Ask someone at home for three empty envelopes. Now, write on the outside of the first, “for me”, then the second “for saving,” and the third, “for giving.” Get the money in your room, and divide it into the three envelopes. Think carefully! How much do you want to spend on you (#1)? How much do you want to save for something you really want to buy in the future (#2)? How much do you want to give to other people who need help (#3)? Talk to an adult about your choices and think about where you can donate your money in envelope #3. Make your envelopes a habit and divide up your allowance or money you earn whenever you get it. You’re going to save your money and see it grow, and you’re not going to believe how great it will feel to help others out.

Get a piece of paper and write down three things that you can do really well. It can be anything, like sports, singing, dancing, writing, doing sign language, collecting things, skateboarding. Okay, now that you have listed just a few of your talents, think about how you can be more thrifty with them, in other words how you can get even better at them. Here’s an easy way: You could practice more. Or, ask an adult how you could get better. Maybe you could take a lesson at school or after school. That’s a great way to spend your time, because you’re so talented.

Keeping time: For one whole day, write down how you spend your time. Seriously. From the moment your eyes open in the morning, until you close them at night, write down somewhere everything you are doing with your time. Then, the next day, take a look at your list, and ask yourself: ‘What was the most useful time I spent?’ ‘What was the least useful time?’ ‘Did I use my time wisely?’ ‘Did I waste time?’ It’s fun to have your friends do this too and talk about it with them. (You’re not going to believe some of the crazy ways you spend your time.) Doing a time log every once in a while is great way to practice being more thrifty with your time.

Answer: Your talents. You can volunteer so many cool ways at school and where you live. What is it that you are really good at doing? Do you like organizing things? Are you a good writer? Is math your favorite subject? Are you interested in medicine and doctors? Do you like spending time with little kids? Helping people like grandparents who are older? You can give some of your time and talents to really help people out in your neighborhood. Talk to an adult and find out where someone your age can volunteer. It’s a lot of fun!

Let your money take a walk for you. Making a donation of money is a great thing to do, and it really makes a difference. There are so many organizations that need help, so before you give anything, think about where you want to make a difference. Do you want to give to help children, hungry or sick people, animals, your church, synagogue or mosque? Those are just a few ideas. Talk to an adult about picking the organization you want to help, and how to give your donation. It feels great when your money can really help someone out.

When is the last time you just spent time with someone because you knew it would make them feel good? Think about someone who would really like one hour of your time, just hanging out and doing something you both enjoy, with no distractions (no cell phone or TV on!). Maybe it’s your mom or dad, your sister or brother, your grandparents, a friend who needs cheering up, or a cousin. Pick your person, then tell them you want one hour to spend together as soon as they can. It’s guaranteed to be a lot of fun for both of you!