All about Pocket Money - follow the lesson....

What is pocket money?

Pocket money - in other words - means:
"You have money in your pocket that you can spend!"
And now the question is: Where (or better: who) does that money come from?

It may be
a) that your parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles give you money every now and again, or
b) you get a regular sum of money, for example every week or once a month
c) or money gifts: sometimes people in the family give you money for birthdays or Christmas, Easter, Halloween..
Some of it may turn out to be "pocket money" - money that you can spend on what you want!!!

Task: in short, write how much money you normally get and who from!

Let´s surf to the British Museum....

and read all about money here: British Museum

What is money?
Uses of money
How is money made?
The origins of coinage
Fakes and forgeries

Money doesn´t grow on trees...beware of these mistakes!

Money doesn´t grow on trees....

There are lots of lessons to learn when you have pocket money - as the following list will show you:

- You can´t shop until you drop.
- If you spend your money at once, then it´s gone, there won´t be more until the next 'pay day'.
- If you make bad choices then that's tough! You'll be more sensible next time.
- If you break or ruin something and it isn't an accident you may have to pay back the cost of it.
- If you are saving for something and don't put that money away first, it takes a very long time to get what you want (because you have already spent your money on something else).
- If you borrow money, you have to pay it back.
- And: Many people are after your money - advertisers, agents, pickpockets,...!

These are good lessons to learn when you are young. Money doesn´t grow on trees!
It has to be worked for and it doesn't last long unless you are really careful and make good choices.

You are "the manager" of your pocket money!

Many parents give their children pocket money so that they learn how to buy & shop & pay themselves.
Youngsters can
... learn how use the money to get things they want
... get used to handling money and finding out what things cost
... learn how to count and calculate, to check their change
... become responsible for keeping their money in a safe place, for looking after money
... learn to save up for more expensive things
... learn not to spend everything at once but also to save part of their pocket money
... learn what is good value for money
... learn to compare prices carefully and shop around for the "best price":

A little bargaining here and there, looking for special offers, waiting for the season sales, selling and bidding at eBay...

...this is SMART SHOPPING: you get MORE for your pocket money!

Task: How do YOU shop clever & smart?

How much pocket money should you get?

How much money is right for you probably depends on
- what your parents, your family, your relatives can give and afford,
- how many children there are in your family and
- how old you are.

A little kindergarden kid may get one Euro, the older a child is the more pocket money would perhaps be right...

It also depends on what is to be done with it:
- you get a sum to save part of it and spend part of it on little things you like
- you get some money but you have to help, to do your little chores around the house.
- you don´t get regular pocket money but you may be paid for each job that you do well...

Each family is different.

Euro, Pound, Dollars.....currencies!

Banknotes and coins:

Austrian kids get their pocket money in Euro, English teens get Pounds, there are Dollars in America....

...>> here you can read more about our European currency, in English of course:
All about money: the EURO.

Where to keep your pocket money?

Of course, you want to keep your pocket money in a safe place:
there are some possibilities - read and think about "the best place" where to put it, where to hide it:

a) under your pillow
b) in an old stocking
c) in the cupboard, in a money jar
d) in a piggy bank

e) in a wallet or purse
f) at the bank, on a bank account

Task: which place is best for YOU? Say why...