The Budget Builder badge is a financial literacy badge teaching girls about needs, wants, and planning. This badge is great for the cookie selling season and can tied into goal setting for the Cookie Decision Maker badge.
We used this badge to talk about how we would use the profits from selling cookies. There are certain “needs” for the troop that we use the profits for – registration renewal, badges, and supplies. Then, we can talk about the fun “wants” for the troop and plan activities like overnight camping, visiting science centers, and ice cream celebrations!
Below is a list of activities to meet some of the requirements for the Budget Builder badge. Find ideas for more Brownie badges here.
Difference Between Wants and Needs
Girl Scouts has an excellent resource for a “wants” and “needs” activity.
I cut out two sets of the “shopping items” and cut them up. We divided our troop into two groups, each having its own set of items. Then we asked each girl to choose an item and decide if it was a “want” or “need” or something they “don’t need”. We gave this third option because the girls all have different tastes and I didn’t expect they would put “can of beans” into a “need” or a “want”.
To make it fun, they sorted the items into three bins. I used a desk organizer I already had, like this, and labeled three sections. The girls liked physically sorting the items and it made the activity more interactive.
After sorting was complete, we gave each group $100 of play money. The girls then tried to pay for all their “needs” first before moving on to “wants”. One group was able to pay for all their “needs” and then vote on the “wants” they could afford. Another group did not have enough to cover all the “needs” so we were able to talk about if an item was truly a “need”.
Make a Budget for the Troop
This Budget Builder badge was really helpful to guide the troop through a discussion of what we would do with our cookie profits.
We reviewed what we used cookie profits for in the past – fun things like troop trips or celebrations, and less fun things like registration fees. After reading the list I asked if the girls heard any “needs” that we would pay for again this year.
We approximated how much profit we will get this year and subtracted the “needs”. Then we discussed what we could do with the remainder. The girls then voted on several options for troop trips and we checked that the top choices would fit in the budget.
Make Space In Your Budget For Sharing
When creating our troop budget, we discussed how the troop would give back to an organization. Our troop has a strong interest in helping animals. We visited an animal rescue and learned about what it takes to keep the animals safe and healthy.
The girls talked about what we could do to provide support for the organization. Part of the troop budget is designated for donations as either money or supplies. Planning for this before voting on fun troop trips, set the tone that we would prioritize service to others.
In this meeting, the girls also worked to make braided dog toys from old fleece blankets. We discussed how donations can be through giving our time and creating something useful, not only money.
