How to Earn the Girl Scout Brownie Money Manager Badge

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Updated April 2023

This badge is no longer available. Your troop can still earn it. You may be able to find the discontinued badges in a Girl Scout Buy, Sell, Trade group.

Managing your money is an important life skill and one that needs to be taught at a young age. So many adults find themselves in credit card debt because they have no idea how to create a budget or spend money wisely.

Think about it…when do kids today get to actually handle money? Schools make them have Pin numbers to pay for lunch, so they do not get the opportunity to even spend spare change. They do not go to the five and dime, they go to the Dollar Store. When I was growing up in the 1970’s, you could buy candy, comic books and trading cards for less than a quarter. We had opportunities to use change on a daily basis.  All our children know is to swipe a credit or debit card.

 Image created by the author in Canva

While this badge does lend itself to many at home activities, it is my experience that there will be girls whose parents will not do them. Therefore, the Brownie Money Manager Try It can easily be done in stations. You will want to have a volunteer for each one.

Materials

• Copies of items to buy from the Brownie Guidebook-one set for each girl
• Copy of Elf doll on cardstock, one for each girl
• Glue
• Paper
• Markers
• Scissors
• Optional-Use real circulars-one for each girl-for any of the the steps

Brownie Binder has all of the things you need to copy. Available on Amazon.

Step 1 Shop for Items with Your Elf Doll

The first step is to make the doll and the girls can have her by their side for each activity.

Give the girls a few minutes to put the doll together.

Steps 2 Go Grocery Shopping

Have circulars for each girl and give them $15 in play money to spend with a partner to make a meal for dinner. They have to buy a meat product, a starch, a vegetable and a dessert. Have them write down what they bought and share why they chose what they did. Make them add it up.

Step 3 Go Clothes Shopping

Have some clothing circulars and give each girl $30 to spend on an outfit.

Step 4 Get Ready for School

What supplies do the girls need for school? Have them find what they need and see how much it costs.

 Image created by the author in Canva

Step 5 Have Some Fun

Ask the girls what they would buy if they had $100!