Saving 101
This starts the story of Thandeka, an eight-year-old that really wants to get her very own keyboard.
But sadly, no one in her family can afford it right now. Sad and a little bit angry, Thandeka walks to her grandma’s house to chat about it.
After she has complained and cried about how it is unfair that her parents can’t buy her a new keyboard, her Grandmother sits her down and shares some of the tips she used to use when she was growing up.
It all starts with a dream, but you need to be strong enough to turn it into a goal, grandma said. I know you are more than capable of making it happen all on your own, so here is a great way to start…
Start by writing down your exact dream, what does it look like? Create a dream board with the item you want most, where you can get it from, and how much it will actually cost in full. By the end of your research you should have the exact cost of reaching your dream, and how to make it happen once you have the money saved up in full. That is now your target!
Ok, great! Thanks grandma, I have got that all done – I have my target number to aim at, said Thandeka. But how exactly do I go about getting that money to buy it?
Grandma smiled and explained, Saving is the best lesson you can learn my dearest, and every cent counts! Now that you know what your total number is that you need to save for, you can start to bring that down with every rand you collect from all over the place. Let’s go through some of the options you have to get some money in – things you can try out at home!
The easiest way to start is with money you already have, or is now coming up. When you get money for your birthday, Christmas, or even some pocket money from your parents, all of this adds up for your savings plan. It can be hard to not spend it straight away on a treat, or something fun, but if you really want to get to your target, you need to have the discipline to not spend your money on things that are not as important, said grandma.
Now, those options are only once-off’s every couple of months and at best, you may get pocket money to help you save up quicker. But if those are not options for you right now, there are other things we can try to get some money in to help, grandma explained.
Then with a laugh and smile, grandma continued, you can try offering to do some chores around the house for extra money. Offering to help your relatives and even those in your community to get some pocket money is a great place to start. So, let’s get your plan started, said grandma.
Options available: Birthday money, pocket money, chores for relatives and the community.
Continue with your lesson to find out what happens with Thandeka…
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