Opportunity Cost of Money

What You'll Learn

🧠 Buying a $20 game means NOT buying a $20 book. The book is your opportunity cost. Here's how to do it: 1. Look carefully at the problem. What do you see? 2. Think about what you already know. Does this remind you of something? 3. Try an answer! It's totally okay to be wrong — that's how we learn. 4. Check: did it work? If not, try something else! You're building your thinking muscles. The more you practice, the stronger they get!

Key Concept: What you give up when spending

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Think About This

👫 You and your friend disagree about something. How can what you give up when spending help you figure out who's right — or if you're BOTH a little right?

Thinking Steps

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👀 What Do I See?

Look at the problem about what you give up when spending. What do you notice?

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🤔 What Do I Know?

What do you already know that could help? Have you seen something like this before?

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💡 What's My Idea?

Think of an answer. Can you think of a second one too?

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⭐ What Did I Learn?

Check your answer. Was it right? What did you figure out? Tell someone!

Key Points

Master what you give up when spending

Apply financial & real life thinking in real situations

Build habits of financial & real life thinking

Key Vocabulary

Want

Something you'd like but don't need

Save

Keeping something for later

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Why This Matters in Real Life

When you choose to save your allowance for something bigger instead of buying candy now, you're practicing smart money thinking!

Talk About It

Discuss these questions with a friend, parent, or classmate.

1Can you explain what you give up when spending to a friend using your own words?
2What was the most interesting thing you learned today?
3Draw a picture of what you learned and show it to someone!

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

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What is the main idea of what you give up when spending?