This document provides information about saving money and building wealth through savings and investments. It discusses resisting temptation to spend, setting savings goals like emergency funds or down payments, and starting to save early. It recommends saving 10-20% of income and provides examples of differences between savings and investments. Students are prompted to reflect on when the right time is to start saving and challenges to saving, and are given a savings calculator tool.

1. SAVE EARLY & OFTEN
• Standard – Savings and Investing
• Learning Objectives
• Students will be able to
• Explain how savings and investing contribute to
financial well-being, building wealth, and helping
meet personal financial goals.

2. DON’T EAT THE MARSHMALLOW!
REFLECT ON A MOMENT WHEN YOU WERE VERY
TEMPTED TO SPEND MONEY ON SOMETHING. DID
YOU END UP SPENDING THE MONEY? WHY IS IT
SOMETIMES SO HARD TO RESIST?

4. WHAT IS WEALTH?
Your friends and you notice a
classmate who always has brand
new clothes, shoes, and
electronics.
• What would you need to know
in order to tell if this
classmate’s family is wealthy?
• How are wealth and savings
related?
As you move forward with the
rest of the lesson, keep in mind
how improving your saving
habits impacts your overall
wealth.

5. Save for Your
Emergency Fund
Save for Retirement
Save for a Down
Payment for a
House
Save to Maximize
Interest Rates
Save for a Vacation,
Car, or Other Big
Purchase
Save for Irregular of
Recurring Expenses
College Education

6. HOW MUCH SHOULD I SAVE?
Watch this video on how much to save, which
also gives some examples of what to save for.
Then answer:
• How much does Kal Penn recommend you
save?
• What are the three savings categories he
recommends?
• Why does it make sense to start saving or
investing right now?
Save Early &
Often

7. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAVINGS & INVESTING
Watch this video and use what you’ve learned to
answer the following.
Savings Investing
Putting $20 per paycheck into
an account to help pay for
books during college
Contributing 3% of your
paycheck to a 401(k)-plan
offered through your job
Giving your cousin $5000 to
help start his business, in
exchange for 5% of his monthly
profits
Depositing your annual income
tax return into an account until
you have enough to buy a car

8. Which of the 5 tricks are you
already doing?
Which of the 5 tricks would be
MOST difficult for you to
implement? Why?

9. WHEN IS THE
RIGHT TIME
TO START
SAVING?

10. Savings Calculator

12. CARTOONS: WHY IS IT SO HARD TO SAVE MONEY?
CARTOON #1

13. CARTOONS: WHY IS IT SO HARD TO SAVE MONEY?
CARTOON #2

14. CARTOONS: WHY IS IT SO HARD TO SAVE MONEY?
CARTOON #3

15. CARTOONS: WHY IS IT SO HARD TO SAVE MONEY?
CARTOON #4

16. CARTOONS: WHY IS IT SO HARD TO SAVE MONEY?
CARTOON #5

17. CARTOONS: WHY IS IT SO HARD TO SAVE MONEY?
CARTOON #6

18. EXIT TICKET