Chapter 4: Spending with Intention
LESSON GOAL
BY THE END OF THIS LESSON,
you’ll understand why making smart choices with your money matters — and how learning to prioritize helps you reach the goals that matter most. You’ll practice deciding what’s really worth spending on and how to choose with purpose.
💬 let’s break it down
Let’s be real — there’s A LOT of cool stuff out there. Snacks, games, toys, tech, trips, shoes, clothes... the list never ends. 😅
But here’s the truth: You can have anything you want — but not everything.
That means you can get the things you care about most, but you’ll need to make choices and sometimes say “not right now” to other things.
This is called intentional spending — spending your money on the stuff that really matters to YOU, instead of buying just because something looks fun in the moment.
Every time you spend, you're making a decision:
Is this something I really want right now?
Or would I rather wait and use my money for something even better?
You don’t have to say “no” to everything. You just learn to say “yes” to the right things — the things that fit your goals, your values, and your budget.
🧠 ANALOGY: Spending is Like Filling a Backpack
Imagine you’re going on a long hike and only have one backpack. You can’t bring everything, or it’ll get too heavy. You have to choose what matters most — snacks, water, maybe your favorite game or book.
Money is the same. You could spend it all on little stuff… but you might run out of room (or money) before you get to the really cool thing you wanted.
🤔 critical thinking questions
Have you ever spent money on something small and regretted it later?
What’s something you waited for — and it was totally worth it?
Why do you think it’s hard to say no to things, even if we know we’re saving for something better?
How can you tell if something is worth your money?
✍️ journal entry: “This or That?”
Write down three times you spent money recently.
Next to each one, ask yourself:
Was it something I really wanted?
Would I spend that money the same way again?
What could I have done with that money instead?
Now write one thing you really want, and what you’ll need to say “no” to in order to say “yes” to it later.
👨👩👧👦 ACTIVITY WITH FAMILY OR FRIENDS: Would You Rather — Money Edition
What You’ll Need:
A list of fun spending scenarios
A small group (family or friends)
What to Do:
Take turns asking each other “Would you rather spend $20 on ___ or save it for ___?”
Example:
“Would you rather spend $20 on candy now, or save it for a waterpark ticket next month?”
Let everyone explain their choice — there’s no wrong answer!
🎯 What This Teaches: It’s okay to want different things — but thinking through your choices helps you spend with purpose.
💵 real-life practice: Pick Your Priority
This week, choose ONE thing you really want.
Write it down, draw it, or post a picture of it near your save jar.
Then, every time you want to spend money on something else, ask:
“Would I rather have this now… or that later?”
🌟 Bonus: Ask your parent or sibling what they’ve saved up for and how they stayed focused!
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