<![CDATA[Numeracy literacy plays an essential role in students’ everyday financial decision-making because it enables them to interpret numerical information, compare financial alternatives, plan budgets, prioritize needs, and evaluate expenditures rationally. For Mathematics Education students, these competencies are particularly relevant because numeracy is not only an academic capability but also a practical skill applied in real-life financial contexts. This study aims to examine financial behavior, levels of needs, and spending decisions among Mathematics Education students at UIN Alauddin Makassar and to analyze their implications from a numeracy literacy perspective. The study employed a quantitative approach using descriptive and inferential analyses based on survey data. Primary data were collected through Likert-scale questionnaires administered to 31 students and analyzed using multiple linear regression. The findings show that students generally demonstrate positive financial behavior; however, their level of needs remains high and significantly contributes to increased expenditure. The level of needs also exerts a more dominant influence on spending than financial behavior. From a numeracy literacy perspective, these findings indicate that financial decision-making requires students to engage in quantitative reasoning, including estimating available resources, comparing needs and wants, calculating spending priorities, evaluating financial consequences, and aligning expenditures with limited budgets. These processes represent contextual applications of numeracy literacy in which mathematical reasoning is used to address authentic financial situations. Therefore, financial behavior and spending decisions can serve as meaningful contexts for strengthening numeracy literacy among Mathematics Education students, particularly in developing their ability to make informed, rational, and responsible decisions based on quantitative information]]>
