It's not everyday that high-schoolers get to spend money at school.
But on Friday, some DeWolf High students they put aside their textbooks to learn a fun and interactive finance lesson.
Wise Up is a program put on by the Education Employees Credit Union.
Students go around picking a career and learn what their lifestyle would really cost.
Students start out the Wise Up program by getting one of these booklets. They put in their salary and after taxes, they see the harsh realities of working in real life.
"The basic skill of knowing how much is coming out of your paycheck and how much taxes really hurt you financially, yeah, I'm definitely going to take that out of here," student David Chatwin said.
Students like Chatwin were one of the many who enjoyed playing the finance game. He got a firsthand look at how quickly money is spent from a paycheck.
"I didn't really know about that. I thought it would only be like for utilities, electricity bills, water bill, I didn't really think about this at all," Chatwin said.
The activity also throws the students curves that happen in real life, like a flat tire and other emergency expenses that put a dent in your dollar.
"I want them to have a good time, but basically wise up, it's not easy once you get out of high school," EECI Wise Up program coordinator Patty Martin said.
Wise Up program coordinators say they hope that every student who makes their way around the room will see the importance of education and the financial freedom they can all achieve.
EECU has put on the Wise Up program across the Valley. In the past four years, more than 12 thousand students have learned how to balance a checkbook.