Students learn about cost of living.
HARRIS -- Many teenagers don't think too much about what it costs to run a household while they're living under their parents' roof, and they don't always understand why they can't always have everything they want. Some students in northern Menominee County, however, got a firsthand taste of what cost of living really means, Friday afternoon.
Money was the name of the game at what organizers call the "Reality Store" where students had a chance to choose a profession and then had to make ends meet using the salary they earned. For many, it came as a real eye-opener.
"I never really realized how much it would be and just how many surprises can happen," said Carney-Nadeau freshman Trevor Poupoie.
The object of the activity was to have money left over after all monthly expenses were paid, which, as they found out, was not as easy as it sounded.
"It's pretty hard, actually," said Lucas Moreau, a freshman at Carney-Nadeau High School. "I mean, you've got to have a good job to be living in luxury and all that."
And it wasn't all about housing and food--there were some other twists thrown in. One of the stops along the students' journey through adulthood was the "reality checkpoint" where they drew numbers that corresponded with some of life's little surprises, which included everything from vehicle maintenance to winning the lottery. Some of the surprises were even more unpleasant.
"One student at the reality check-booth, he drew a DUI, so, you know, that cost him $2,000," said organizer Anita Casperson.
Along with learning the value of a dollar and just how much it costs to run a household successfully, it also caused many of the students to rethink their future plans.
"Life is full of surprises; you don't know what's going to happen, whether you go to college or not," said freshman John Dziedzik.
One thing that they all agreed on, however, was that they've gained a new respect for everything their parents do.
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