Money sure comes in handy! You can use it to buy the things that you need (such as clothes) or want (such as games).

While you’re young, it’s a good idea to learn how to be smart about using your money. Here are some tips to get you started on being a smart money user. Have a plan for each of these:

Payday – If you get a weekly allowance, ask your parents if they'll give it to you at a certain time or day each week. This is like their payday. Also, talk to your parents about the kinds of things that you should buy with your allowance. This way you can learn how many weeks' allowances you'll need to save to buy something that you want.

Rainy day – Save "extra" money in a bank at home. This is similar to what adults do when they say that they are "saving for a rainy day."

Gift time – If you get money for a gift, ask your parents to take you to their credit union to open a savings account in your name. (If you already have an account, good for you!)

Bonds – If you receive a savings bond, ask your parents to explain how much the savings bond is worth now, and what it will be worth in the future. Ask your parents to keep the bonds in a safe place and to give you a record of the amounts.

Shopping – If you go grocery shopping with your parents, offer to help them look at the prices and find the food that costs less money. This is called comparing prices. For example, if you read the prices for different brands of soup, you can tell them which is the least expensive for the same size.

You can learn a lot about how to handle money from your parents. When your parents talk about what they're going to do with some of the money, ask them to let you join in. For example, you can tell them your ideas about where to go on vacation when the family only has a certain amount of money to spend.