Plan Ahead

If you have your own money, how can you decide what to spend it on? First, you can look at how much money you have. Then you can make a plan about what to do with it. Adults make a plan, too. They call their plan a budget.

Making a Money Plan
To plan what to do with your money, take a look at how much you have. Let's say that you have $100.00. You might decide to:

• Put $30 aside for your family's vacation in three weeks (A vacation is something you want.)
• Put $50 in your savings account
• Spend the last $20 on some school lunches  (Food is something you need.)

When you plan, you can see if you're making good choices about using your money. You can ask yourself if you're saving enough or if you're spending too much on things that you don't really need.

Your Parents' Money Plan
Ask your parents about their plan, or budget,  for spending their money. They will probably tell you that they use some of their money to pay for many things you need, such as:

• Your  house or apartment
• Food
• Clothes and shoes

Your parents also buy some things that they want and you want. Some of those things include:

• Toys, bikes, and games
• Vacations
• Candy, pop, and other snacks