LA.lv launches virtual test on budgeting skills until payday

Latvian news outlet Latvijas Avīze has published a virtual budget-planning simulator on its website, allowing readers to test their money-management skills without putting any real savings at risk. The quiz is built as a series of realistic financial situations in which participants must make decisions, ultimately revealing whether they would manage to stay in the black until the next payday.

How the simulator works

The test consists of several steps — ten questions in total — each requiring the participant to choose one of several possible actions. The first scenario asks the reader to imagine the moment a salary has just arrived and decide what their very first move with the new funds would be.

Three response options are offered. The first involves immediately paying all bills, setting aside roughly 10 to 20 percent of the income into savings, and dividing the remaining amount across the coming weeks. The second option is to pay only the largest bills, trusting that the rest of the money will somehow cover other needs as they arise. The third option suggests celebrating payday right away — for example, by ordering a nice dinner or buying something long desired — while putting off thoughts about bills until later.

Depending on the choices made, the participant proceeds through further financial challenges designed to show whether the chosen strategy would actually allow them to survive until the next paycheck without running into financial trouble.

The quiz is intended as a light, engaging way to encourage readers to reflect on their own money-management habits and on how much everyday financial decisions affect the ability to reach the end of the month without financial stress.