Our team has a passion for helping people learn how to be smart with their money, in order to free them from their financial woes.

Imagine you are on a grassy field, volleyball in hand and in scoring position. You see one of your teammates, wearing a bright orange life preserver, approaching the goal. You feel out of breath and your heart is racing. You realize that to win the scoring point, all you need is to get the ball into her hands. As sweat beads down your burning red cheeks, you leap into the air, throwing the ball to your teammate with everything you have, only to have it deflected by a man wearing a crimson Mardi Gras mask.

This seemingly strange scene is likely to be seen when playing a game called Budgetball, an activity that combines financial literacy concepts with physical play. Two teams face off against each other, trying to win by scoring the most points. However, there is a twist to this game, because teams must also effectively balance their Budget Bucks. Teams gain Budget Bucks by taking on Sacrifices, which can hinder the team, like wearing life preservers and masks. Teams lose Budget Bucks when buying Power-Ups that help the team to get ahead, like gaining another offensive player. The team with the most points in addition to the most Budget Bucks wins the game. SIFE plans to play this game with at-risk teens to influence the students to make fiscally wise decisions.

Eating Right when Money’s Tight is a night where single parents can relax from their busy lives to enjoy an interactive cooking demonstration and learn about eating healthy on a budget. These hard working parents take with them financial tools to help them succeed after the event. Even their children, placed in the caring hands of SIFE volunteers, learn about financial issues throughout the night. This year, SIFE was able to effectively measure the learning of the attendees by creating a game show like activity, seeing a considerable increase in financial knowledge by the end of the night.