procedure
Evaluation
Don’t forget to fill in your Actual Budget worksheet

14. Final Budget
Now, use your Budget Estimate worksheet see if you will be able to live the lifestyle you have envisioned for yourself. Fill in the Monthly Budget worksheet. Are you spending too much? Do you need to cut back? What can you do to make your budget work?
Introduction
Tasks
Monthly Budget Worksheet
Procedure
Evaluation
Fill out the Monthly Budget worksheet and print it out.

15. Evaluation Introduction Now it is time for you to do the
Budget Reflection Worksheet.
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You will be graded using
Budget Evaluation Sheet
Evaluation

16. Conclusion
The act of completing a budget can be a very sobering experience for those who have not had to worry too much about how far their money will go. It helps you to recognize the difference between needs and wants. Housing, transportation, food, utilities, etc. are obvious necessities. 
Some items that are luxuries to some people but are necessities to others. What are some things that you cannot live without? For example cable is a necessity for some people and an "extra" for others.
Does this experience make you think any differently about the job(s) you will consider after college? After doing this budget, do you think your current plans for the future will enable you to have the kind of lifestyle you envision for yourself?
Introduction
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