Earning, Spending, and Saving

A paycheck isn't the only way kids can picture earning money — skills, time, and effort all play a part. Explore the basics of jobs, the skills behind them, and the four ways people get paid, then kick off a summer-long savings adventure with Lemonade Tycoon.

Owning a business isn't just about selling things — it's about solving problems for people who'll pay you to fix them. Explore what it means to be an entrepreneur, the difference between products and services, and why taxes take a bite out of every paycheck.

Every dollar can only be spent once, and that simple fact shapes every money decision we make. Explore opportunity cost, the difference between wants and needs, and how personal values guide spending choices.

Learning how to navigate external influences like peers and advertising, as well as understanding price and quality comparisons, will help you begin to make smart shopping choices based on your own values.

Saving isn't about saying no to fun now — it's about saying yes to something better later. Explore delayed gratification, opportunity cost, and the S.M.A.R.T. framework as students build a real savings plan for something they actually want.