This BusinessInsider article might be a useful activity to try in your classroom for a few weeks or even a month.  Challenge your students with debit and/or credit cards to put them away and only use cash for a period of time. Probably best for them to estimate their weekly expenses and then take out that amount at the beginning of the week. While they spend, they should also be sure to collect receipts so they can track their spending. The research is well documented that we spend less when use cash instead of plastic.

Rather than tell your students about this research, why not let them experience it and then reflect on what they learned? You might also want to join your students and report back to them on your experience also.

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.