The Badge Archive

5 Item Pie Budget

Items Needed:

  • Large sheet of paper or poster board
  • Pencil and crayons or markers
  • Sample price list (See Below) or Shopping Flash cards by GSUSA
  • Optional: Calculator or play money

Instructions (Estimated Time: 20–30 minutes):

  1. Choose Five Items (5 minutes)
    • In pairs, scouts choose five things they might want or need. Example items: backpack, jacket, book, game, snack.
  2. Set a Budget (2 minutes)
    • Each pair has $15 total in pretend money to “spend” on these five items.
  3. Estimate Prices (5–8 minutes)
    • Scouts guess or are given prices for each item.
    • Make sure the total stays at or under $15.
    • If the total is too high, they swap or remove items to stay on budget.
  4. Draw a Pie Budget (10–12 minutes)
    • Scouts draw a large circle on their paper.
      • They divide it into 5 slices—one for each item
      • Items that cost more get bigger slices
      • Inside each slice, they draw or label the item
  5. Share and Reflect (5 minutes)
    • Scouts show their pie chart and explain:
      • Which item was most expensive?
      • Did they need to leave anything out?
      • Would they want to save up for something in the future?

Pretend Price List

Pick 5 items for $15 or less.

ItemPrice
Backpack$6
Hoodie or jacket$5
Chapter book$4
Snack pack (crackers + juice)$2
Toy or small game$6
Water bottle$3
Notebook and pencils$4
Art set (markers + sketchpad)$7
Socks (3-pack)$3
Stuffed animal$5
Headphones (kid size)$8
Sunglasses$2
Friendship bracelet kit$4
Lunchbox$5
Hat or cap$3
Puzzle$4
Stickers or stamps sheet$2
School supply box$4
Flashlight$3
Baseball or soccer ball$6
Reusable tote bag$2
Keychain or charm$1
Mini journal or diary$3
Ice cream cone$3
Tia Kennard