HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC (WTOC) -
Students were given a salary based on their grade point average and had to go to a number of different stations to buy homes and cars, and pay monthly bills. Some realized, living in the real world isn't cheap.
It wasn't your typical day at school for these students at Hilton Head Island High School as they entered the Reality Store.
"If you have kids, I would go with the Odyssey instead of the BMW," suggested one of the presenters helping the students purchase a vehicle.
"The Reality Store is a wonderful opportunity for kids to realize there is a connection between their education, their grades and the real world."
To help them draw the connection, students are each given a salary based on their GPA. They draw out of a hat to find out how many kids they have, and from there they make their way around the room, going booth to booth, using their monthly salaries to pay bills, from mortgages and car payments to childcare.
Many students couldn't believe the cost of childcare.
"I thought it was crazy," said Kwanda Rivera. "One child, $350 dollars. That's a lot of money"
This exercise was a big reality check for Kolten Striano as well. After purchasing a home, a car, and paying some nullities, it was time to get car insurance.
"Is that $160 dollars?, asked Striano. "I keep going into debt here."
With the cost of things these days, students are finding they are having to make some tough decisions.
Decisions like what kind of groceries they can afford.
"So, you're going to eat sardines, alright," said a woman helping students decide meal plans. "This will be $300 a month with cutting coupons and you got your child so you have to add another $100."
News that was a real eye opener for Carlos Cordero.
"I'm thinking groceries are really expensive now because I'm eating sardines for $440 a month and now I only have $20 left," said Cordero. "I can't even cut my hair. I have to cut my own hair."
While Carlos was allotted, $60,000 a year, which equals about $3,500 a month, it just was not stretching as far as he imagined.
"Getting a lesson that I have to improve my grades to get more money because I don't think this is going to cut it," said Cordero.
He's not the only one, realizing the importance of a good education.
"Try to get my education so I can get bigger and better things," said Rivera.
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