Tracking Expenses

WALT (We Are Learning To)

Understand the importance of tracking expenses and practice recording and analysing spending habits to stay within a budget.

Curriculum Links

New Zealand Curriculum Refresh

• Mathematics and Statistics (Financial Mathematics, Year 6):
  • Create simple financial plans (e.g., shopping lists, family budget).
  • Estimate and calculate total costs and change for whole dollar and cents amounts.
  • Represent money values using multiple forms (notes, coins).
  • Investigate practical situations involving costs, including tracking expenses to maintain a budget.
  • Use spreadsheets and tables for financial planning.
• Key Competencies:
  • Using language, symbols, and texts (recording expenses).
  • Managing self (developing responsible money habits).
  • Relating to others (discussing spending choices with peers).

Referenced from Te Mātaiaho and NZC Maths Phase 2 documents supporting financial literacy and problem solving by Year 6 .

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Success Criteria

• I can explain why it’s important to track expenses.
• I can record hypothetical expenses accurately using given formats.
• I can use tables or spreadsheets to organise my expenses.
• I can analyse recorded expenses to identify spending patterns.
• I can suggest ways to adjust spending to stay within a set budget.

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Lesson Duration

60 minutes
Class size: 25 students

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Lesson Outline

1. Introduction & Connecting Prior Knowledge (10 minutes)

• Teacher-led discussion: Why do we need to track our expenses?
  • Real-life examples: pocket money, school lunches, birthday gifts.
• Refresh understanding of money values (notes and coins) and simple budgeting from previous lessons.

Use Dyslexia-friendly strategies:

• Present key vocabulary visually (e.g., "expense," "budget," "track," "income") with icons and simple definitions.
• Use clear, large fonts and colour coding to highlight important terms.

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2. Activity 1: Recording Hypothetical Expenses (15 minutes)

• Provide students with a simple expense tracker table (paper or digital spreadsheet format).
• Students receive a scenario: a weekly budget of $20 with a list of daily hypothetical expenses (e.g., $3 snack, $5 toy, $2 bus fare).
• Students record each expense in their tracker, adding columns for date, item, amount, and total spent.

Teacher tips:

• Use sample play money to support visualising amounts.
• Pair students for peer discussion to support understanding and checking.

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3. Activity 2: Analysing Spending Habits (15 minutes)

• Students use their completed trackers to answer guided questions:
  • How much did you spend each day?
  • Did you stay within your $20 budget?
  • Which expense was the most? The least?
  • Were there any unexpected costs?
• Teacher models using a spreadsheet or bar chart to visualise expenses by category.

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4. Class Discussion & Reflection (10 minutes)

• Share findings: What patterns do you notice?
• Discuss strategies to manage spending better (e.g., prioritising needs over wants, saving some money).
• Discuss why tracking expenses helps achieve financial goals.

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5. Extension Activity for Advanced Learners (For students who complete tasks early or require more challenge)

• Students create their own weekly expense tracker for a hypothetical situation with a larger budget ($50), including savings and variable expenses.
• Encourage applying percentages by calculating 10%, 25%, or 50% of expenses to understand savings or discounts.

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6. Plenary & Wrap-up (10 minutes)

• Recap key points and success criteria.
• Exit ticket: Write down one reason why tracking expenses is important and one way to improve spending habits.
• Collect trackers to provide feedback or suggestions.

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Classroom Resources

• Printed expense tracker sheets or digital spreadsheets (Google Sheets or Excel)
• Play money (NZ coins and notes) for hands-on practice
• Visual vocabulary cards with icons
• Whiteboard/chart for modelling and discussion

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Differentiation and Accessibility

• Dyslexia-friendly formats: clear fonts, colour-coded tables, simple language.
• Provide verbal instructions alongside written ones.
• Pair or small-group work for peer support.
• Use visual representations and concrete materials for abstract concepts.

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This lesson plan holistically embeds Year 6 financial literacy expectations from the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh, using authentic practices of tracking and analysing expenses with supports suitable for a diverse classroom. It enables students to concretely engage with money management skills essential for lifelong financial capability.

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If you would like, I can also provide templates for the expense tracker or suggested visual aids!