In this challenge, you select a character and manage their monthly expenses across real-world categories like housing, transit, groceries, health insurance, and debt repayment. Your goal is to satisfy two primary objectives:

1. Goal Savings: Allocate enough money every month to reach their specific savings target on schedule.

2. Balanced Budget: Keep total monthly expenditures within their net take-home income so their remaining budget stays green and non-negative.

MEET THE PLAYABLE CHARACTERS

• Courtney (Creative Designer | Charlotte, NC)

  • Income: $55,000/yr gross ($3,545.21 net monthly after taxes/FICA)

  • Credit Score: 720 (Good)

  • Primary Goal: Save $20,000 over the next 2 years ($833.33/month required) for a dream wedding and honeymoon.

  • Special Factor: Managing a $10,000 student loan balance.

• Skyler (Delivery Worker | Springfield, MA)

  • Household Income: $75,000/yr combined gross ($4,834.38 net monthly)

  • Credit Score: 680 (Fair)

  • Primary Goal: Save $25,000 over the next 5 years ($416.67/month required) for his two kids' college education.

  • Special Factor: Married with 2 children; balancing $35,000 in student loans and a $2,000 past medical bill.

• Monique (Software Manager | New York City, NY)

  • Income: $90,000/yr gross ($5,801.25 net monthly)

  • Credit Score: 540 (Poor)

  • Primary Goal: Save $60,000 over the next 5 years ($1,000.00/month required) for a home down payment.

  • Special Factor: Single mom facing high NYC housing costs and working off $10,000 in high-interest credit card debt.

• Serena (Consultant | Washington, DC)

  • Income: $65,000/yr gross ($4,189.79 net monthly)

  • Credit Score: 810 (Excellent)

  • Primary Goal: Save $15,000 over the next 2 years ($625.00/month required) for a 2-year dream trip around the world.

  • Special Factor: Supports her elderly parents by funding their health insurance and daily caregiver expenses.

Step 1: Select Your Character

Choose one of the 4 characters to inspect their financial bio, net take-home pay breakdown, tax obligations, and specific savings goal.

Step 2: Review the Net Income Breakdown

Examine the character’s Income Breakdown panel to understand their true net monthly cash flow after federal income tax (15%) and FICA withholdings.

Step 3: Make Expense Decisions

Use the dropdown menus and input fields across all major expense categories to construct a custom budget strategy:

• Housing & Utilities: Pick apartment vs. house options, single living vs. roommates, and tier-appropriate utility packages.

• Transportation & Insurance: Select between public transit, auto ownership, leasing, or rideshares, plus health insurance tiers.

• Food & Connectivity: Choose grocery and dining tiers alongside phone and internet/TV plans.

• Debt Repayment Strategy: Pick loan repayment timelines (3, 5, or 10-year plans) to balance monthly outlay against total lifetime interest costs.

• Custom Goal Savings: Enter your targeted monthly contribution directly into the custom savings goal box.

Step 4: Check Your Results

Click Check Budget to evaluate your strategy against both victory conditions:

• Objective 1 (Savings Target): Verifies whether your monthly savings rate meets or exceeds the required threshold ($Target / Months).

• Objective 2 (Balanced Budget): Verifies whether total spending remains within net monthly income, leaving a zero or positive remaining balance.