You know you need to get better at managing money, but who says learning has to be boring? There are tons of fun money management games out there that can teach you personal finance skills in a casual, engaging way. Whether you prefer playing on your phone, tablet, or computer, these games make improving your financial literacy entertaining.
Why slog through textbooks or sit through lectures when you can play your way to money mastery? In just a few minutes a day of playing these games, you’ll gain valuable knowledge about budgeting, saving, investing, and avoiding debt. Not only that but by putting lessons into practice, even in a virtual setting, they’ll stick with you long after you put the games away.
Sound too good to be true? It’s not. We’ve rounded up some of the best money management games out there. Check them out, have fun, and get your financial education in the most enjoyable way. Your future self will thank you.
Introduction to Money Management Games
When it comes to learning money management, games can be a fun and effective way to pick up personal finance skills. Instead of boring lectures or textbooks, these interactive games put you in the driver’s seat and let you make real-world financial decisions in a low-risk environment.
Budgeting and Expense Tracking Games
Games like Mint, You Need a Budget (YNAB), and EveryDollar can help you create a budget, track your income and spending, and make sure your expenses don’t exceed your earnings each month. Entering your transactions and seeing your budgets and reports visually is much more engaging than just crunching numbers in a spreadsheet.
Investing Simulators
Want to try your hand at investing in the stock market without risking your own money? Check out investing simulators like Best Brokers, Investopedia Simulator, or Wall Street Survivor. You get imaginary cash to build a portfolio, buy and sell stocks, and see how your investments perform over time. These games teach you investing basics and strategies in a hands-on way.
Debt Payoff Games
If you’re trying to crush debt, debt payoff games can help motivate you to achieve your goals. Games like Ready Set Repay, Pay Off Debt, and Debt Destroyer turn to pay off debt into a challenge with quests to complete and rewards to unlock as you progress. They provide tools to track your debt, set a payoff plan, and stay on track each month.
Play enough of these games and you’ll gain money skills that will serve you well in real life. So put down the textbooks and give financial gaming a try—your future self will thank you!
Top 5 Money Management Board Games
Some of the best ways to learn personal finance are through interactive money management board games. Here are five of the top games that make budgeting and investing fun:
Monopoly
Monopoly is a classic game that’s been teaching kids and adults financial literacy for generations. As you buy and trade properties, you learn key concepts like asset acquisition, building wealth, and managing cash flow.
Pay Day
In Pay Day, players take out loans, pay bills, and try to have the most money left over at the end of the month. It’s a simple but realistic way to experience income, expenses, and budgeting.
The Game of Life
The Game of Life lets players choose a career path, get married, have kids, and make major life decisions – all of which cost or earn money. It’s a playful look at how the choices you make can impact your financial situation over the long run.
Cashflow 101
Cashflow 101 was created by Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad. It teaches you how to build wealth through passive income streams like real estate investing. Players learn skills like reading income statements, calculating ROI, and leveraging assets.
Acquire
If you want to dabble in the world of mergers and acquisitions, try Acquire. Players compete to build hotel chains by buying, trading, and selling shares of stock. It’s a crash course in investing, valuation, and corporate finance.
With interactive and engaging games like these, learning money management skills has never been so enjoyable. Give one a try and watch your financial literacy soar!
Best Online Money Management Games
Some of the best free online money management games can teach you personal finance skills in a fun, engaging way. These games let you make financial decisions and see the results play out in a simulated environment. Some of the top options are:
Spent
Spent is an interactive game that challenges you to survive for one month with only $1,000 in cash. You have to make difficult choices on how to spend your limited funds on essentials like food, shelter, and transportation. The goal is to make it to the end of the month without going broke while dealing with unexpected expenses. This game teaches budgeting, financial planning, and the value of every dollar.
Budget Challenge
In Budget Challenge, you create a budget to pay for monthly living expenses and various recreational activities. You are given an income and a list of expense categories to allocate your funds. The goal is to budget properly so you have enough for essentials but also have money left over for entertainment. This helps demonstrate budgeting, setting financial priorities, and balancing income versus expenses.
Financial Football
Financial Football is an educational video game created by Visa that teaches money management skills through the theme of football. In the game, you answer multiple-choice financial literacy questions to gain yardage on the football field. The game covers topics like budgeting, saving, responsible spending, and more. Although tailored for students, the game can be fun and informative for adults as well.
Lemonade Stand
In the classic game Lemonade Stand, you run a lemonade stand and make business decisions to maximize profits over multiple rounds. You control variables like recipe, pricing, inventory, and marketing to build a successful lemonade business. The game teaches entrepreneurship, business strategy, supply and demand, and basic economics in an engaging way. Although simple, Lemonade Stand demonstrates how businesses operate and make money.
These interactive money management games utilize entertainment and simulation to teach useful personal finance skills in an accessible manner. Give one a try and you’ll be mastering your money in no time!
Creating Your Own DIY Money Management Games
Creating your own DIY money management games is a fun way to learn personal finance skills. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Budgeting Board Game
Make a simple board game where players have to budget an income and pay for essential expenses each turn. Start with $1,000 in play money and a list of typical monthly costs like rent, groceries, and utilities. Roll the dice and move spaces to “pay” each bill. The first player to pay all bills and have money left over wins! This teaches budgeting basics in an interactive way.
Investing Card Game
Create a deck of cards representing different investment options like stocks, bonds, real estate, or starting a business. Each card lists the potential returns and risks. Players take turns drawing cards and building a portfolio. After a few rounds, reveal the market performance of each investment to see whose portfolio gained the most. This introduces the concept of balancing risks and rewards when investing money.
Charitable Giving Activity
Have each player donate a set amount of play money to charities of their choice. Then research the impact of each donation to learn how the money could help people in need. For example, $100 could provide school supplies for 10 children or meals for a week at an animal shelter. This fosters a philanthropic mindset and shows how even small amounts can make a difference when giving to worthy causes.
Income and Expenses Ledger
Keep an ongoing ledger of your actual income, expenses, savings contributions, and other transactions to get a clear picture of your real-world money habits. Tracking things like your daily coffee, subscriptions, and entertainment costs for a month helps make you more mindful of where your money goes each day. Set a budget and see if you can cut costs in certain areas. This practical exercise leads to improved financial awareness and decision-making.
Creating DIY money management games and activities is an engaging way to build important personal finance skills through hands-on learning and real-world application. Pick and choose from these options or design your own games to make learning about money fun and effective.
Conclusion
So now you’ve got some excellent money management game options to help boost your financial literacy in an enjoyable way. Give one or more of these a try and see how quickly you pick up key personal finance skills. Before you know it, you’ll have a firmer grasp on budgeting, saving, investing, and more. And when real-life money decisions come your way, you’ll feel better equipped to make smart choices. Who knew learning about money could be so entertaining? With interactive and engaging tools like these at your fingertips, you have no excuse not to become a personal finance pro. So start playing and watch your money mastery soar.
