Lessons·life-skills·kids · intermediate
Saving and Spending
Learn the difference between needs and wants, how pocket money works, and why saving up for something feels brilliant.
About 20 minutes
If you had £20, would you spend it all today or save some for later?
Before you start
Watch Needs vs Wants by Homeschool Pop (4 min) — Can you think of three things you NEED and three things you WANT? What's the difference?
- Do you get pocket money? If so, what do you usually spend it on?
- Have you ever saved up for something? How did it feel when you finally got it?
- If you could buy anything in the world, what would it be?
Sam's Saving Challenge
Sam wanted a new football. It cost £15. His mum said, 'You get £3 pocket money each week. If you save it all, how long will it take?'
Sam counted on his fingers. 'Five weeks! That's ages!'
Week 1 was easy. He put £3 in his jar. Week 2, his friend Jake bought sweets at the shop. Sam nearly spent his money too. But he thought about the football and kept saving.
By Week 4, he had £12. His mum said, 'I'm so impressed you've stuck with it. Tell you what — I'll pay the last £3.'
Sam was chuffed. When he finally held that football, it felt different from other things he owned. He'd earned it. He'd waited for it. And that made it special.
Needs vs Wants
**Needs** are things you MUST have to live:
- Food and water
- A home and warm clothes
- Going to school
- Medicine when you're ill
**Wants** are things that are nice to have but you don't need to survive:
- Sweets and toys
- The latest trainers
- Video games
- Going to the cinema
Here's the trick: it's OK to spend money on wants! But **needs come first**. And if you want something expensive, you can **save up** — putting a bit of money away each week until you have enough.
British coins: 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1, £2
British notes: £5, £10, £20, £50
Slang: people say 'quid' instead of 'pounds' — 'It costs ten quid.'
What You Now Know
- Needs vs Wants
- Needs are things you must have (food, shelter). Wants are things that are nice but not essential (toys, sweets).A warm coat in winter is a need. A designer coat is a want.
- Saving Up
- Putting money aside regularly until you have enough to buy something.Sam saved £3 a week for 5 weeks to buy a £15 football.
- Pocket Money
- A small amount of money parents give children each week to learn about managing money.In Britain, many children get between £2 and £5 pocket money per week.
- Value for Money
- Getting something that's worth what you paid for it.A toy that breaks after one day is bad value for money.
Let's Talk About It
- What would you save up for if you had £3 pocket money each week?
- Is it always better to save? When is it OK to spend money on something fun?
- Your friend has a new toy every week but never saves. You save and have to wait. Who is happier? Why?
- If you ran a sweet shop at school, how much would you charge? Why?
Money Vocabulary
| English | Türkçe |
|---|---|
| pocket moneyI get five pounds pocket money every Saturday. | harçlıkHer cumartesi beş sterlin harçlık alıyorum. |
| quidThat comic costs three quid. | sterlin (argo)Bu çizgi roman üç sterlin. |
| affordI can't afford the big one, so I'll get the small one instead. | karşılayabilmek / parası yetmekBüyüğüne param yetmiyor, o yüzden onun yerine küçüğünü alacağım. |
| save upI'm saving up for a new bike — I've got £30 so far! | biriktirmekYeni bir bisiklet için para biriktiriyorum — şu ana kadar £30 biriktirdim bile! |
| bargainThese trainers were a bargain — half price in the sale! | kelepir / uygun fiyatlıBu spor ayakkabılar tam bir fırsattı — indirimde yarı fiyatınaydı! |
| rip-off£5 for a small juice? That's a total rip-off! |
Writing task
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