Chapter 1: Mindset First – What Is Money?
LESSON GOAL
BY THE END OF THIS LESSON,
you’ll understand the difference between earning money by doing a job and creating your own way to make money. You’ll start thinking like an entrepreneur and discover how your ideas, talents, and time all have value!
💬 let’s break it down
Let’s say your mom asks you to fold the laundry and says she’ll give you $3 if you do a good job. You’re doing a task someone asked you to do — that’s called earning money.
Now imagine you decide to make cool bracelets and sell them at your cousin’s soccer game. Nobody asked you to do it — you had the idea yourself, and you made the money happen. That’s called creating income.
Earning is when someone else gives you a job.
Creating is when you make your own job. 🧠💡
Lots of adults earn money by working for someone else — like a store or a company. But some adults (and kids!) create money by starting their own businesses. You don’t have to choose just one. You can do both!
🧠 ANALOGY: Earning vs. Creating is Like Working at a Pizza Place vs. Starting Your Own Pizza Stand
Let’s say you work at a pizza place. You take orders, clean tables, and bake pizzas. You get paid for your time — that’s earning income.
But if you open your own little pizza stand at the park and sell slices you made yourself — that’s creating income. You made the idea, the plan, the food, AND the money!
Both are awesome, but creating gives you more freedom — and a bigger challenge too.
🤔 critical thinking questions
What’s one way you’ve earned money before?
Can you think of a time you created something others liked or bought?
Which one do you think takes more creativity: earning or creating?
If you could make your own job, what would you do?
✍️ journal entry: “My Money-Making Superpower”
If you could earn or create money doing something you love, what would it be? Would you walk dogs, sell your art, or teach something you know?
Write a journal entry or draw a picture of yourself doing your dream money-making activity. Give it a fun name, like “The Great Brownie Biz” or “Slime Queen Saturdays.”
👨👩👧👦 ACTIVITY WITH FAMILY OR FRIENDS: Job Board vs. Biz Board
What You’ll Need:
Paper
Markers or pens
Your imagination
What to Do:
On one paper, make a “Job Board” with tasks you could do to earn money from your family (like washing dishes, vacuuming, babysitting).
On another paper, make a “Biz Board” — your ideas for creating income (like selling lemonade, crafts, or a cool service).
Ask your family which ideas they think are most creative or helpful!
🧠 What This Teaches: There are different ways to make money — and YOU have the power to think like a boss.
💵 real-life practice: Start Something Small
Try creating income this week by doing one small thing:
Make a handmade card and offer to sell it for $1
Create a short story or comic and read it aloud for $0.50
Make a “menu” of services you can offer (like organizing books, pet sitting, or helping with tech)
Even if you don’t sell anything this time, you’re practicing how to think like a creator — and that’s what counts!
-
Add a short summary or a list of helpful resources here.