If you’re looking for a one-off, hands-on way to get students to slow down the decision-making process before they make a purchase, Gifting Sense might be the ticket! 

The website, Gifting Sense, which has received a Runner-Up designation from The Money Awareness and Inclusion Awards the last three years in a row, has a goal to "teach kids to think before they buy." Hat tip to Yanely for bringing the site to our attention back in 2022.

Getting students to think before they buy is a powerful life skill. Given the trend toward retailers making online and in-person transactions as frictionless as possible, this interactive encourages reflection in a world that wants them to buy now and pay later. 

How does it work? 

Students run possible purchases through the DIMS – DOES IT MAKE SENSE?® SCORE Calculator when deciding whether or not to buy an item or experience (or place it on a wish-list). 

They start with a choice: 

Students are then asked a series of questions to figure out the total cost of the item/experience. And finally, they answer a more reflective set of questions to help uncover if the purchase really makes sense for both them and their family. To personalize the project, students can upload a picture of what they are interested in purchasing. 

Once a DIMS SCORE® has been calculated, “Next Step” options include generating a shareable summary of the math and thinking a student has completed as well as detailed instructions on how to write a note or send an email to parents/guardians (ELA teachers will appreciate this option): 

Additional Support

The site includes a useful teacher tab with a video explainer on how best to use with your students, details on what has been learned from delivering workshops in schools, a customizable handout, even an online order form for a class set of pencils with the mnemonic device “What’s the DIMS SCORE®?” printed right on its side. Read answers to their ten most Frequently Asked Questions here.

Recommended Age Range

Recommended for grades 4-9, when personal finance may be a new subject, but high school sophomores and beyond also reportedly enjoy the exercise, as the DIMS SCORE® Calculator helps students work on a problem that matters to them in real time: “Should I buy this item or experience?”

What teachers like about Gifting Sense

1. It only takes up one period You can spread the content out, but you can also effectively use the tool with just one class.
2. It’s easy to teach The DIMS - DOES IT MAKE SENSE?® SCORE Calculator helps students work on a problem that matters to them in real time: “Should I buy this item or experience?”
3. It can help you meet the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) expectation by strand that can be tricky for a math class.  

In Closing…

Kids today are regularly comparing their “back of house/ kitchen life” to the “front of the house/ perfectly executed dinner plates” they see on social media and in advertising.

This Instagram Post pretty much says it all: FOMO often results in buyer’s remorse. So, taking a few minutes to slow down and really look at a spend, can be just the “speed bump” students need to avoid spending in a way they may well regret.

After you use with your students, we'd love to hear how it goes. Enjoy! 

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Here are more interactive resources from the blog. 

(This post was updated on July 25, 2024 with new information and additional insights from Gifting Sense Founder Karen Holland)

About the Authors

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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