This is a TWO or THREE class course. Your learner and I will meet for TWO or THREE (max) one-hour sessions. In between classes they will be asked to practice thinking before buying by calculating the DIMS - DOES IT MAKE SENSE? SCORE for each item or experience they are considering buying themselves, or, placing on a wish-list. 

Kids learn how and why thinking before buying is a powerful and rewarding life skill, one that does a lot more than just save money! They discover how easy it is to ask and answer simple questions about typical childhood ('tween/ teen) purchases, BEFORE, any money is spent. Which helps them avoid disappointment, reduce waste, improve family harmony and protect the planet. In other words, they discover that anyone can get and use (at first basic) financial information to make their lives better. Because when we slow down and really look at a spend, we spend differently!

DIMS SCORES are easily calculated by answering simple (non-personal) questions on a questionnaire (e.g. "how much do the skates cost?, how much does sales tax add to their cost?, how often will you wear them?...") These questions help young people understand how much money it really takes to pay for something (e.g. including sales tax and shipping, or ongoing costs such as the data plan on a new phone), as well as how much they are likely to use and appreciate an item or experience, before, anyone spends a dime.

Through a combination of reflective conversation ("Have you ever purchased or received something and it wasn't quite what you hoped for?, Have you ever asked your parents for something and they've said they would split the cost with you?"), vocabulary building (cost-per-use, total cost of an experience, return policies versus warranties), and hands-on practice calculating the DIMS SCORE for possible purchases, learners are able to build a forced-rank (from highest to lowest DIMS SCORE), well-thought-out back-to-school/ holiday or birthday wish-list.

Head into the coming academic year, holiday or birthday season knowing that your hard-earned dollars are only going towards purchases that your children understand the full value of, will use, and appreciate. And - be in a position to provide extended family members terrific answers to the question "What would Aaron like for his birthday?" 

Learners are even able to generate a shareable summary of all the math and thinking they complete when considering a possible purchase, which can be used to crowd-fund the purchase of one larger, more meaningful gift amongst extended family members. Because after age 11, children can have quite specific preferences, that come with price tags which often exceed what individual gift-givers are prepared to spend.