Using trick-or-treating to show kids how to save

How to save

Tell this to your child and they'll quickly see what it means to save up for something:
 

On Halloween night, when you go trick-or-treating to fill your bag with candy, it's like you're collecting pocket change. The goal is to collect as much as you can and feel good about it. It's fun and encouraging to see your bag fill up as the evening progresses, isn't it? Even if you're sometimes a little tired of walking after several houses, you keep going anyway because you want to get more.
 

The same is true when you have a savings goal. Sometimes you have to work hard to see your piggy bank or account fill up even more. 
 

The importance of planning

What do you do when you get home from trick-or-treating? You sit down to take a look at everything you got. You sort your candy. You definitely can't eat them all that same night. You count and plan how many you can eat in the next few days. You may want to make it last by spreading it out over a long period of time.

The same principle applies when setting savings goals. Choose an object you want to buy or a project you want to carry out. You plan how much you need to save and for how long before you can get it.
 

After giving this explanation, introduce your child to Calculo. It's a tool for simulating a savings goal step by step. 
 

Continue the discussion 
 

After trick-or-treating, ask your child what they plan to do with their candy. They can choose more than one option!

 

• Eat all of it ASAP. 
• Only eat one per day. 
• Sort them from smallest to largest. 
• Eat only one type at a time. 
• Leave it all mixed together. 
• Hide it. 
• Share it with your family. 

These questions will definitely lead to great conversations with your child.

Happy Halloween!