Understanding personal finances is an important skill that everyone should learn. When you know how to use, spend, and save money wisely, you’ll have a better chance of building good credit that can be used to buy important things, like houses and cars. When you understand the importance of making good financial decisions, you have a much brighter future ahead. You can even use these money management skills to buy smaller things like a video game or toy you’ve wanted. Knowing how money works is very important. Learn how to save and spend more wisely and you just might be surprised at the results.
Money
Cash is money in the form of coins and paper. It’s a good idea to practice with real currency and learn how to count it, so you can quickly figure out how much you have as well as how much you’ll need if you want to buy something. The U.S. government prints its own paper bills and mints its own coins, then the currency circulates through the economy. You can put your hard-earned money away in a savings account, or you can put it in a piggy bank to save for a rainy day. As you learn how the process of cash and savings works, you’ll be better equipped to make smarter decisions. Having a good understanding of math is also important when dealing with money.
- Field Trip to the Money Factory
- Learn to Count Money Game
- Spending Smarts
- World of Cents Game
- Early Forms of Money Lesson (PDF)
- Save Perry’s Pennies Game
- The Money Game Lesson Plans
- Equivalent Sets of Coins Activity
- Counting on Coins Lesson Plan
- Learn Money Game
- Grocery Cashier
- How Coins are Made Video from the US Mint
- Ways Kids Use Money Chart/Graphic
- 7 Ways Kids Can Earn Money
- Tips to Teach Kids About Money
- Abraham Lincoln and the $5 Note Lesson
- Money Historical Figure Bookmarks with Printable PDF’s
- Purchases: Enough or Less Money Quiz
- Money, Money! Lesson
Saving/Earning
When it comes to smart finances, earning your own way can help you buy the things you want. If you see a new bike that you really wish you had, you can save your money until you have enough to buy it. Learning how to save the cash you make is important so you understand the value of hard work. If you need to earn your own (money), there are some things you can do. Ask your parents if they would pay you an allowance for helping with chores. Maybe a neighbor needs help with taking care of a pet while they are away. Mowing lawns, starting a lemonade stand, or having a yard sale are other ways you can earn. After you’ve earned money, you can put it away to be saved for another time. Try not to spend all of it at once so you can watch it grow over time. Saving is an important part of healthy financial habits.
- Top 10 Financial Principles
- Money Metropolis Savings Game
- Kids and Money: Savings
- What Kids Should Know About Money
- Allowances and Money Management Skills
- Children and Chores
- Earning Money (Games)
- The Value of an Allowance
- Helping Your Child Learn to Manage Money
- Money Skills Guide, Activities, and More (PDF)
- Mathematics Money Lesson Plans
More Resources
Now that you have some ideas of how important it is to save money and be wise about your finances, you can better understand the way saving and spending works. Money is used all over the world by banks and individuals. Some countries have different currencies than others, and they can be exchanged for new cash when you go to a different country. This is called an exchange rate. No matter where you live, money is an important tool. Credit is another form of money that is loaned to people and then they are charged interest, more money, when they pay it back. Learning about banks, credit, and other institutions that deal with currency and credit is part of the bigger picture of how money works. It’s important to talk to your parents and teachers about things like credit and how to use your money more wisely so you can be cash smart.