Money Smart Kids
Chapter 9: Your First Money Challenge

Lesson 9.2: Track Your Income, Expenses, and Growth

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LESSON GOAL

BY THE END OF THIS LESSON,

you’ll learn how to keep track of the money you earn, spend, and save. You’ll use a simple tracker to watch your money grow — and learn why this habit helps you make smart choices for life.

💬 let’s break it down

Imagine trying to win a game but never keeping score. You wouldn’t know if you were getting better, or what moves worked best. 🎯

Tracking your money is like keeping score for your money life.

You’ll learn how to track:

  • Income – money you earn or receive

  • Expenses – money you spend

  • Growth – how your savings or investments increase over time

When you track your money, you learn things like:

  • “I earned more this week than last!”

  • “I spent a lot on snacks. Maybe I’ll save more next week.”

  • “Wow, I’ve saved $40 already — I’m getting close to my goal!”

It’s not about being perfect — it’s about paying attention.
Because when you know where your money is going, you can tell it where to go next.

🧠 ANALOGY: Money Tracking is Like a Video Game Progress Bar

When you play a game, you can see how close you are to the next level.
Tracking your money works the same way — it shows how far you’ve come and keeps you moving forward. 🕹️📈

🤔 critical thinking questions

Why do you think most people forget where their money goes?

How can tracking help you reach your goals faster?

What’s one thing you’ve spent money on that you now think wasn’t worth it?

How would it feel to look back and see all the progress you made?

✍️ journal entry: “My Money Wins So Far”

Write about how much you’ve earned, saved, or invested since you started this course.
What are you proud of?
What’s something you’d like to do better?

Then write:
“Tracking my money helps me feel…”

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 ACTIVITY WITH FAMILY OR FRIENDS: The Weekly Money Meeting

What You’ll Need:

  • A simple tracker (paper, spreadsheet, or printable)

  • Pens or markers

  • A weekly time to check in

What to Do:

  1. Pick a day each week (like Sunday) for your “Money Meeting.”

  2. Write down:

    • What you earned

    • What you spent

    • What you saved

  3. Talk about what went well and what you want to try next week.

🎯 What This Teaches: Regular check-ins help build money awareness, smart habits, and real confidence.

💵 real-life practice: Start Your Weekly Tracker Today

Use a printable or digital tracker to log:

  • Every time you earn money (even coins!)

  • Every time you spend (and what it was for)

  • Weekly savings total

Keep it going for the rest of the challenge — and celebrate every step forward.

🌟 Bonus: Use different colors for different buckets (Save, Spend, Share, Invest) to see how balanced your money is!

  • Add a short summary or a list of helpful resources here.