May · Month 9 of the money year

Borrowing

“When is borrowing a smart move — and when does it cost too much?”

By the end of the month, pupils can compare the amount borrowed with the total repaid, see that borrowing usually has a price, decide whether a reason to borrow is worth it, test whether a repayment plan fits expected money, and use a borrow-smart checklist.

Ages 8–11 · 4 lessons + a mission · 45 min each

🖨️ Print the pupil workbook Browse in the Lesson Finder

📖 Also in the printable year workbook (PDF), pupil pp. 129–141

The month's teaching plan

Four 45-minute lessons in this order, then the classroom mission.

The amount back matters

Goldie · 45 min

Goal: Compare amount borrowed with total amount repaid.

loanrepayborrowing costfee

You need: fictional offers: A receive €12 now, repay €15 in one month; B receive €12 now, repay €4 each week for four weeks.

Lesson plan (45 min) + what pupils do+

Scenario

Offer A gives €12 now and requires €15 next month. Offer B gives €12 now and requires four weekly payments of €4. Compare total repayment and the extra amount paid.

45-minute flow

5m ask which offer sounds smaller; 8m model four payments of €4 = €16; 20m pairs mark amount received, amount repaid and extra cost for A and B; 8m discuss why a small instalment can hide a larger total; 4m exit: state total B.

What pupils do

Extra cost A?
Total B?
Extra cost B?
Which costs less under the stated terms and by how much?

Borrowing has a price

Goldie · 45 min

Goal: Show that borrowing usually costs extra, and that the extra is the price of having the money now.

loaninterestborrowing costtotal repaid

You need: two fictional offers — Offer X: borrow €10 now, repay €12 in one month; a friend who lends €10 and asks for €10 back with nothing added.

Lesson plan (45 min) + what pupils do+

Scenario

Offer X gives €10 now and asks for €12 back next month. A friend would lend €10 and ask for only €10 back. Work out the extra each one costs, and say what the extra pays for.

45-minute flow

5m ask whether borrowing €10 always means paying back exactly €10; 8m model Offer X as €12 repaid on €10 borrowed, so €2 is the borrowing cost; 20m pairs mark the amount borrowed, the total repaid and the extra for Offer X and for the friend's loan; 8m discuss why the friend's loan costs less and why you should always ask the total first; 4m exit: state the total you repay on Offer X.

What pupils do

How much extra do you pay on Offer X?
What is the total you repay on Offer X?
The friend lends €10 and you repay €10 — what does that loan cost?
What should you always ask before you agree to borrow?

Worth borrowing for?

Penny · 45 min

Goal: Decide whether a reason to borrow is an urgent need or a want that could wait and be saved for.

needwanturgentwait

You need: two fictional €15 cards — a warm coat needed for a school trip next week, and a third copy of a toy the pupil already owns twice; a saving plan of €5 each week.

Lesson plan (45 min) + what pupils do+

Scenario

Two fictional cards each cost €15: a warm coat needed for next week's trip, and a third copy of a toy you already own. Decide which reason to borrow for makes more sense, and which can simply wait.

45-minute flow

5m ask which of the two €15 things cannot wait until next week; 8m model the coat as an urgent need and the third toy as a want; 20m teams sort each card into "need now" or "can wait" and work out how long saving €5 a week would take for the toy; 8m discuss why borrowing can make sense for an urgent need but a want is usually worth saving for; 4m exit: one question to ask before borrowing for a want.

What pupils do

Which card is a need?
Which card can wait?
Saving €5 each week, how many weeks to reach €15 for the toy?
For a want that can wait, what is one question to ask yourself before borrowing?

Could the plan actually work?

Cash · 45 min

Goal: Test whether repayments fit money already expected.

repayment plandue dateavailableshortfall

You need: fictional club earns €5 each week for four weeks and already needs €3 weekly for supplies; proposed repayment €4 weekly.

Lesson plan (45 min) + what pupils do+

Scenario

The club receives €5 each week for four weeks. It already needs €3 each week for supplies. Someone suggests a €4 weekly repayment. Build a four-week table before agreeing.

45-minute flow

5m ask whether €5 income means €4 is affordable; 8m model €5−€3 = €2 available; 20m groups fill four-week tables and find the shortfall; 8m discuss changing the project or waiting rather than relying on hoped-for income; 4m exit: state weekly shortfall.

What pupils do

Money left after supplies each week?
Repayment shortfall each week?
Total shortfall over four weeks?
Suggest a safe project change.

Final mission

Goldie's borrow-smart checklist

Goldie · 45 min · independent, after rehearsal

Goal: Use a four-question checklist to decide well about borrowing, and apply it to one fictional offer.

Lesson plan (45 min) + what pupils do+

Scenario

An offer gives €10 now for €13 back, for something you could instead save for at €3 a week for four weeks (€12). Run the offer through four questions: need it now, can repay on time, total cost, and is there a cheaper way?

45-minute flow

5m read Goldie's four questions aloud; 8m model the offer's total as €13 and the saving route as €3 × 4 = €12; 20m teams run the offer through all four questions and compare borrowing with saving; 8m discuss which question the offer fails and why the saving route is both cheaper and debt-free; 4m exit: write the checklist question you find most important.

What pupils do

What is the total you would repay on the offer?
What does the saving route cost in total, and how is it worked out?
Which checklist question does the offer fail, and why?
Which checklist question do you think matters most, and why?

Optional extensions

Extra lessons for classes that move faster — invitations, not compulsory homework.

Borrow, save, or change the goal?

Penny · 45 min

Compare time, cost and flexibility for a fictional non-urgent purchase.

Small payments, long time

Goldie · 45 min

Show that a smaller weekly payment can hide a bigger total and a much longer time.

When a payment is missed

Cash · 45 min

Show that a missed repayment can add a fee, and that the first safe step is to tell a trusted adult early rather than borrow more.

A promise between friends

Penny · 45 min

Show that borrowing between people works on a clear, fair agreement that is written down and kept.

Practise it — free games & tools

The same ideas as a game or tool a child does themselves — for a station, quiet time or home.

Family Loan vs Bank Buy Now, Pay Later check Cashflow tracker

For the teacher

Prepare once

Print the borrow-smart checklist page and fictional loan cards (borrow €10, pay back €12; small weekly payments over a long time). Use a board to show 'amount back' beside 'amount borrowed'. All amounts and lenders are invented.

Adapt for your class

For 6–8, compare 'borrow €10, pay back €12' and name the extra. For 9–12, test whether weekly repayments fit expected money and reveal how small payments can hide a big total. Provide a worked repayment example and keep amounts whole-euro.

Assess the mission

In the mission (borrow-smart checklist), mark: total repaid is compared with amount borrowed; the reason to borrow is judged (urgent need vs a want that could wait); and a repayment plan is checked against expected money. A thoughtful 'no' or 'not yet' is a strong answer.

The pupil workbook

Print-ready A4 pages: cover, diagnostic, every lesson with writing space, the mission, reflection and cut-out coins. Open and print (or save as PDF).

Open the workbook →

Next month: June — Taxes & society

Education only — not financial advice. All shops, prices and people in the scenarios are fictional.

Borrowing

“When is borrowing a smart move — and when does it cost too much?”

Ages 8–11 · 4 lessons + a mission · 45 min each

📖 Also in the printable year workbook (PDF), pupil pp. 129–141

💳 Borrowing

The month's teaching plan

The amount back matters

Borrowing has a price

Worth borrowing for?

Could the plan actually work?

Goldie's borrow-smart checklist

Optional extensions

Borrow, save, or change the goal?

Small payments, long time

When a payment is missed

A promise between friends

Practise it — free games & tools

For the teacher

Prepare once

Adapt for your class

Assess the mission

The pupil workbook

💳 Borrowing

The month's teaching plan

The amount back matters

Borrowing has a price

Worth borrowing for?

Could the plan actually work?

Goldie's borrow-smart checklist

Optional extensions

Borrow, save, or change the goal?

Small payments, long time

When a payment is missed

A promise between friends

Practise it — free games & tools

For the teacher

Prepare once

Adapt for your class

Assess the mission

The pupil workbook

Borrowing

Borrowing