The Reality Store
By Tom Noreen
On April l, 2025, the Cedar Springs Rotary Club and community volunteers converged on the Cedar Springs Middle School to conduct an exercise with the 8th grade. It gives
them a taste of the reality of making ends meet. They were given a salary, the options of buying or renting, picking out a car, choosing insurance, signing up for utilities, buying groceries, and more. The goal was for the students to stay within their salary.
them a taste of the reality of making ends meet. They were given a salary, the options of buying or renting, picking out a car, choosing insurance, signing up for utilities, buying groceries, and more. The goal was for the students to stay within their salary.Before the exercise students picked their jobs, determined whether they were married or not, and how many kids they had by rolling dice in class. Their teachers coached them on the process and the reason they were doing it.
I worked the utilities table, where based on the type of residence they chose, they found out how much they had to pay for water, gas, electric, sewer, and trash. They then chose whether or not they wanted different levels of internet, TV and streaming services. Finally, they determined how many cell phones they needed. Compared to last year, the kids were very selective of the entertainment services. Most picked the most economical level.
As they progressed around the gym buying groceries, and insurance as examples; a number of them had to go back to the beginning to reassess their earlier choices because they broke their budget. Two of the key places they could save money was by downsizing the residence and auto choices. These in turn affected the cost of insurance and utilities.
What we heard from the students was that they didn’t realize what their parents were paying for “the basic needs” of life; hence, the Reality Store. I think the majority learned and had a good time.