Economic Choices Part II
  • Source B: ReadWorks, article on budgeting, “What Is a Budget?” 2015
Reprinted with permission from ReadWorks.org. 

Supporting Question 3- Why do families choose to save money?
  • Source A: "The ABC's of Savings"
 
  • Source B:  Themint.org, article about what to do with savings, “How to Use Savings,” 2015  How to Use Savings
 
Earned money or gotten it as a gift? What do you do with it? Run right out and spend it?
Wait a minute. You have lots of choices. You can
spend all of it
save all of it
save some of it and spend the rest.
 But you can do even more with your money. Anyone can SPEND money. That’s easy. But then you don’t really have any money in your bank when you need it.
 
The idea is not to SPEND money but to be money smart and learn how to HANDLE IT. Here’s how smart people use the money they have.
 
Little things. Want to buy a snack at school? Want to rent a video game? Go to the movies? If you have enough money saved up, you can. In fact, the more you save, the more you can do.
 
Bigger items. Do you dream of getting a new bike or a new, fun game? Then you’ll need even more time to save because these items cost more money. Keep saving! Even small amounts add up. How about presents for others? You need to save for birthday and holiday gifts, too.
 
Giving. Do you feel that helping others is important? Then, save some money for giving, too. You can help those who work with whales, run animal shelters, protect forests, or look for medical cures. Your money can help pay for this work. Or maybe you want to give money to help people who need money.
 
Emergencies. You forget your jacket at soccer practice, and someone steals it. Or you forget to lock up your bike, and it disappears. If you have a history of being careless, your parents will expect you to help purchase the new coat or bike. If you don’t have some money set aside for such emergencies, you have a problem.
 
Reprinted from themint.org, Northwestern Mutual. http://www.themint.org/kids/saving-basics.html.