Weeks
The twelve-week teaching schedule: what happens in each week, what to prepare, and what leaves the room.
Twelve weeks in a fixed order, each building on at least one earlier one (see each week's buildsOn). The arc runs SEE (Weeks 1–3, what "price" actually means) into CALCULATE (Weeks 4–9, working out discounts, time, situations and alternatives) into DECIDE (Weeks 10–12, choosing when money is not the only thing that matters). Start at Week 1 if you're new here — the $249 headphones example introduced there runs through every week after it.
Week 1 — What Is a Price?
Does a product have one true price? An introduction to sticker, reference, sale and market price, and to the $249 headphones this semester keeps returning to.
Week 1 · 27 July 2026
Week 2 — The Unit Price
Is the larger pack actually the better buy? Unit price, usable quantity, and why "cheaper per kilo" can still be a worse purchase.
Week 2 · 3 August 2026
Week 3 — 50% Off What?
A discount is a comparison, not a fact. This week asks what a reference price is measuring, who set it, and why it can be measured against itself.
Week 3 · 10 August 2026
Week 4 — Coupons Are Algorithms
Thresholds, exclusions, stacking and bundles turn a shopping cart into a set of rules to work through, not a place to guess.
Week 4 · 17 August 2026
Week 5 — The Price Has a History
A single price is easier to judge when you know what it has been before. This week uses price history to tell ordinary prices from unusual ones.
Week 5 · 24 August 2026
Week 6 — The Price Is Watching You
Some prices change by time, place, demand or shopper. The price on your screen may not be the price on someone else's.
Week 6 · 31 August 2026
Week 7 — The Price That Never Stops
Small monthly charges are easy to underestimate. This week covers subscriptions, cheap first-month offers, forgetting to cancel, cancellation friction, and cost per actual use.
Week 7 · 7 September 2026
Week 8 — Points Are Weird Money
Loyalty points can look like cash, but they come with expiry dates, limits, and rules that can make them worth less than they first appear.
Week 8 · 14 September 2026
Week 9 — New, Used, Repair or Rent?
Sometimes the cheaper option is not the same item at another store. It may be buying used, repairing, renting, or borrowing instead.
Week 9 · 21 September 2026
Week 10 — Should You Wait?
Waiting for a better price is a bet, not a guarantee. This week introduces expected value: a simple way to combine the chance of a discount with the size of that discount.
Week 10 · 28 September 2026
Week 11 — Your Time Has a Price
Search, travel and waiting all take time. This week builds a calculator that weighs time spent against possible savings.
Week 11 · 5 October 2026
Week 12 — Sometimes Pay Full Price
The final week brings everything together. Price, time, risk, waste, alternatives and personal priorities all matter, so the lowest number does not automatically win.
Week 12 · 12 October 2026