Looking for budgeting worksheets? Build practical budgeting and financial literacy skills with this FREE Budgeting Worksheet focused on Wants vs Needs, Personal Finance, and everyday money choices. This free activity works well for financial literacy, consumer math, life skills, special education, adulting made easy, homeschool, and budgeting practice.

This is a COMPLETE 3-PAGE BUDGETING ACTIVITY from the Budget Choices series — not just a one-page sample!

Students begin with $145 and work through a realistic budgeting situation involving groceries, a bus pass, a movie with friends, and new shoes.

LOVE THIS FREE ACTIVITY?

Continue practicing with the complete Budget Choices series!

SAVE 20% WITH THE BUNDLE!

Budgeting Worksheets Bundle | Wants vs Needs | Personal Finance

Get Volume 1 + Volume 2 together for a total of 12 Budget Choices activities and 36 worksheet pages — and save 20% compared with purchasing the two volumes separately!

Budgeting Worksheets | Wants vs Needs | Personal Finance | Volume 1

Get 6 complete Budget Choices activities with 18 worksheet pages.

Budgeting Worksheets | Wants vs Needs | Personal Finance | Volume 2

Continue the practice with 6 additional real-life budgeting activities and 18 worksheet pages.

Looking for More FREE Life Skills Activities?

Explore 20+ FREE True Grit Life Skills resources featuring consumer math, functional math, budgeting, grocery shopping, restaurant ordering, financial literacy, and more!

Browse All FREE True Grit Life Skills Samples!

Try more realistic, classroom-ready activities and discover resources that work for your students!

WHAT STUDENTS WILL PRACTICE

Students will:

- Identify Wants vs Needs
- Pay for needs first
- Calculate the total cost of their needs
- Subtract their needs from their starting budget
- Determine how much money is left
- Decide how to Spend, Save, or Give the remaining money

The activity gives students meaningful practice with budgeting, money math, decision-making, and everyday personal finance skills.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

- 1 Complete Budgeting Activity
- 3 Worksheet Pages
- Printable PDF
- TpT Easel Activity
- Wants vs Needs practice
- Budget calculations
- Spend, Save, or Give decisions
- Realistic everyday spending choices
- Answer-friendly student pages with minimal writing

PERFECT FOR

- Financial Literacy High School
- Financial Literacy Curriculum
- Personal Finance Curriculum
- Consumer Math
- Consumer Math Curriculum
- Budgeting Worksheets
- Life Skills Curriculum
- Special Education
- Adulting Made Easy
- Budgeting Practice
- Wants vs Needs Lessons
- Needs vs Wants Lessons
- Homeschool
- Tutoring
- Independent Practice
- Small Groups
- Functional Math

Students first decide which expenses are needs and which are wants. Next, they pay for their needs and calculate how much money remains. Finally, they decide how to divide their remaining money among spending, saving, and giving.

The simple 3-step format helps make budgeting more concrete and gives students practice making thoughtful money decisions they can use in real life.

MORE BUDGETING & PERSONAL FINANCE RESOURCES

Budgeting Worksheets Bundle | 22 Personal Finance Activities | Consumer Math

Practice practical budgeting skills with 22 real-life personal finance activities covering everyday budgeting situations, shopping, savings, bills, and more.

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Combine menu math, budgeting, consumer math, and personal finance practice with realistic restaurant scenarios.