Budget Worksheets for Special Education | Life Skills Math “Do You Have Enough Money?”

Teach Real-Life Budgeting Skills in Your Special Education Classroom

Help your students answer the real-life question:
“Do I have enough money?”

This differentiated basic budgeting resource teaches students with autism and special needs how to make real-world purchasing decisions using structured, visual supports.

Help your students build functional money and budgeting skills with this highly structured, differentiated resource designed specifically for special education, autism classrooms, and life skills programs.

With over 130 pages of materials, you’ll have everything you need to teach, practice, and reinforce basic budgeting skills in a clear, visual, and scaffolded way.

Who This Is For

• Special education teachers (K–12+)
• Autism classroom teachers
• Life skills & transition programs
• Resource room & self-contained classrooms
• Students with:
  • Autism
  • Intellectual disabilities
  • Learning differences
  • Emerging money skills

Skills This Resource Targets

• Understanding buying something on a budget
• Identifying if you have enough money
• Comparing prices to a budget
• Making purchasing decisions
• Using number lines for money
• Early financial literacy and independence

What’s Included (130+ Pages)

This resource is designed for easy differentiation and repeated practice:

✔ Teaching Materials

• Budgeting anchor chart / teaching poster
• Visual supports for introducing the concept

✔ Student Practice Options

• Individual student cards for hands-on learning
• Print-and-go worksheets (use only what you need!)

Differentiated Worksheets (3 Levels for each Section)

1. Understanding a Budget with Number Lines

• Number lines included:
  • $0–5
  • $0–10
  • $0–20
  • $0–100

2. “Do I Have Enough Money?”

Students are given:

• A budget
• A price

They will:

• Answer YES or NO
• (Optional) Determine how much more money is needed

Levels include:

• Level 1: Price = budget
• Level 2: Price < budget
• Level 3: Price includes change/decimals

3. “Which Item Can I Afford?”

• Students choose between two items
• Identify which one fits within their budget
• Same 3 levels for differentiation

Why Teachers Love This Resource

• ✔ Clear, visual structure (great for autism learners)
• ✔ Multiple levels in ONE resource
• ✔ Easy to scaffold and differentiate
• ✔ Print-and-go (low prep!)
• ✔ Works for a wide range of ability levels

Teachers consistently report that students:

• Stay engaged
• Understand budgeting faster
• Generalize skills to real-life shopping situations

How to Use This in Your Classroom

• Independent work
• Small group instruction
• Life skills centers
• IEP goal practice (money & budgeting)
• Transition/vocational prep
• Functional math lessons

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is this appropriate for non-readers or low readers?
A: Yes! The visuals and structured format support students with limited reading skills.

Q: Can I use this for high school students?
A: Absolutely. This resource is ideal for middle school through transition-age students working on life skills at a basic level.

Q: Is this good for autism classrooms?
A: Yes. This was designed with visual learners and structured support in mind.

Q: Can I differentiate easily?
A: Definitely. 3 levels are included so you can meet a wide range of student needs.