“Great,” said one high school senior. “I’m a fi re-fighter, have one child and a deadbeat husband.”

She referred to her fi ctional life listed on the paper handed out at the “Reality Check” for county seniors sponsored by the Kingfi sher County OSU Cooperative Extension Wednesday at the county fairgrounds.

The event was to make students aware of the basic financial planning they will need in “the real world” once they graduate, according to instructions by Extension Educator Lindy Hoel sent to schools.

Each student was given a sheet that listed their would-be career, monthly salary, marital status, number of children, if any, and spouse’s salary, if any.

The salaries ranged from $28,000-$35,000 a year and some students complained that was too low.

They had to first go to the banking booth to get their money and could also put money in savings there. Then they needed transportation, housing and auto/ renter insurance and went to each of those booths where they met up with businesspeople and other volunteers who had to sign off on their choices.

There were more required booths: Medical/ dental, utilities, car tag and excise tax, chance, charitable contributions, child care, clothing, communications, entertainment, eye care, furniture, groceries, health/grooming, fi nancial advisor, safety and SOS/ supplemental income.

The SOS booth was kept busy when students learned they could go there to get a second job that would allow them to pay for what they’d already obligated themselves to buy or rent.

One girl said she spent all of her money on an expensive apartment and furniture.

A boy said he saved on the apartment, but spent money on the furniture.

“If I was going to live in a crummy place, I wanted to have a nice recliner,” he said.

After the event, students waited for their bus and a couple were overheard bragging about the money they had left.

Several students also went back to the bank to take money from their savings, while a few exhausted all of their funds before completing their check list.

Among other financial information, students learned that the more expensive vehicle they had that the higher their auto insurance costs would be.

Child care costs were also a concern, but one girl said, “I won’t need that. By the time I have kids, my parents will be retired and will take care of them.”

[Ed. note: Barb Walter is director of Hennessey United’s weekly Leadership Class at Hennessey High School and attended the workshop with seniors in that class.]