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Every person in the world uses money at some point in their lives, so it's important to learn how it works and how to use it well. Whether you get money as a gift or earn it by doing chores, you have several options for what to do with your money!

You can use your money to buy things for yourself (spend); you can put some money in a piggy bank to use later (save); or you can give money to someone else who needs it more than you do (share).

Spend

You spend money to buy the things you need, like food and clothes, as well as the things you just want, like games, books, or toys. Good strategies for spending include:

Save

You save money so you have it when you need it. If you spent every penny you had as soon as you got it, you wouldn't have money left over for unexpected wants and needs. Good strategies for saving include:

Share

You share money to help people in your community who have less than you do. Good strategies for sharing include:

Make Spend, Save, and Share Jars


several brightly-colored paper wallets

Make a jar for your spending money, a jar for your savings, and a jar for the money you will donate.

What You'll Need

Instructions


This activity was created by Kesel Wilson with contributions by Karen Nagle for Great Expectations.



How Much Should I Save?

white piggy bank with pink nose

Every person is different, but many kids use the following breakdown:

  • 40% (2/5) for spending
  • 50% (1/2) for saving
  • 10% (1/10) for sharing

That means if your allowance is $10, you would put $4 in your Spend jar, $5 in your Save jar, and $1 in your Share jar.

More Bang for Your Buck

close-up of a twenty dollar bill


You just got $10 from your Grandma. The money is burning a hole in your pocket but you want it to last as long as possible! At the store you find the following sales. Which one is the best deal?

  • 5 lollipops for $1.25
  • 10 lollipops for $3.00
  • 20 lollipops for $5.00

Lemon, Lime, or Orange?

One of the most common uses for money is to buy groceries. In Lemonade in Winter, Pauline and John-John go to the store and buy lemons and limes for their lemonade stand. Next time you are at a grocery store, see if you can tell lemons, limes, and oranges apart by touch. Some hints are below:

  • Lemons and oranges have bumpy peels and limes have smooth peels.
  • Lemons are larger than limes but smaller than oranges.
  • Oranges are round but lemons and limes are oval shaped.

lemon and lime pic


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