Loaning & Borrowing
You arrived first to the movie theater and bought tickets for you and your friend. After the movie, your friend doesn't say anything about paying you back.
What should you do?
You lost your pay check before you were able to deposit it.
What should you do?
Contact your employer immediately and see if they can cancel the check and reissue a new one to you.
You want to split a combo meal with your friend to save money, but she wants to buy her own meal.
What should you do?
See if someone else wants to split a combo deal and/or just buy a meal for yourself.
You need to take cash out of the ATM but can't remember your PIN number.
What should you do?
Look it up if you have it saved somewhere (such as a notebook at home or in a password manager). If not, contact your bank.
You used a credit card to pay to get your nails done but didn't realize you needed cash for the tip and you don't have any.
What will you do?
Possible answers:
1. Most of the time you can add the tip to the credit card payment, so ask if you can do that.
2. Skip the tip this time (tips are not required).
3. Tell them you don't have any cash and you'll give a bigger tip next time.
4. Drop the tip off when you are in the area next.
You loaned your friend two dollars for the vending machine a week ago and she still hasn't paid you back.
What will you do?
Presume that she has forgotten, and nicely reminder her that she owes you two dollars.
You went out to lunch with friends, but you only ordered a drink. Your friend asks everyone to split the bill evenly.
What will you do?
Explain that since you only purchased a drink, and will pay for you part separately.
Your dad gave you your weekly allowance, but you don't have any money left to buy your lunch on Friday.
What should you do?
Make a lunch at home to take to school and remember next week to set aside money for your lunches first.
Your friend is buying you both concert tickets online and asks for your parent's credit card number.
What should you do?
Give her money for the tickets and ask her to use her parents credit card number, or volunteer to have your parents order both tickets. Never give out a credit card number.
You are walking home from school and find a wallet on the ground with money, credit cards, and an ID.
What will you do?
Ask your parents to help you contact the person.
You have been saving money from your weekend job to buy a video game system, and your brother asks you if he can borrow $100.
What will you do?
Possible answers:
1. Ask what the money is for. If it seems urgent and important you may choose to loan him the money, but agree on a deadline to pay it back first.
2. Politely say no.
3. Have him talk to your parents.
You forgot the money for a class trip and aren't going to be able to go if you don't pay today.
What will you do?
Call your parents and see if they can bring the money.
Ask if you can have one more day to bring the money.
Accept that this is a consequence of not remembering, and that you won't be able to go.
You are going to buy a granola bar from the vending machine and notice the price is more than usual.
What will you do?
If you don't have enough money, you could skip getting a granola bar, or choose something that is less expensive.
Your friend asks you to pay him back on Venmo, but you aren't sure if it's safe to set up the app with your bank information.
What will you do?
Offer to give him cash instead. Or ask your parents whether it's okay to set up your own Venmo account.
You are walking home from the park and find $10 lying on the ground. No one is around.
What will you do?
Answers will vary.
You are buying a bus ticket and a stranger asks you if you can spare money to buy him a ticket too.
What will you do?
Politely tell him you aren't able to do that and walk away quickly.
You go to buy lunch in the cafeteria and realize you left your wallet at home.
What will you do?
Answers will vary.
You thought you had enough money to purchase a sweatshirt you wanted, but when you get to the mall you see that it's not on sale anymore.
What will you do?
Possible answers:
1. Decide if you want it badly enough and whether you have enough money to pay full price.
2. Ask the sales person if you can still get it at the sale price.
3. Wait until it goes on sale again and/or look to see if another store has it on sale.
You accidentally downloaded a paid app for your ipad, but your parents told you to check with them before buying anything.
What will you do?
Explain to your parents and apologize.
You want to purchase something, but you realize you don't know how much money you have in your bank account.
What will you do?
Call or go into your bank to get the balance. Ask them to show you how to find out in the future without coming into the bank.
A friend asks to borrow $50.
What will you do?
Answers may vary. However, always have in mind that when you loan money, you may not get paid back. Decide whether that is money you are willing to lose if you don't get it back. Also, think about how it will affect our friendship if you don't get paid back.
You were walking around the mall with your wallet in your pocket, but reach for it to buy a snack and realize it's not there.
What will you do?
Possible answers:
Retrace your route to see if it has fallen on the ground.
Ask the stores where you stopped if anyone turned it in. Also, let security know that you lost it and leave contact information in case someone turns it in later.
You spent all of your saved money for Christmas presents, but forgot to buy something for your sister.
What will you do?
Possible answers:
1. Make her something she would like.
2. Give her a homemade "gift certificate" for a service you will do for her that doesn't require money (such as doing her chores for a week).
3. Give her a homemade "gift certificate" to do an activity together in the future (such as going on a hike or to the beach together).
You want to place an order on Amazon, but neither of your parents are home. They asked you to check with them before using their credit card.
What will you do?
If you decide it is urgent, contact them by phone or text to get permission.
You are waiting in line to buy lunch and you realize your money isn't in your pocket. You look behind you and see it on the floor as someone else picks it up.
What will you do?
Politely explain that your money fell out of your pocket, and you were just going to pick it up.