Most children think a home just works. Lights come on, water comes out, the wifi is simply there. The point of this activity is not to worry them about any of that — it’s the opposite. Money is frightening when it’s vague, and surprisingly calm when it’s a number on the table. One real bill makes running a home concrete.
One bill you’re comfortable sharing — electricity, water and broadband all work well. Round the number if you prefer; the lesson survives rounding completely.
How it works
- Choose the bill in advance. You decide what’s shared. This works with one bill, and you never have to open the whole household’s books.
- Before showing it, ask them to guess. What do you think a month of electricity costs this house? Write the guess down so it can’t quietly move later.
- Show them the real number. Guesses are usually wildly out, in both directions. Either way, let the gap sink in without rushing to explain it.
- Work out what it costs per day. Divide by 30 together. A big monthly number becomes a small daily one, which is both more manageable and more real.
- Translate it into their money. One day of electricity equals how many packets of crisps, or how much pocket money? This is the step where it actually lands.
- End on what the bill buys. Hot showers, cold milk, light, wifi. The point isn’t that money disappears — it’s that it’s quietly buying the day, every day.
That a home runs on money, steadily and predictably — and that adults plan for it. Bills stop being a thing grown-ups sigh about and become a thing you can understand.
What usually happens
The first guess is memorable precisely because it’s so wrong. That’s the game working, not failing — the surprise is what makes the real number stick.
Expect follow-up questions about what everything else costs, sometimes including your salary. Decide your boundary before you start. It’s absolutely fine to say some numbers are private — that’s a money lesson too.
Make it easier
Use the broadband bill. It’s small, it’s flat every month, and it pays for something they care about deeply.
Make it harder
Show three bills and ask: if we had to give one up, which would you choose — and what would a week without it actually be like?
The cost of living — what a real life adds up to — is lesson 10 of the ten-lesson Smartmonies programme, where everything the course has built comes together. See the ten lessons →