Save or Spend?

What your kid learns

• The Spend jar

  Spend money is money for now. Use it for things you want soon.

• The Save jar

  Save money is money for later. It waits for something bigger.

• Split it up

  When money comes in, you can split it. Some for now, some for later.

• Some families add a Give jar

  A Give jar holds money for helping others. Some families use one, too.

The story: Maya splits 10¢

In a bedroom, Maya splits 10 pennies between a Spend jar for a sticker now and a Save jar for a ball later.

1. Helper: Hi there! Maya has 10 pennies today. That is 10¢.
2. Maya: I want a sticker now. I want a ball later.
3. Helper: Meet the Spend jar. It holds money for now.
4. Helper: Meet the Save jar. It holds money for later.
5. Maya: I can split my coins. Some here, some there!
6. Helper: Maya gets a sticker now. The ball can come later.
7. Helper: Some for now, some for later. That’s a split!

The game: Split the Coins

Use the plus and minus buttons. Split a pretend 10¢ between Spend and Save. Any split works!

Games use pretend money and work with taps or a keyboard. Nothing is timed.

New words

save

keep for later

Also called: savings

spend

use now

Also called: spending

jar

where money waits for its job

Also called: account, budget category

Questions at the end

• Which jar is for later?
• What is the Spend jar for?
• Jo wants something now and later. What helps?

Remember this

Some for now, some for later.

Talk about it

If you had 10 coins, how many would you save for later, and why?

Try it at home: Split 10 coins

1. Split 10 paper coins into two jars or envelopes.
2. When real money comes in, you can split that too.
3. Teach a grown-up: show your jars. Ask, “Which jar would you put this coin in?”

No jars at home? Two cups or envelopes work, too.

School standards

• Grade K
• C3 Social Studies Framework, Economics D2.Eco.10.K-2
• Texas TEKS 1.9C (early)
• Florida standards SS.1.E.1.5 (early)
• National Standards for Personal Financial Education: Saving