Money Camp

09:00 The AED 1,000 question Warm-up, 15 min

A quick, low-pressure start that shows how differently people think about money.

1. Imagine you have just been given AED 1,000 (or GBP 200) with no strings attached.
2. On a sticky note, write how you would split it: spend now, save, give, or something else.
3. Write one word that describes how you feel about money: calm, anxious, excited, bored or another word.
4. Share one choice and the reason behind it.

Solo: Write your split and your word, then ask one family member the same question and compare answers.

Group: Students place notes on a wall under 'Spend', 'Save', 'Give' and 'Other'. The facilitator reads out patterns without naming anyone. 2 minutes per team to share.

Related lessons: What money is for: needs, wants and values (lifereadysociety.com/money-basics/what-money-is-for-needs-wants-and-values/); Money mindset: comparison, social media and lifestyle creep (lifereadysociety.com/money-basics/money-mindset-comparison-social-media-and-lifestyle-creep/)

09:15 Income, take-home pay and the 50/30/20 rule Learn, 15 min

A budget starts with what actually reaches your account.

1. Take-home pay is what lands in your account after deductions. Budget from this, not from a bigger headline figure.
2. The 50/30/20 rule was popularised by US Senator Elizabeth Warren and her daughter Amelia Warren Tyagi in their 2005 book 'All Your Worth' (Acorns).
3. Acorns describes the split as 50 per cent needs (housing, utilities, groceries, insurance, transport, minimum debt payments), 30 per cent wants (eating out, subscriptions, travel, hobbies) and 20 per cent savings and extra debt repayment.
4. It is a starting guide, not a law. In expensive cities, rent can push needs well above 50 per cent, so wants usually shrink first.
5. Many families also budget for giving. You can add it as its own line.
6. If you are under 18 and want to work in the UAE, read the lesson on working as a teenager first: permits and rules apply.

Related lessons: Ways young people earn money (lifereadysociety.com/earning/ways-young-people-earn-money/); Working as a teenager in the UAE and abroad (lifereadysociety.com/earning/working-as-a-teenager-in-the-uae-and-abroad/); Contracts, payslips and your rights (lifereadysociety.com/earning/contracts-payslips-and-your-rights/); Building your first budget (lifereadysociety.com/money-basics/building-your-first-budget/)

09:30 Draw your life card Activity, 30 min

Each student becomes a 19-year-old with a monthly take-home income in a real city. All figures are illustrative, not current salaries or prices.

1. Shuffle six cards face down and draw one. Card A: Dubai, apprentice, AED 6,000 a month take-home. Card B: Abu Dhabi, junior administrator, AED 8,500. Card C: Sharjah, trainee in a family business, AED 4,800. Card D: Al Ain, part-time student worker plus family support, AED 4,200. Card E: Manchester, first-year student with loan and part-time job, GBP 1,150. Card F: Leeds, apprentice, GBP 1,400.
2. Write your card's 50/30/20 guide figures. Worked answers: A, AED 3,000 needs, 1,800 wants, 1,200 savings. B, AED 4,250, 2,550, 1,700. C, AED 2,400, 1,440, 960. D, AED 2,100, 1,260, 840. E, GBP 575, 345, 230. F, GBP 700, 420, 280.
3. List what someone in your situation must pay each month: housing, food, transport, phone, course costs.
4. Research one realistic cost for your city (for example a room share or a monthly transport pass) using a public website, and note the source and date.
5. Write down whether you think needs will fit inside 50 per cent in your city, and why.

Solo: Draw a card, work out the guide figures, then check your answers against the worked figures above.

Group: Each team draws one card. Calculator works out the split, checker verifies it against the worked answers, writer lists the monthly needs. 20 minutes, then 1 minute per team to name their city and their biggest cost.

Related lessons: Building your first budget (lifereadysociety.com/money-basics/building-your-first-budget/); What bills does a student home actually pay? (lifereadysociety.com/bills/what-bills-does-a-student-home-actually-pay/); Your money timeline: making a term's money last (lifereadysociety.com/student-money/your-money-timeline-making-a-term-s-money-last/)

10:00 Build your monthly budget Activity, 30 min

Now turn the guide into a line-by-line budget that adds up exactly.

1. Draw a table with three columns: item, amount, and need, want, give or save.
2. Start with needs, then savings, then giving, then wants. Every dirham or pound must have a job, so the total equals your income exactly.
3. Worked example, Card C, Sharjah, AED 4,800 (illustrative): rent share 1,900; utilities and internet share 250; phone 100; groceries 550; transport 300; eating out 450; subscriptions and hobbies 250; clothes 200; giving 100; savings 700. Total AED 4,800.
4. In that example, needs are AED 3,100 (about 65 per cent), wants AED 900 (about 19 per cent), and savings plus giving AED 800 (about 17 per cent). Rent pushed needs above 50 per cent, so wants were trimmed.
5. Check your total with the calculator. If it does not match your income exactly, adjust the wants first.
6. Underline your single biggest want. That is where you would cut first if money got tight.

Solo: Build your budget, then compare your percentages with the worked example and write one sentence explaining any big difference.

Group: Writer builds the table, calculator totals it, checker confirms it matches income to the last unit. Teams swap budgets with another team for a 3-minute 'audit' and return one question.

Related lessons: Building your first budget (lifereadysociety.com/money-basics/building-your-first-budget/); Tracking your spending (lifereadysociety.com/money-basics/tracking-your-spending/); Cutting everyday costs: food, books, transport and subscriptions (lifereadysociety.com/student-money/cutting-everyday-costs-food-books-transport-and-subscriptions/)

10:30 Break Break, 15 min

Stretch, drink water and step away from the numbers.

1. Move around for a few minutes.
2. Come back ready to be surprised.

10:45 Surprise expense cards Challenge, 25 min

Real budgets get hit by the unexpected. Draw a surprise card and rebalance without borrowing.

1. Draw one surprise card. AED cards: cracked phone screen AED 450; dental check-up not covered AED 300; cousin's wedding gift AED 200; laptop charger AED 180. GBP cards: replacement laptop charger GBP 45; course field trip GBP 60; bike repair GBP 35; friend's birthday meal GBP 30.
2. Decide how to cover it: cut wants this month, use savings, or a mix. Borrowing is not allowed in this round.
3. Worked example, Card C hit by the AED 450 phone screen: cut eating out by AED 200, clothes by AED 150 and hobbies by AED 100. Wants fall from AED 900 to AED 450 and savings stay at AED 700.
4. Rewrite your budget so it still totals your income exactly.
5. Write one sentence: what would have happened if you had no savings and no room in your wants?

Solo: Draw two cards, one at a time, and rebalance after each.

Group: Each team draws one card, rebalances in 10 minutes, then the facilitator deals a second card to every team for a faster 5-minute round. Presenters share their fix in 30 seconds.

Related lessons: Money goals and your emergency fund (lifereadysociety.com/money-basics/money-goals-and-your-emergency-fund/); Money emergencies and hardship funds (lifereadysociety.com/student-money/money-emergencies-and-hardship-funds/)

11:10 Why an emergency fund matters Learn, 10 min

The surprise round shows why savings are a safety net, not a luxury.

1. NS&I says the right size of emergency fund is different for everyone.
2. A useful first target is the cost of the unexpected things most likely to affect you, such as an essential appliance breaking, an urgent repair or a drop in income (NS&I).
3. NS&I cites MoneyHelper's longer-term suggestion of three to six months of essential outgoings, and says this does not need to be your first target.
4. Keep the fund separate from spending money so it is not used for sales or treats.

Related lessons: Money goals and your emergency fund (lifereadysociety.com/money-basics/money-goals-and-your-emergency-fund/); Why save: emergency funds, goals and paying yourself first (lifereadysociety.com/saving-investing/why-save-emergency-funds-goals-and-paying-yourself-first/)

11:20 Case: two flatmates in Manchester Case study, 20 min

Leila and Hana, both from Dubai, share a student flat. Leila uses Card E: GBP 1,150 a month.

1. Leila's illustrative budget: rent 560; bills share 70; phone 15; food 180; transport 45; course costs 25; wants 140; giving 15; savings 100. Total GBP 1,150.
2. Question 1: what are Leila's total needs, and what percentage of income is that? (Answer: GBP 895, about 78 per cent.)
3. Question 2: why is this far from 50 per cent, and is that a problem in itself?
4. Question 3: Hana wants to add a GBP 12 a month subscription split two ways. What is the cost to Leila each month and over a 9-month academic year? (Answer: GBP 6 a month, GBP 54 over 9 months.)
5. Question 4: suggest one fair rule the flatmates could agree for shared bills.

Solo: Answer all four questions in your notebook, then check the numeric answers.

Group: Teams answer in 12 minutes. The facilitator takes one answer to Question 2 and one rule from Question 4 from each team.

Related lessons: Splitting bills fairly with flatmates (lifereadysociety.com/bills/splitting-bills-fairly-with-flatmates/); Your money timeline: making a term's money last (lifereadysociety.com/student-money/your-money-timeline-making-a-term-s-money-last/); Money and friends: pressure, splitting bills and lending (lifereadysociety.com/student-money/money-and-friends-pressure-splitting-bills-and-lending/); Budgeting for university life (lifereadysociety.com/money-basics/budgeting-for-university-life/)

11:40 What surprised me Reflect, 10 min

Quiet writing time to lock in today's learning.

1. Write the one cost that surprised you most today.
2. Write one want you would cut first and one you would protect.
3. Note one question you still have about earning or budgeting.

Solo: Write for 8 minutes without stopping.

Group: Silent writing for 7 minutes, then three volunteers share one line each.

11:50 Day 1 quiz Quiz, 10 min

Five questions on today's budgeting skills.

1. Answer alone, then check the explanations.
2. Revisit any block where you missed a question.

09:00 Your overnight tracker Warm-up, 10 min

A quick look back at yesterday's spending log.

1. Count how many purchases you logged and how many were wants.
2. Circle one purchase you would not have noticed without writing it down.
3. Share one insight, not the amounts.

Solo: Write three sentences about what your log shows.

Group: In pairs, each person shares one insight for 1 minute, then two pairs report to the room.

Related lessons: Tracking your spending (lifereadysociety.com/money-basics/tracking-your-spending/)

09:10 How banks work and how to read a statement Learn, 15 min

A statement is the record of every payment in and out. Reading it monthly is basic protection.

1. A statement shows the opening balance, each transaction with date and description, and the closing balance.
2. Check three things each month: payments you do not recognise, payments that appear twice, and fees.
3. If you see an unauthorised payment, the UK regulator, the FCA, says to tell your bank as soon as you notice and ask for a refund; in the UK you should raise it within 13 months.
4. In the UAE, the Central Bank and police advise contacting your bank first, then the police, and if the bank's response is unsatisfactory, complaining to Sanadak, the Central Bank's dispute resolution unit (Gulf News). The bk-02 and bk-04 lessons explain that you must wait 30 calendar days after complaining to the bank before going to Sanadak.

Related lessons: How banks work and the main types of account (lifereadysociety.com/banking/how-banks-work-and-the-main-types-of-account/); Opening and running your first account (lifereadysociety.com/banking/opening-and-running-your-first-account/); Reading a bank statement and spotting errors, fraud and fees (lifereadysociety.com/banking/reading-a-bank-statement-and-spotting-errors-fraud-and-fees/)

09:25 Statement detective Activity, 25 min

An illustrative October statement for a student account in AED. Find the problems.

1. Copy the statement: 01 Oct opening balance 1,250.00. 02 Oct pay from weekend job +1,800.00 (3,050.00). 03 Oct supermarket 212.40 (2,837.60). 05 Oct metro card top-up 100.00 (2,737.60). 07 Oct streaming subscription 35.99 (2,701.61). 09 Oct cafe 28.50 (2,673.11). 09 Oct cafe 28.50 (2,644.61). 12 Oct ONLINE SVC 88X2 49.00 (2,595.61). 15 Oct transfer to savings 300.00 (2,295.61). 18 Oct phone bill 125.00 (2,170.61). 22 Oct ATM withdrawal, other bank 200.00 (1,970.61). 22 Oct ATM fee, other bank 2.10 (1,968.51). 28 Oct bookshop 64.75 (1,903.76).
2. Check the running balance line by line with a calculator. Worked answer: closing balance AED 1,903.76; total money out AED 1,146.24.
3. Find three things to query: the possible duplicate cafe charge (AED 28.50), the unknown 'ONLINE SVC 88X2' (AED 49.00) and the ATM fee (AED 2.10).
4. If the duplicate and the unknown charge were both refunded, what would the balance be? Worked answer: 1,903.76 + 28.50 + 49.00 = AED 1,981.26.
5. Write the three steps you would take for the unknown charge: check your receipts and subscriptions, contact the bank through its official app or number, record the reference.

Solo: Do the full check, then compare with the worked answers.

Group: Calculator checks balances, writer lists suspicious lines, checker verifies. First team to find all three problems and the correct closing balance explains its method.

Related lessons: Reading a bank statement and spotting errors, fraud and fees (lifereadysociety.com/banking/reading-a-bank-statement-and-spotting-errors-fraud-and-fees/); Reading a bill and spotting errors (lifereadysociety.com/bills/reading-a-bill-and-spotting-errors/)

09:50 Credit cards: grace periods and minimum payments Learn, 10 min

A credit card is borrowed money. How you repay decides what it costs.

1. The CFPB defines the grace period as the time between the end of a billing cycle and the payment due date.
2. If you do not pay the full balance by the due date, the CFPB says you lose the grace period: interest is charged on the unpaid amount and on new purchases from the day they are made.
3. The minimum payment keeps the account in good standing. It is not what you owe.
4. Card rates, minimum payment rules and fees differ by bank and are set out in each card's key facts document.

Related lessons: Credit cards: interest, minimum payments and grace periods (lifereadysociety.com/banking/credit-cards-interest-minimum-payments-and-grace-periods/); Credit scores and credit reports (lifereadysociety.com/banking/credit-scores-and-credit-reports/)

10:00 The minimum payment trap Activity, 30 min

Simulate repaying a credit card balance month by month. The terms are illustrative, not those of any real card.

1. Assumptions: balance AED 2,000; interest 3 per cent a month on the balance; minimum payment 5 per cent of the balance or AED 100, whichever is higher; no new spending; no fees.
2. Month 1 by hand: interest 2,000 x 0.03 = AED 60, balance AED 2,060. The 5 per cent is AED 103, so the minimum is AED 103 (above the AED 100 floor). New balance AED 1,957.
3. Work out months 2 and 3 yourself, rounding to the nearest fils each month.
4. Worked full result (computed month by month): paying only the minimum takes 31 months, with total interest of AED 1,094.59. Paying a fixed AED 300 a month takes 8 months, with total interest of AED 265.84.
5. Bigger example from the bk-05 lesson: on AED 5,000 with the same terms, minimum-only takes 74 months and AED 5,280.53 of interest; AED 500 a month takes 13 months and AED 1,033.77.
6. Write one rule for yourself about using a credit card in future.

Solo: Do months 1 to 3 by hand. If you know a spreadsheet, build the full table and check it matches the worked result.

Group: Each team does months 1 to 3; one team per row on a shared board. The facilitator reveals the full results. Teams then write a 'credit rule' poster in 5 minutes.

Related lessons: Credit cards: interest, minimum payments and grace periods (lifereadysociety.com/banking/credit-cards-interest-minimum-payments-and-grace-periods/); Loans, overdrafts and Buy Now Pay Later: the true cost (lifereadysociety.com/banking/loans-overdrafts-and-buy-now-pay-later-the-true-cost/); Avoiding debt traps: overdrafts, BNPL, payday loans and loan sharks (lifereadysociety.com/student-money/avoiding-debt-traps-overdrafts-bnpl-payday-loans-and-loan-sharks/)

10:30 Break Break, 15 min

Rest before the scam challenge.

1. Move, drink water and get some fresh air if you can.
2. Return in 15 minutes.

10:45 Spot the scam Challenge, 30 min

Eight messages. Some are scams, some are genuine. Use the FTC's four signs and UAE police advice to decide.

1. Learn the FTC's four signs: scammers pretend to be from an organisation you know; they say there is a problem or a prize; they pressure you to act immediately; they tell you to pay in a specific way, such as gift cards, crypto, wire transfers or payment apps.
2. UAE police and the Central Bank say legitimate banks never ask for card numbers, online banking passwords, PINs or CVV codes, and warn against fake payment links and upfront fees for jobs (Gulf News).
3. Card 1: 'Your bank account is frozen. Click this link within 1 hour and enter your card number and PIN.' Card 2: 'Congratulations, you won a phone. Pay a AED 50 delivery fee by gift card.' Card 3: 'Earn AED 3,000 a week from home. Small registration fee to start.' Card 4: a message in your bank's official app reminding you your card expires next month, with no link and no request for details.
4. Card 5: a seller on a marketplace asks you to pay a deposit by bank transfer before you can see the car. Card 6: 'Your parcel is held. Pay AED 7 customs fee here.' Card 7: your school's usual email address announcing a parents' evening date. Card 8: a friend's account messages 'Can you receive money for me and send it on? Keep 10 per cent.'
5. For each card, write scam or genuine and which signs you spotted. Worked answer: 4 and 7 look genuine; 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8 show scam signs. Card 8 is a money mule request.
6. Even for 'genuine' messages, never click a link: go to the official app or website yourself.

Solo: Sort all eight cards, then write how you would report Card 1 in the UAE.

Group: Teams sort cards in 15 minutes, holding up red or green slips as the facilitator reads each one. A different team explains the signs for each card. Praise teams who slowed down to check.

Related lessons: How scammers think: the red flags behind every scam (lifereadysociety.com/scams/how-scammers-think-the-red-flags-behind-every-scam/); Phishing, smishing and fake calls (lifereadysociety.com/scams/phishing-smishing-and-fake-calls/); Online shopping and second-hand marketplace scams (lifereadysociety.com/scams/online-shopping-and-second-hand-marketplace-scams/); Fake jobs, easy money and money mules (lifereadysociety.com/scams/fake-jobs-easy-money-and-money-mules/); If it happens: what to do, step by step (lifereadysociety.com/scams/if-it-happens-what-to-do-step-by-step/)

11:15 Islamic finance basics Learn, 15 min

Many banks in the UAE offer Islamic products. Here are the core ideas as concepts.

1. Islamic finance prohibits charging interest, known as riba. The Darden School of Business notes there is no single agreed definition of riba, and scholars' interpretations differ.
2. Murabaha: an asset is bought by a middleman and sold on, with repayment in instalments that include a pre-agreed markup (Darden).
3. Ijara: a leasing structure, where the finance company owns the asset and leases it to you (Darden).
4. Mudaraba, often used for deposits: one side provides capital, the other the skills, and the capital provider receives a share of the profits (Darden).
5. Takaful: an Islamic alternative to insurance in which participants share risks through a common fund (Darden).
6. Product details differ between banks and scholars may differ; check with the bank's Shari'a committee and a qualified scholar.

Related lessons: Islamic banking basics (lifereadysociety.com/banking/islamic-banking-basics/); Shariah-compliant investing: the key ideas (lifereadysociety.com/saving-investing/shariah-compliant-investing-the-key-ideas/)

11:30 Case: Omar's laptop Case study, 15 min

Omar, 18, in Abu Dhabi, needs a AED 4,000 laptop for university. He compares an illustrative murabaha offer with paying in cash later.

1. Offer: a bank buys the laptop and sells it to Omar for AED 4,320, paid in 12 equal instalments. What is each instalment? (Answer: AED 360.)
2. What is the total markup in AED and as a percentage of the price? (Answer: AED 320, which is 8 per cent of 4,000.)
3. Alternative: Omar saves AED 400 a month from his part-time income. How many months until he can pay AED 4,000 in cash? (Answer: 10 months.)
4. Discuss: when might paying over time make sense, and what risks should Omar check first (missed payments, fees, affordability)?

Solo: Answer all four questions and write which option you would choose and why.

Group: Teams answer in 10 minutes; two teams with different choices explain their reasoning.

Related lessons: Islamic banking basics (lifereadysociety.com/banking/islamic-banking-basics/); Loans, overdrafts and Buy Now Pay Later: the true cost (lifereadysociety.com/banking/loans-overdrafts-and-buy-now-pay-later-the-true-cost/); Budgeting for university life (lifereadysociety.com/money-basics/budgeting-for-university-life/)

11:45 My protection rules Reflect, 10 min

Turn today's lessons into personal rules.

1. Write one rule about checking statements.
2. Write one rule about credit.
3. Write one rule about messages that ask for money or details.

Solo: Write your three rules on a card and keep it in your wallet or phone case.

Group: Silent writing, then each team agrees one shared rule for a class poster.

11:55 Day 2 quiz Quiz, 5 min

Five questions on banks, credit and scams.

1. Answer alone.
2. Check the explanations and note anything to revisit.

09:00 Lump sum or doubling fils? Warm-up, 10 min

A classic puzzle that shows how growth on growth adds up.

1. Choose: AED 1 million today, or 1 fils on day 1 that doubles every day for 30 days.
2. Vote before calculating.
3. Worked answer: on day 30 alone you receive 2 to the power 29 fils, which is AED 5,368,709.12. The doubling wins by far.
4. Real savings do not double daily, but the same principle, growth on growth, drives compound interest.

Solo: Write your guess, then check day 10, day 20 and day 30 on a calculator.

Group: Show of hands, then each team calculates one checkpoint (day 10, 20, 30) and reports.

Related lessons: Compound interest: how money grows on itself (lifereadysociety.com/saving-investing/compound-interest-how-money-grows-on-itself/)

09:10 Compound interest, the Rule of 72 and inflation Learn, 15 min

Three ideas that explain why starting early matters.

1. Moneysmart (ASIC) explains that compound interest is interest earned on your original amount plus the interest already added, so it grows faster than simple interest. Its advice: start early.
2. Moneysmart's worked example shows that interest added monthly grows more than interest paid only at the end of the term.
3. The Rule of 72 estimates years to double: divide 72 by the annual rate. The Corporate Finance Institute says it is fairly accurate, more so at lower rates.
4. Example: at 6 per cent a year, 72 / 6 = 12 years. The exact figure is about 11.9 years.
5. The Bank of England defines inflation as prices rising; the UK target is 2 per cent. At an illustrative 2 per cent a year, a basket costing AED 100 today would cost about AED 121.90 in 10 years.
6. Growth is never guaranteed. Investments can fall, and this camp is education, not advice.

Related lessons: Compound interest: how money grows on itself (lifereadysociety.com/saving-investing/compound-interest-how-money-grows-on-itself/); Inflation: why cash slowly loses value (lifereadysociety.com/saving-investing/inflation-why-cash-slowly-loses-value/); Risk and return: the main types of assets (lifereadysociety.com/saving-investing/risk-and-return-the-main-types-of-assets/); Building a long-term plan: time in the market and avoiding emotional traps (lifereadysociety.com/saving-investing/building-a-long-term-plan-time-in-the-market-and-avoiding-emotional-traps/)

09:25 Compound interest calculator Activity, 30 min

Use a calculator or spreadsheet to see compounding for yourself. All rates are illustrative, not predictions.

1. Formula for a lump sum compounding yearly: amount x (1 + rate) to the power of years.
2. Task 1: AED 1,000 at 5 per cent a year. Worked answers: 10 years AED 1,628.89; 20 years AED 2,653.30; 30 years AED 4,321.94. With simple interest it would be AED 1,500, 2,000 and 2,500.
3. Task 2: saving AED 200 a month at 5 per cent a year compounded monthly for 10 years. Worked answer: about AED 31,056.46, from AED 24,000 paid in.
4. Task 3, early versus late: Sara saves AED 200 a month from 18 to 28 (AED 24,000 paid in), then stops and leaves it growing until 48. Omar saves AED 200 a month from 28 to 48 (AED 48,000 paid in). Same illustrative 5 per cent. Worked answers: Sara about AED 84,244.99; Omar about AED 82,206.73.
5. Task 4: use the Rule of 72 to estimate doubling time at 3 per cent (24 years; exact about 23.4) and at 6 per cent (12 years; exact about 11.9).
6. Write one sentence on what Task 3 tells you.

Solo: Do Tasks 1 and 4 by calculator; if you can, build Tasks 2 and 3 in a spreadsheet and check them against the worked answers.

Group: Each team takes one task, then teaches its result to the room in 1 minute. The facilitator shows the Sara and Omar comparison last.

Related lessons: Compound interest: how money grows on itself (lifereadysociety.com/saving-investing/compound-interest-how-money-grows-on-itself/); Why save: emergency funds, goals and paying yourself first (lifereadysociety.com/saving-investing/why-save-emergency-funds-goals-and-paying-yourself-first/); What to do with your first income (lifereadysociety.com/earning/what-to-do-with-your-first-income/)

09:55 Needs versus wants auction Activity, 30 min

A fast, fun auction with pretend money that tests your priorities under pressure.

1. Each team (or solo player) has 1,000 camp coins. The goal is to set up a first year living away from home.
2. Items for auction: a room for the year; a monthly transport pass; a basic laptop; a grocery budget; an emergency fund pot; a phone plan; designer trainers; a premium gaming subscription; a weekend trip; concert tickets; a gift fund for family occasions; a gym membership.
3. Before bidding, each team labels each item need, want or give, and sets a maximum bid for each.
4. The facilitator auctions items in random order, starting at 50 coins and rising in steps of 25. Highest bid wins; coins are spent.
5. After the auction, teams check: did you secure every need? Did a want push out a need?
6. Scoring: 10 points for each need won, 5 for the gift fund, 3 for each want, minus 15 for each need you could not afford.

Solo: Set your maximum bids for all items within 1,000 coins, then roll a die for each item: on 1 to 3 you win at your maximum; on 4 to 6 someone outbids you. Score your result.

Group: Facilitator is auctioneer; one team member holds the coin tally. No real money and no physical rushing; teams bid by raising a card. 20 minutes of bidding, 10 minutes of scoring and discussion.

Related lessons: What money is for: needs, wants and values (lifereadysociety.com/money-basics/what-money-is-for-needs-wants-and-values/); Money mindset: comparison, social media and lifestyle creep (lifereadysociety.com/money-basics/money-mindset-comparison-social-media-and-lifestyle-creep/); Cutting everyday costs: food, books, transport and subscriptions (lifereadysociety.com/student-money/cutting-everyday-costs-food-books-transport-and-subscriptions/)

10:25 Break Break, 15 min

Rest before the capstone.

1. Stretch and drink water.
2. Glance back at your Day 1 budget.

10:40 Giving, sadaqa and zakat as concepts Learn, 10 min

Generosity is part of a healthy money plan in many families and faiths.

1. Gulf News explains that Zakat Al Mal is 2.5 per cent of qualifying wealth, due when wealth stays above a minimum threshold, the nisab, for a full lunar year.
2. The nisab is linked to the value of 87.48 g of gold or 612.36 g of silver, so its value in dirhams changes with market prices (Gulf News).
3. Illustration: qualifying savings of AED 20,000 held above the nisab for a full lunar year would mean zakat of AED 500.
4. Zakat Al Fitr is a separate, smaller payment per person made before the Eid prayer (Gulf News).
5. Sadaqa is voluntary giving. Whatever your background, a small giving line in a budget builds the habit of generosity.
6. For rulings on your own situation, ask a qualified scholar or an official zakat body, and give through licensed channels.

Related lessons: Money, family and generosity (lifereadysociety.com/money-basics/money-family-and-generosity/)

10:50 Protecting your future plan Learn, 10 min

Before you plan, know the traps that wreck plans.

1. The FTC's scam signs apply to 'opportunities' too: pressure to act now and requests to pay by crypto, gift cards or wire transfer are warnings. Treat any promise of easy, fast money with suspicion.
2. Finfluencers and trading apps can make risk look easy. Check whether anyone giving financial services is licensed before trusting them.
3. An emergency fund is usually kept somewhere easy to reach and not likely to fall in value just when you need it.
4. Debt traps (overdrafts, BNPL, payday loans) can undo months of saving.

Related lessons: Crypto, trading apps, finfluencers and get-rich-quick schemes (lifereadysociety.com/saving-investing/crypto-trading-apps-finfluencers-and-get-rich-quick-schemes/); Investment, crypto, romance and pyramid scams (lifereadysociety.com/scams/investment-crypto-romance-and-pyramid-scams/); Avoiding debt traps: overdrafts, BNPL, payday loans and loan sharks (lifereadysociety.com/student-money/avoiding-debt-traps-overdrafts-bnpl-payday-loans-and-loan-sharks/); Building a long-term plan: time in the market and avoiding emotional traps (lifereadysociety.com/saving-investing/building-a-long-term-plan-time-in-the-market-and-avoiding-emotional-traps/)

11:00 Build your 12-month money plan Capstone, 30 min

Bring everything together on one page.

1. Use your Day 1 scenario card and its rebalanced budget, or a real allowance or part-time income if you are comfortable.
2. Write your monthly budget so it totals your income exactly.
3. Set one or two goals with an amount, deadline and monthly figure. Example: a AED 3,000 laptop in 10 months needs AED 300 a month; saving AED 300 a month for 12 months gives AED 3,600 before any interest.
4. Set a starter emergency target based on your most likely surprise costs, and say where it will be kept.
5. Add a giving line and one sentence on why.
6. Write three money rules: one on credit, one on scams, one on spending.
7. Check your plan against the rubric and fix one weakness.

Solo: Write the plan on one page, then do a timed three-minute voice note explaining it.

Group: Individuals write their own plans; teammates act as checkers for arithmetic. The facilitator circulates and asks each student one 'what if' question.

Related lessons: Money goals and your emergency fund (lifereadysociety.com/money-basics/money-goals-and-your-emergency-fund/); Why save: emergency funds, goals and paying yourself first (lifereadysociety.com/saving-investing/why-save-emergency-funds-goals-and-paying-yourself-first/); Building a long-term plan: time in the market and avoiding emotional traps (lifereadysociety.com/saving-investing/building-a-long-term-plan-time-in-the-market-and-avoiding-emotional-traps/); What to do with your first income (lifereadysociety.com/earning/what-to-do-with-your-first-income/)

11:30 Present or self-assess Capstone, 15 min

Share your plan clearly and calmly, or score it honestly.

1. Present in three minutes: income, biggest need, goal, emergency target, giving line, three rules.
2. Listeners give one 'strength' and one 'question'.
3. Score yourself 1 to 4 on each rubric criterion and write one improvement.

Solo: Score yourself against the rubric and ask a family member for one strength and one question.

Group: In groups of 4 to 6, each student presents for 3 minutes with 1 minute of feedback. No one is required to share real family figures.

11:45 Looking back, looking ahead Reflect, 10 min

Close the camp with a moment of honest reflection.

1. Write the most useful thing you learned in each of the three days.
2. Write one date in your calendar to review your 12-month plan.
3. Write one person you could talk to about money questions.

Solo: Write for 8 minutes, then set a phone reminder for your review date.

Group: Silent writing, then a closing circle where each student says one word about how they now feel about money.

Related lessons: Talking to family about money and asking for help (lifereadysociety.com/student-money/talking-to-family-about-money-and-asking-for-help/)

11:55 Day 3 quiz Quiz, 5 min

Five final questions.

1. Answer alone.
2. Celebrate finishing the camp.