T
he next time you find a penny on the ground and don’t bother picking it up
because “nothing costs a penny anymore,” remember that cents add up.
Five pennies = a nickel
25 pennies = a quarter
100 pennies = $1
If everyone who lives in the United States walked over a penny because “nothing
costs a penny anymore,” that would leave $3.13 million dollars on the ground. It takes
longer to save up when you’re saving pennies, but it’s still saving money and
that’s your goal.
Emptying trash = $1.00
A
fun way to learn about
earning, spending and saving
money is to create a job chart with
your parents. Write a list of the
chores you do around the house—
some that you do on your own and
others that your parents ask you
to do. Making your bed. Feeding
the dog. Emptying the trash cans.
Assign a dollar amount to each
task—$1.00 for the trash, 50 cents
for making your bed, 75 cents for
feeding the dog. Keep track when
you do each chore during the week
then add up how much you earned.
Now ask your parents, to charge
you for food or for using the TV or
computer. You may think you made
a lot of money at work, but when
you start giving it right back you’ll
see how fast it goes and if you fall
short. As you get older, this will
happen in the real world with a real
job. Understanding how much work
it takes to buy basic things will give
you a better understanding on how
to start becoming a smart money
saver and hard worker.