Welcome to your wondrous Savings Quest!

You will need: one adult, three real-life savings jars (labelled savings, spending, and sharing) and something you really want to save for (your goal). Write this goal down.

A goal without a plan is just a wish.

Let’s plan how to make your goal happen. How much money will you need? How much will you need to save each day? Write this down, you have a savings plan!

Money question time!

How do adults earn money? What do grown-ups spend money on? What can you do to make more money? Ask your adult to give you honest answers – you can handle it.

Did you know that an ATM isn’t a magic money machine? It is like a big savings jar for adults… or for kids. Yep, your parents earn money by working hard and the bank's ATM stores it for them.

How can you earn money to reach your goal? Here are some thoughts: Chores – ask your adult what you can do to help and earn money. Pocket money, if you get it, save it, don’t spend it all. Put your earnings in your jar marked ‘savings’. (More about the other two jars later.)

Talk about ‘wants’ and ‘needs’ with your adult. A want is something you can wait for. A need is something you have to have. Needs come before wants. Answer ‘want’ or ‘need’ to each of these: pizza, water, house, toy, milkshake, bread, and electricity.

How do dinosaurs pay their bills? With Tyrannosaurus cheques!

Unfortunately, we aren’t dinosaurs so we need actual cash. Count your coins. Are you doing well? If you are far off, work out how many more chores you need to do to reach your goal.

Did you know, if you save in an account with ‘interest’ it can grow on its own! Yes, your money can actually make more money… Putting cash in a jar for a while is fine, but you and your adult should go on a quest to find an investment account to save it in, so it grows.

Let’s check in on your savings... do you still have your eye on that original goal? Sticking to a savings plan is really important if you want to fill up your jars. Amazing things do take time, so try to be patient, it will be worth it.

Think back over the last seven days. What have you learnt? Remember, reaching a goal without a good plan for earning and saving money is impossible! Adult – can you treat our young saver for their hard work?

Today you get to quiz your adult! Ask them: what is a budget? (Hint: it is a plan that tells you how your money will be used.) Do we have one? What is the biggest item on our household budget? Adulting is hard guys, give your adult a cuddle.

How is your quest to earn money going? How about using your talents to create things to sell? If you are an artist, paint a lovely picture and sell it. Or if you like to bake with your adult, you can sell yummy cupcakes. The more you earn the more you can save! Turning things you love into a way to earn money is fun!

Spending less means there is more to save. Can your family spend less? Next time you go shopping, compare the prices of things. Which bread is the cheapest? Little savings here and there make a big difference over time!

Today’s topic is delayed gratification. Say what? It goes like this: if you want something amazing and exciting – like a new bike – but you spend all your money on sweets, you will never get the bike. By saving now and not buying sweets you can afford the bike later. The reward is so much bigger.

Obstacle course time! Run around your house and find three items – one expensive, one that doesn’t cost that much and one that costs very little. See if your adult agrees with you and chat about the value of money (why some things are worth more than others).

The jar system: today let’s add two more jars to our collection. You already have one for saving, now add one for spending and one for sharing with someone in need or spoiling a loved one. Spending can be for sweets or small things. The sharing one is all about doing good for others! Decide which jar to put today’s earned money in.

Is R20 a lot or a little? Next time you go to the shops, look at the prices on the shelves to see what you could buy with R20. Can you buy a loaf of bread, some milk or perhaps a chocolate?

What do you call a roller-skating dragon? Talon-ted! Remember that your quest to save doesn’t need to stop at the end of this calendar. The Sanlam Savings Jar app is your lifelong (okay childhood-long) partner in your first quest to experience the wonder of saving!

We’re in the home stretch! Time to count all the money in your jars. How close are you? If you are not there yet, work hard for the extra money. Ask your adult for ideas on how to fill that jar up a bit more. Or add some more days to your plan – sometimes it takes longer to reach a goal and that is okay!

You and your adult are coming to the end of this quest. Can you recap what you learnt? Step 1) A goal; Step 2) A plan to reach the goal; Step 3) How will you earn the money?; Step 4) The role of budgeting; and Step 5) Sticking to your goal – patience/delayed gratification.

It is the end of your quest! Now, it’s time to decide… will you reward yourself and use your savings on your original treasure or set a new, even bigger goal to save for? It’s up to you! Give yourself and your adult a high five for being super savers!