Spend, Save, or Share

Learn how to organize money to meet spending, saving, or sharing goals. 

Grades: 1st grade and up 

Materials: 3 jars, boxes, bags, or other containers to hold money; tape or glue; scissors; writing utensil. 

Time: 30 minutes 

Whether you are starting to save or you have a full piggy bank, this activity can help. Learn how to organize your money and decide what to do with it. 

There are three actions we can take with the money we have:

1. We can spend it. This means we use our money to buy an item, like a toy, a snack, or a new pair of shoes.
2. We can save it. This means we keep our money somewhere safe and use it at a later time.
3. We can share it. This means we give our money to an individual or an organization that helps others. For example, we might give our money to a food bank that provides meals to those in need.

To make sure you have money to spend, save, or share, download this Spend, Save, or Share activity guide (PDF). 

To get started:

1. Find 3 jars or other containers, like a box, bag, or piggy bank that can store money. 
2. Use the Spend, Save, or Share activity guide to print, cut, and attach a label to each of your jars. 
3. Once you have the jars labeled, think about what your goals are for the money you have or will have. Ask an adult to help you decide if you need ideas. 
4. After you decide on your goals, organize your money in each container. Keep filling each container as you get more money. 
5. When you have enough to meet your goals, you can start spending or sharing! For example, if your save goal needed $25 and you earned $25, use the money to buy the item for saved for! 
6. Once you meet one of your goals, you can set a new goal. If you bought a skateboard, maybe the next item you want to spend money on is a helmet.

Good luck spending, saving, and sharing!