Caveat Academy course · Grades 8 to 12

Consumer Economics

How to be a sharp buyer and a careful borrower: opportunity cost and budgets, advertising tricks, supply, demand and inflation, unit prices and total cost, contracts, warranties and car loans, credit scores and the real cost of debt, consumer rights, scams and identity theft. Six modules at your own pace, with the arithmetic worked step by step and a certificate at the end.

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$19one-time · every device you sign in on
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Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Career and trades courses, $79 for 18 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 13 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: Thinking like an economic consumer

    Apply opportunity cost, marginal thinking and a written budget to consumer decisions, and identify persuasion techniques in advertising.

    • Scarcity, choices and opportunity cost
    • Needs, wants and a working budget
    • Advertising and the psychology of buying
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: Markets, prices and inflation

    Explain how supply, demand and seller strategies set prices, compute unit prices, and compute inflation and real changes in pay and savings.

    • Supply, demand and market prices
    • How sellers set prices
    • Inflation and purchasing power
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: Buying wisely

    Compare purchases by weighted criteria and total cost of ownership, and evaluate contracts, warranties and car loans.

    • Researching and comparing purchases
    • Contracts, warranties and returns
    • Buying a car
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Credit and borrowing

    Compute interest, credit utilization, APR and debt-to-income, and explain how credit reports and scores work.

    • How credit and interest work
    • Credit reports and credit scores
    • Loans, debt and borrowing traps
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: Consumer rights and protection

    Match consumer problems to the right agency, recognize scams and identity theft, and use federal payment protections to resolve a dispute.

    • Consumer rights and the agencies that protect them
    • Scams, fraud and identity theft
    • Fixing problems and protecting your money
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: The consumer in the whole economy

    Explain the consumer's role in the circular flow and GDP, compute compound growth, and design a personal consumer plan.

    • The circular flow and consumer spending
    • Saving, investing and the power of time
    • Responsible consumption and your consumer plan
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 4 · Loans, debt and borrowing traps

Worked example: the APR of a payday loan

  1. Example numbers: a 15 dollar fee to borrow 100 dollars for 2 weeks.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Vocations · Job SkillsAlso for Academics · High School$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished course in consumer economics: you can find the opportunity cost of a choice and build a budget that balances, spot anchoring, urgency and dark patterns, explain how supply and demand move prices, compare unit prices and total cost of ownership, compute inflation and real changes in pay, read a contract and a warranty, compare car loans by total interest, compute interest, APR, utilization and debt-to-income, explain what builds a credit score, match a problem to the right federal agency, recognize scams and protect yourself from identity theft, and write a personal consumer plan. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
Students in grades 8 to 12 taking or preparing for consumer economics, personal finance or economics, teens with a first job, card or car purchase ahead, and homeschool families who want a complete course on everyday economic decisions. It is general education, not financial or legal advice, and it recommends no company, product or lender.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 144 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 13 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Career and trades courses ($79) and the Vocations Suite pass ($99), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The Job Skills space in Caveat Vocations; also listed for the High School space in Caveat Academics (the same course serves the high school Consumer Economics title).
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

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Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, consumer tools on credit, loans and payday lending: consumerfinance.gov
  2. Federal Trade Commission, consumer advice on scams, identity theft, the Cooling-Off Rule and warranties: consumer.ftc.gov
  3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index: bls.gov/cpi
  4. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, gross domestic product and personal consumption expenditures: bea.gov
  5. AnnualCreditReport.com, the official source of free credit reports: annualcreditreport.com
  6. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, deposit insurance basics: fdic.gov
  7. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, recall lookup by VIN: nhtsa.gov/recalls

Consumer Economics is a self-paced course from Caveat Academic Services. It is general consumer and economic education, not financial, legal or tax advice, and it recommends no company, product or lender. Prices, rates and dollar amounts in it are examples for teaching. Protections described are general federal rules; state laws add to them and figures change, so check current details with the agencies listed above. It does not replace a school course and awards no credit. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.