Plan a Friendsgiving Dinner: A Financial Education Activity

During this season of gratitude, we traditionally gather with our families and loved ones to express our thankfulness for each other. Still, behind the scenes, a great deal of time, money, and teamwork is invested in any Thanksgiving dinner. Family togetherness can be an opportunity for financial education. Within this activity, the whole family can learn more about budgeting for special occasions. We have provided resources to assist you with leading your family through this scenario step by step.

See the activity below:

You and your friends are planning a Friendsgiving dinner. One friend will host the event, and everyone else will bring their favorite dishes for the feast. Follow the steps below to coordinate your Friendsgiving dinner. The goal is to create a budget and learn how budgeting can improve your financial literacy and benefit your everyday life.

Resources:

• Printable Activity Instructions
• Menu Form
• Recipe Form
• Printable Reflection Questions

Step 1: Invite your friends or family to join the activity. Keep in mind that a larger group will require more food and a bigger budget.

Step 2. Organize the menu and assign each guest a dish. Depending on the group size, some individuals may need to contribute more than one item.

Step 3: Collect recipes for the dishes being prepared. Then, identify the groceries needed to cook the food.

Step 4: Complete the recipe form for each grocery item used in the dishes.

• Item: the ingredients
• Store: where you will purchase the item
• Unit Price: the cost per individual item
• Total cost: the cost of the item in the quantity called for in the recipe
• Cost per person: the total cost of the dish divided by the number of guests

Step 5: Gather the expense reports and fill out the menu form.

• Total cost of ingredients: the total cost to make your recipe
• Average cost per person: divide the cost of your recipe by the number of guests
• Who’s bringing the dish: write down the name of which guest is bringing which dish

Reflection Questions:

1. Is the total cost of preparing your Friendsgiving dinner what you expected? Why do you think that is?
2. How does the cost per person at a Friendsgiving dinner compare to a restaurant? What are the benefits of hosting a party at home instead of going out?
3. What did you learn about comparing prices of items purchased at different stores?
4. What are the pros and cons of having a larger budget? What are the pros and cons of having a smaller budget?
5. What financial literacy lessons can you apply from this activity?