Spending benchmarks
59 benchmarks entries in the Spending area of our Personal Financial Literacy study dataset.
| Code | Benchmark |
|---|---|
| 4-1a | Give examples of differing personal preferences that influence spending on goods and services |
| 4-1b | Brainstorm a set of individual goals for consuming goods and services |
| 4-1c | Rank future spending priorities considering resource constraints |
| 4-2a | Describe ways community members share costs for public services |
| 4-2b | Analyze how people’s values and attitudes toward spending vary |
| 4-2c | Identify how your own spending choices enhance personal satisfaction |
| 4-3a | Define the concept of opportunity cost |
| 4-3b | Provide examples of financial decisions that involve opportunity costs |
| 4-4a | Compare costs and benefits of purchasing an item for individuals with different characteristics (e.g., age, income) |
| 4-4b | Explain costs and benefits of bartering goods or services among family members or friends |
| 4-5a | Explain how peer pressure can influence purchase decisions |
| 4-5b | Share instances of how price, others’ spending, peer pressure, or advertising affect buying choices |
| 4-5c | Identify trustworthy sources for comparing products |
| 4-6a | Explain similarities between paying by cash, check, and debit card |
| 4-6b | Compare effects of using debit cards versus credit cards for purchases |
| 8-1a | Identify personal financial goals for spending and saving |
| 8-1b | Create a budget allocating income to expenses and savings |
| 8-1c | Explain why individuals with identical incomes may make different spending, saving, and money management choices |
| 8-1d | Discuss budgeting challenges faced by people earning minimum wage |
| 8-2a | Select an item and gather information from manufacturer, retailer, and consumer review sources |
| 8-2b | Explain which types of information are most useful for purchase decisions |
| 8-2c | Identify misleading or deceptive information in advertisements or product descriptions |
| 8-2d | Discuss methods to verify advertising claims about an age-appropriate product |
| 8-3a | Evaluate product or service information based on source reliability and accuracy |
| 8-3b | Assess strengths and weaknesses of different online and print information sources |
| 8-3c | Identify sources of product information less reliable due to conflicts of interest |
| 8-4a | Explain the difference between debit cards and credit cards |
| 8-4b | Describe how various payment methods are used to purchase goods and services |
| 8-4c | Summarize advantages, disadvantages, risks, and protections associated with different payment methods |
| 8-4d | Choose and justify a preferred payment method for purchasing at least three distinct types of goods or services |
| 12-1a | Identify short-term and long-term financial goals |
| 12-1b | Develop a budget allocating current income to necessary expenses and desired spending, estimating fixed and variable costs |
| 12-1c | Explain strategies for adjusting a budget for unexpected expenses or emergencies |
| 12-1d | Evaluate benefits of using budgeting tools such as spreadsheets or apps |
| 12-2a | Select a product or service and identify factors influencing a consumer’s purchase decision |
| 12-2b | Describe a process for making informed consumer choices |
| 12-2c | List positive and negative impacts of a recent consumer decision on the environment, society, and economy |
| 12-3a | Explain criteria to consider when purchasing a durable good |
| 12-3b | Compare costs and features of three competing products or services |
| 12-3c | Contrast product options based on environmental or social impacts |
| 12-4a | List ways retailers advertise product prices |
| 12-4b | Describe how inflation influences buying decisions and pricing of goods and services |
| 12-4c | Summarize how negotiation affects consumer choices and pricing |
| 12-5a | Explain how pre-purchase research helps consumers avoid impulse buys |
| 12-5b | Brainstorm research strategies and resources for making purchase decisions |
| 12-5c | Analyze how social media marketing and advertising techniques encourage spending |
| 12-6a | Identify financial and personal reasons younger adults may rent instead of buy a home |
| 12-6b | Compare short-term and long-term costs and benefits of renting versus buying a home in one’s locale |
| 12-6c | Define key rental contract terms (lease term, security deposit, grace period, eviction) |
| 12-7a | Discuss motivations and benefits of donating money, goods, or time |
| 12-7b | List charitable organizations and suggest reasons donors might contribute to each |
| 12-7c | Identify steps to research charitable and nonprofit organizations |
| 12-8a | Describe roles and responsibilities of agencies that protect consumers from fraud |
| 12-8b | Identify state and federal consumer protection laws by issue addressed and safeguards provided |
| 12-8c | Investigate common consumer fraud and unfair practices (online scams, phone solicitations, redlining) |
| 12-8d | Recommend resources for consumers who have been victims of fraud |
| 12-9a | Explain how systematic financial recordkeeping aids decision making |
| 12-9b | Develop a system to track spending, saving, and investing |
| 12-9c | Research financial technology options for recordkeeping |
More Personal Financial Literacy areas
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This reference uses DecA(I)de's bundled deca-pis.json and
decaidevocab.json study datasets. Counts are entries, not unique
indicators or terms; the same item can appear in multiple groups. Code punctuation
and display formatting are normalized.
Personal Financial Literacy uses benchmark-style codes such as 4-1a,
distinct from business performance-indicator codes such as BL:003.
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