Map what this try or next step actually cost

A cost map connects money with the try or next step you actually considered. It is not a financial history or a performance of what a business might become. A zero-dollar try, plan-only case, or fictional example can give you enough to practise the distinction.

List five things:

• Spent: money paid for this step.
• Received: money that came in, if any.
• Owned: resources you already had.
• Borrowed: resources used with permission that belong to someone else.
• Forgotten: costs you did not count at first.

For example, a sample could use paper already owned, a borrowed tool, and a small transport expense. “No new materials bought” does not mean there were no resources involved. Do not invent a price for every owned item; make the resource visible and leave unknown amounts unknown.

Money received is different from money kept after costs. If a fictional try receives $20 and has $8 in direct costs, $12 remains after those listed costs. That simple calculation does not account for labour, taxes, or every possible expense, and it is not a full profit claim.

Keep project money separate from household information. Share only what the decision needs. No bank statements, debt lists, forecasts, spending, borrowing, or fundraising are required. This is not financial advice.

Journal minimum: Save at least one short note in a Try or Reflect box for this lesson. You do not have to answer every question. Write what you noticed, a question, or what you still do not know. If you have not tried the activity, say so. You can use the example instead of personal details. This leaves something to return to in later lessons. Saving is not sharing.