A Financial Reality Fair in a Board Game! 

Currently Available in the Maryland Area

Call to discuss bringing MEAN$ to your area!

Our Vision for MEAN$
Financially Armed's vision with MEAN$ is to equip young consumers with effective money management skills. By presenting the information in an engaging and enjoyable manner, we can ensure that they retain the knowledge and be able to apply it to their daily lives.  We also hope it will start converstations outside of the classroom. 

                                         It’s time to bridge the gap! 

If schools/organizations are already doing in-person live financial reality fairs, MEAN$ can reinforce the lessons learned as a leave-behind teaching tool for educators. 

If financial reality fairs have not been introduced, MEAN$ can serve as a classroom experience introduction before bringing in a live financial reality fair to the school/organization.  

~~~~
MEAN$ can be used by teachers, organizations, and
 families as a  fun way to teach about money! 
   ~~~~~

What is a Financial Reality Fair?    

It's a hands-on activity where students select a career they are interested in and create a financial plan for their future. By designing a budget based on their monthly income, students learn how to make informed decisions about everyday expenses. From choosing a place to live, to deciding what to eat and drive, they will gain an understanding of how to manage their finances to stay within their means. The ultimate goal? 

                  Sticking to their monthly budget!

Our Platform

Create Partnerships

Sponsor Schools

Deliver to Students

We create partnerships with financial institutions, companies, and organizations to provide sponsorships to schools. The sponsorships help to provide MEAN$ to schools for free.

For each game purchased, a "MEAN$ is provided by (organization's name)" 
sticker will be placed on the box before delivering it to the school.



Sponsorships are offered to schools to use MEAN$ to teach financial literacy without incurring additional expenses.

Recommendation:  For classrooms with 20-25 students, five games are recommended per class with 4-5 students per game.  This will ensure that students have ample time to visit all the stores during a class period. 
 



Financially Armed will provide training in a train-the-trainer format to teach educators how to deliver the curriculum, as well as build a support network to provide aid when necessary.
(How-To Videos coming soon!)

The target age of students is junior and senior high school students in addition to freshman college students, and first year military personnel. 


How Does the MEAN$ Work? 


                  Step 1
 
   -  Students choose a career   
      they are interested in.  
   -  Their career will list their 
      salary and their monthly       
      take home pay.  
   -  They will recieve a scenario 
      (married/single/kids) 
   -  Students recieve a budget 
      sheet to list their expenses. 

              The Goal:  
       Stay within budget! 


                 Step 2

    -  Students will visit each  
       "store" to make their 
       purchases.  
    -  Students choose where 
       they live, their mode of  
       transportation, groceries,  
       healthcare, and other 
       items.

       All the things adults pay 
       for on a monthly basis. 

 


                   Step 3

     -  Along their journey, there 
        will be unforseen               
        circumstances that will      
        happen. 
     -  These circumstances can 
        add or take away money 
        from their monthly budget.


        We call it "Life Happens!"




                   Step 4

     -  Students will log their 
        expenses on their budget 
        sheet throughout the     
        game.  

     -  Once they have visited all 
        the "stores," they add up    
        all income and expenses.





 


Other Tidbits

All students start with a 700 credit score.

Depending on their "Welcome
 to My Life" scenario, they may have credit card debt, student loan debt, or both.

As they visit select "stores," there will be a credit check along the way before they 
make their purchases.



Ah Ha! Moments

Students will see whether they went under or 
over their budget.  

This begins the understanding that everything has a cost, 
and it is up to each person to manage their own money. 
 
In other words, they learn how important it is to live within 
their means.
 

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. How much time is needed to play MEAN$?
    - The game is designed to take 50-80 minutes to complete.

2. What items will the students need to complete the game?
    - Students will need a pencil and a calculator.

3. What items will the teacher/facilitator need to provide?
    - We ask them to provide the students, the location, and parking for the trainer if needed. 

4. What must the teacher/facilitator know to help students complete the game?
     - Training and best practices are provided to deliver MEAN$.
  
5. How many students can play MEAN$
      - Each game is designed for 2-8 players.  The recommendation is five students per game in order to       
        ensure each student have the opportunity to visit each store in a classroom period.  
      - When multiple games are needed, MEAN$ personnel will assist in completing the request. 

6. Can MEAN$ be purchased for personal use?
     - Not at this time. It is a goal to provide MEAN$ to individuals at a later date.

7. For Organizations/Teachers/Facilitators: What is the return on investment (ROI)?
     - Students will take a short Pre & Post Assessment.
     - Measure the increase in financial knowledge.
       Example: At the end of the game, 30% of students stay within budget.
                       - The game is played one to two more times with the same students.
                       - The percentage of students that stay within budget is likely to increase now that students     
                          have a better idea of what is required to stay within budget.
                       - Of course, we would want that increase to be 90%-100% of students staying within budget!

Educational Information for Teachers and Instructors 

The goal of MEAN$ is to help students gain knowledge that allows them to solidify some of the national standards in personal finance education.  

MEAN$ is designed to put the choices into the hands of the participants. While making their purchases about the everyday items they need to survive and thrive, they learn about earning income, spending, saving, managing credit, and making critical decisions regarding money. 

Specifically, they learn about the ability to save, the importance of maintaining a budget within their career salaries, unexpected money moments, and how credit scores can affect their buying power as they go through the options. 


Where Do The Numbers Come From?

The average salary numbers come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor.

The remaining numbers come from research for the average price of items and services that were needed to complete the options. 

The reason for the average numbers is to give an overall perspective rather than a state-by-state perspective. So, respectfully, the actual numbers can be higher or lower depending on the location. 

©️2025 Financially Armed  All Rights Reserved.

Powered By ClickFunnels.com