Saving

Before we start

Five minutes before Lesson 1, no scoring.

1. 1. Write something you'd like to save for and roughly how much it costs.
2. 2. If you get €2 a week, how long to save €10?
3. 3. What's the difference between saving for a goal and keeping money 'just in case'?

Lesson 1. Turn a wish into a goal

Penny · 45 min · State an amount, a contribution and a check date.

1. If an art kit costs €24 and you save €3 a week, how many weeks?
2. If you already have €6, how many weeks remain?
3. Write a goal sentence with amount, contribution and check date.
4. What if one week is missed?

Lesson 2. Save first, then spend

Cash · 45 min · Set aside the saving amount before spending the rest, and see why "save first" works better than "save what's left".

1. From €6, set aside €2 to save first. How much is left to spend?
2. In spend-first you spend €5 on a treat. How much is left to save?
3. Which method saved more?
4. Why can "save what's left" leave nothing?

Lesson 3. The habit, not the giant leap

Goldie · 45 min · Explain how repetition changes a savings balance.

1. Save €2 in weeks 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6; week 4 is skipped.
2. Fill each end-of-week balance.
3. Total at week 6?
4. How much below a perfect six-week plan?
5. Write a restart sentence.

Lesson 4. The “just in case” buffer

Cash · 45 min · Distinguish a planned goal from money kept for surprises.

1. What remains after €3 tape?
2. If the class adds €1 to its buffer next week, what will it hold?
3. Why might a separate goal envelope help?
4. What if the surprise costs €6 instead?

Final mission. Reach it faster

Goldie · 45 min · Compare ways to reach a goal sooner: save more each week, add a one-off top-up, or cut a want.

1. €12 at €3 a week — how many weeks?
2. Save €4 a week instead — how many weeks?
3. Add a €6 top-up to the €3-a-week plan — how many weeks now?
4. Which lever suits someone with little spare each week?

Extension. Two goals at once

Goldie · 45 min · Plan saving toward two goals by splitting a weekly amount, and compare it with saving one goal at a time.

1. Split €4 as €2 to each goal. How many weeks for the €8 game? For the €12 art kit?
2. Now put all €4 on the game first. How many weeks until the game is done?
3. Which method finishes the game sooner?
4. When might splitting still be the better choice?

Extension. Keep it separate

Goldie · 45 min · Keep savings separate and clearly labelled so it is not spent by accident.

1. You have €10 mixed. Put €4 into a labelled save jar. How much is in each jar?
2. A €3 treat tempts you — which jar should it NOT come from, and why?
3. Why does labelling help?
4. Name one place to keep savings separate.

Extension. Worth the wait

Cash · 45 min · Weigh saving until you can afford something against rushing to get it now.

1. At €5 a week, how many weeks to save €15?
2. If rushing means paying €18 in total, how much more is that?
3. Name one feeling that makes people rush.
4. When might waiting NOT be the right choice?

Extension. Little and often

Goldie · 45 min · See how small regular amounts add up to a large total over time, using simple totals.

1. €1 a week for 12 weeks — what total?
2. €2 a week for 12 weeks?
3. About how much is €1 a week for a whole year (52 weeks)?
4. Why can "little and often" beat waiting to save a lot at once?

My money reflection

A quiet close to the month.

1. A goal I'd like to start saving for…
2. One small habit that would help me save…
3. Why keeping savings separate helps me…

Cut-out coins

Play money for the lessons and the mission — fictional, for practice only. Cut along the dashed circles; print one page per pair for extra coins.