From Time’s Money:

A new year’s resolution is only as good as your ability to keep it. So with that in mind, MONEY created what we’re calling the customized Resolution Generator for 2016. By answering a series of simple questions, you can zero in on the goals that are most meaningful to you—and therefore the ones you’re most likely to stick with. Then, once you’ve committed to a resolution, the tool offers concrete tips and advice to help make it happen.

The simulation starts with students making a choice as to whether they are most concerned with short-term or long-term issues and then have a menu of choices to select from there:

• Day to day money needs
  • Paying bills
  • Overspending
  • My job
• Long-term planning
  • Saving for retirement
  • Paying for College
  • Saving for an emergency
  • Maximizing my career

Have your students go through the process to choose both a short-term and long-term resolution.  As they hone in on their resolution, this simulator provides ideas on how they can implement their resolution.

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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