Meet Kelly

Kelly is 19. She has dyslexia so she finds it very hard to remember things, like paying bills. Last year she moved away from home to go to university. She has to pay for food, books, any clubs she has joined and, of course, bills including rent. One of the students in the house moved out, making bills more expensive for the rest. The landlord is threatening to evict them if they do not pay all the rent. Kelly has only got halfway through the term and has already run out of money.

To keep in touch with family her mobile phone bill is £60 per month and some nights have been spent ‘drowning her sorrows’. She doesn’t have a lot of time to get a job as her engineering course means she spends every weekday in lectures or practical sessions. Her bank allows her to be £1,000 overdrawn but she is now £900 in debt and won’t get any more money from her student loan until next term.

The end of term, and the chance of a holiday job, is over a month away. Kelly is just ignoring the problem and hoping it will sort itself out in time.

What should she do?

Start by printing out a blank budget form (print) and assignment sheet (print)

Then explore her income and spending, copying the figures onto your blank budget form

When you have finished, you will be ready to balance her budget