This image description is for the infographic “Navigating Through Life: Learning How to Budget.” The infographic has two parts. The first part gives information about why and how to budget. The second page gives more detailed information about spending and saving money and paying bills. Brittany designed the graphic. You can find her at https://www.inkybrittany.com/.

The background color is green. The text colors are different shades of green and yellow. The information is scattered across the page in no particular order. From the top left, the text reads:

Most people learn how to budget from their parents or in school.

[A picture shows a woman budgeting on a whiteboard. Another picture shows some kids sitting at a table with stacks of bills]

There are a lot of necessities in life & you must learn to budget for these costs.

• Food [picture of food on a plate]
• Rent [picture of a house with trees]
• Clothes [Drawing of a shirt, scarf, and socks]
• Bills [Drawing of a light bulb and a dripping faucet]

Some people have a budget & some don’t. It's important to keep track of your spending in some way. Write it down or use mobile banking through an app.

[A picture shows a calculator and a piece of paper with a list written on it. Another shows a phone open to a mobile banking app.]

Your budget will change over time. Don’t be afraid to spend money on items you want just because it will change your budget.

[A picture shows a person in a wheelchair smiling and holding headphones. Another picture shows a guy throwing up his hands and asking “Where does money come from?”]

Some youth have jobs that come with benefits like health care. Some jobs do not have benefits. Be sure to check out all the benefits available to you.

[Pictures show two pill bottles, a nurse taking a person’s temperature, and a red cross symbol.]

Having a set income and knowing how much is coming in each month helps with budgeting.

[A picture shows a pot of money. An arrow points to the pot from the left. It says, “What’s coming in.” Another arrow points out the other side of the pot and says “What’s going out.”]

Start paying for things early = get comfortable budgeting and spending money.

[A picture shows two girls selling lemonade to a line of people for $1.00 each. Another picture shows a dad teaching his girls about debit cards and ATM machines. He says “This is a debit card” and “This is how to deposit a check.” The last picture shows a man selling drinks to a line of people.]

Don’t compare your budget to other people’s. Everyone is different.

[A picture shows a woman buying clothing from a store clerk. A man is watching her, comparing his budget to hers.]

Part 2

Spending and Saving Money

Buy the things you need before you buy the things you want.

[A picture shows a boy thinking about whether he should pay his phone bill or buy a gaming system.]

It’s important to put your money toward both

[A picture shows a piggy bank labeled “savings”  and one labeled “expenses.”]

Make sure you spend money on things you need like food & clothes. Save as much as you can whenever you can. Some people budget by only spending money when they must.Remember: money in, money out.

Paying Bills

Be careful using credit cards, they can get you in a lot of financial trouble.

[A picture shows a girl saying “Buy now but not pay now, heck yeah.”  Another picture shows a  girl throwing her hands up in the air and saying, “Free money! Wooooo!”]

A credit card is NOT free money, you will eventually have to pay off the entire balance. Try & pay off the full credit card balance each month so that you pay less interest.

[A picture shows a mouse pointer and buttons that say “Submit” and “Payment Confirmation.”]

Most people have a debit card & a credit card. Keep track of how much you spend on each card. Check the accounts often using the mobile banking app on your smartphone.

[Drawing with a woman and a girl buying groceries from a clerk at the checkout counter.]

Pay online with auto renewal to make sure your payments are on time.

[Picture shows a circle with arrows moving around it.]

You can still pay by check if you prefer, but they can be expensive to order, you’ll need a stamp & allow enough time for it to travel through the mail.

[Pictures show an envelope, a check, and a stamp.]