Budget Buzz: Be Smart About Saving

The Virginia Society of CPAs (VSCPA) and the CPA profession partnered with Weekly Reader to create a free educational program entitled "Budget Buzz: Be Smart About Saving," that teaches children about earning, spending and saving money.

Resources

• Budgeting worksheet
• Poster
• Article 

Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees

Have you ever heard someone say money doesn’t grow on trees? Well, it’s true. Money doesn’t grow on trees. You have to earn it. Earning it means you have to work for it. If you clean your room and your mom gives you $1, you’ve earned money. Your mom or dad probably has a job they go to every day where they earn money. Look for ways you can earn money.

Show me the money!

You use money every time you buy something. Want a soda the next time you’re at the grocery store? Well, that takes money. If you don’t have any money, you can’t buy it. That’s why you have to earn money or save part of the money you’re given. Otherwise, you won’t have the money to buy what you want or what you need.

Do you have a piggy bank?

So what do you do with your money? Do you spend it all on toys, games, CDs or clothes? Or do you save it? Saving is very important. It helps you grow your money. If you save just one dollar a week for a year, you would have $52 dollars at the end of the year. You can save your money in a piggy bank or in a special savings account at your parents’ bank. Count your money every once in a while, so you can see how your money is growing.

So the next time you get some money, pay yourself first. Put a little bit in your savings account or your piggy bank, and watch it grow!