By Brianna Spause
Special Features/Web Editor

On Wednesday Oct. 24, juniors and seniors from Neshaminy High School participated in the TruMark Financial Reality Fair – a real life demonstration of how difficult it is to control monthly finances. The trip was organized by business teachers Janet Dougherty and Anita Moore. Approximately 200 students from five different high schools traveled to William Tennent to participate in the first event of its kind in the Bucks County Area.

The event was sponsored through the support and volunteer work of seven different credit unions. American Heritage Federal Credit Union, Freedom Credit Union, Lehigh Valley Educators Credit Union, Norristown Bell Credit Union, People First Federal Credit Union, Sun Federal Credit Union and TruMark Financial were in attendance.

Students from Plymouth Whitemarsh, Bensalem, William Tennent, Central Bucks East and Neshaminy were given the opportunity to make important decisions involving a simulated monthly budget.

Each student was asked in advance to research the career of his/her choice. Upon entering the conference on Tuesday, they were given their monthly salaries in order to learn how to balance their finances efficiently.

“In reality, you have limited funds. Therefore students must learn how to prioritize spending and make decisions that are difficult. This experience allowed students to feel the pressure of making those decisions, and importance of having sufficient income,” Dougherty said.

Students were given a budget sheet and were required to include allowances for transportation, insurance, housing, furniture, cell phones, cable, internet bundles and loans. Taxes were removed from the student’s gross monthly pay, leaving them with their net pay to work with.

There were also the options for a part-time job to add to their monthly salary, as well as allowances for beautification, and night life. Booths were set up in order to display variously priced packages in order to help the participant determine what option would work best within their means.

Once their budgets were settled, students spun a wheel, which gave them the chance to win or lose money based on 50/50 odds. The wheel was meant to simulate the unexpected fluctuations in monthly finances. The wheel could land on anything from a 250 dollars tax return to a broken phone which would come at a cost to the participant.

Companies such as Verizon, Allstate and Salon D.A.S. sent associates to represent the booths at the fair. According to Verizon Sales Manager Colleen MaGinn, Verizon had positive expectations where students would begin to realize the steep cost of life.

“Cell phones are a necessity of life, and Verizon’s expectations were to inform students that it isn’t cheap to stay connected,” MaGinn said.

The fair evoked a positive reaction in students as well, and they were appropriately surprised how much money it costs to live on their own. “The fair has put things in perspective and made me think of what things are a necessity in life, and what is actually just a want,” Senior Lilia Tkach said.

John Kebles of the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association and Randi Marmer of TruMark Financial Credit Union were in charge of the event, and claimed that the student reactions have been similar throughout their other events as well.

Events which took place at Harcum College in Bryn Mwar, as well as four events in the past two weeks in Pittsburg and Wilkes-Barre have shown success; Kebles and Marmer expect the fair to return in coming years.