I Played Sun Life's Play for Life: A Game of Choices

As someone whose ultimate goal in life is financial freedom, I was excited to attend the Sun Life Coffee and Play event. The event centered around the board game, Play for Life, where your financial choices influenced your success or failure. Think Monopoly, but instead of fictional properties and exaggerated rent, the game was grounded in real-life financial scenarios.

When I arrived at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Gaisano Mall, tables were set up with game boards. Each table could accommodate four players. I played with Athina of DiscovDavao, Olivia of OC-Craft, and Max of RichDad PH. 

Each of us was given an initial capital of 100,000, along with a monthly salary based on the character we randomly drew. We were also given the option to buy starter cards, such as an emergency token or a waive hospitalization fee card. These cards could only be purchased before the game started.

The goal was simple: reach a specific financial target within the given number of turns. To get there, we had to navigate through life’s unpredictable events, make smart financial choices, and avoid bankruptcy.

The board was filled with spaces that represented real-world financial situations:

• Salary – Our monthly salaries.
• Expenses – Utilities, shopping, and eating out.
• Emergency - Medical emergencies, accidents, etc.
• Small wins - Earn additional income.
• Life Happens – Unfavorable situations that will make you lose a lot of money.
• Life Choices – You'll be selecting from options that come with a monetary cost but offer advantages within the game.
• Life Wins - Favorable situations that will help you greatly.

I tried to play cautiously, focusing on making safe financial decisions and saving wherever I could. But as the game progressed, I saw how unpredictable life could be. And just when I thought I was doing well, I landed on a "Life Happens" space. Since I hadn’t invested with enough emergency token early on, I was forced to pay out of pocket. That unexpected setback drained my funds, pushing me into the negative, leading to bankruptcy, and ultimately, eliminating me from the game.

The players who invested in emergency tokens early on enjoyed "financial success," ending the game with a comfortable amount of savings and wise investments even though they started with smaller salary. Others weren’t so lucky. A few went bankrupt because they overspent on unnecessary things and didn’t prepare for the unexpected despite having started with a hefty sum. 

It was all fun and games, but you know what the scary part is? This is exactly how it happens in real life.  

After the game, I mulled over on how these apply to real life. So many people live paycheck to paycheck, not realizing how one medical emergency or accident could devastate their finances. Having an emergency fund is crucial, but even that isn’t always enough. Insurance acts as a financial safety net, protecting you when life throws unexpected challenges your way.

Sun Life PH did an incredible job making financial literacy engaging, interactive, and relatable.

So if you ever get the chance to play Play for Life, I encourage you to DO IT. You’ll have a good laugh and you’ll probably feel stressed when financial crisis hits (even if it's just a board game). But you will learn a lot. You'll walk away with valuable financial management insights. And who knows? It might just change the way you handle your finances.

To learn more, talk to a Sun Life advisor by visiting www.sunlife.co/TalkToAnAdvisor

with the Davao Bloggers Society