Chapter 3: Smart Saving – Pay Yourself First
LESSON GOAL
BY THE END OF THIS LESSON,
you’ll create a personal savings plan and tracker to help you stay focused, motivated, and excited about reaching your savings goals. You’ll learn how to break your big dreams into small steps and track your progress over time!
💬 let’s break it down
It’s one thing to say you want to save… but it’s another thing to actually do it. That’s why smart savers don’t just wish for money — they make a plan and track their progress.
Let’s say you want to buy something that costs $100. That might feel huge at first. But if you make a plan to save $10 a week, you’ll get there in 10 weeks!
Making a savings plan helps you:
Stay on track
Stay excited
Know exactly how close you are to your goal
A tracker is where you write it all down — how much you’ve saved, how much more you need, and how far you’ve come. You can use a notebook, printable chart, stickers, or even a coloring page.
Seeing your progress builds confidence — and makes saving feel fun!
🧠 ANALOGY: A Savings Plan is Like a Treasure Map
Imagine you’re looking for treasure. 🗺️
Would you just wander around, hoping to bump into it?
No way! You’d want a treasure map — something that shows you where to go, step by step, until you reach the X.
Your savings plan is your treasure map. Your tracker is how you see how far you’ve gone — and how close you are to the prize.
🤔 critical thinking questions
What’s a savings goal that feels exciting to you right now?
How would tracking your progress help you stay motivated?
What happens if you don’t reach your savings goal on time — do you quit or adjust?
What’s one small reward you could give yourself for reaching mini milestones?
✍️ journal entry: “My Treasure Plan”
Pick one thing you want to save for.
Write down:
What it is
How much it costs
When you want to reach your goal
How much you plan to save each week
Then write one sentence about how it will feel when you finally get it!
Optional: Draw a treasure map with your goal at the end.
👨👩👧👦 ACTIVITY WITH FAMILY OR FRIENDS: Tracker Craft Time
What You’ll Need:
Paper, poster board, or a printable savings chart
Markers, stickers, or crayons
A list of savings goals from Lesson 3.2
What to Do:
Choose a savings goal together.
Make a tracker with 10–20 sections you can color or sticker each time you save.
Hang it somewhere you’ll see it every day!
Celebrate each time you hit a savings milestone.
🎯 What This Teaches: Visual progress helps keep saving fun and encourages consistency.
💵 real-life practice: Start & Stick to Your Plan
This week, put your savings plan into action.
Start with:
Your savings goal
Your total amount needed
Your target date
Your tracker chart
Each time you save, update your chart and celebrate progress — even if it’s just $1 at a time. Small steps lead to big wins!
🌟 Bonus: Share your tracker with someone who will cheer you on!
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