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Saving coins in a piggy bank

Learn why saving coins is a good habit, how to count what you save, and how to wait for something you want.

Get the whole book: Life skills and money for classes 1 and 2 (6 lessons, free to print)

Let us begin

The big idea

Do you get a coin now and then from your family? You can keep some of it in a piggy bank. Little by little, the coins grow into something big!

Saving means keeping some money aside instead of spending it all today. We save for something we want later, or for a time when we might need it.

Small amounts add up. If you save 2 rupees every day for 5 days, you will have 10 rupees. It does not take long to see your savings grow.

Before we spend, we can ask: Do I need this or do I only want this? A need is something we must have, like food. A want is something nice to have, like a toy.

We count our savings once in a while, and we keep them safe at home. When the piggy bank is full, we can ask an adult to help us use the money wisely.

Coins growing in the piggy bankA piggy bank with a coin slot and three coins above it, with a label that says save a little each week. 5 5 5 Save a little each week.
Little coins, saved again and again, add up.

Worked examples

See how it works

  1. Saving for a toy

    A toy costs 20 rupees. If Anu saves 5 rupees every week, she needs 4 weeks to have 20 rupees. She waits and then buys it.

  2. Counting coins

    Ravi has 2 coins of 5 rupees and 3 coins of 1 rupee. The 5 rupee coins make 10, and the 1 rupee coins make 3. The total is 13 rupees.

  3. Need or want

    A water bottle for school is a need. A new toy car is a want. We buy needs first, and we save for wants.

Try it at home

Make a piggy bank

You will need

  • A clean plastic bottle or a small box with a lid
  • Paper and glue
  • Crayons
  • Scissors (adult use)

What to do

  1. Ask an adult to cut a thin slot in the lid of the box or bottle.
  2. Cover the box with coloured paper and draw a face to make it a piggy.
  3. Write your name on it.
  4. Each week, put in a little money that an adult gives you. Write the amount on a paper chart.
  5. After a month, ask an adult to help you count your savings.

Ask a grown-up: An adult should cut the slot, give the coins and help count the savings safely.

Practice sheet

Check what you learned

Write your answers in a notebook, or print this sheet and write on it. When you finish, mark your work with the answer key.

Practice sheet: Saving coins in a piggy bank (Classes 1-2, Life skills and money)

  1. What does saving mean?
  2. Why do people save money?
  3. You save 2 rupees a day for 5 days. How much do you have?
  4. Is food a need or a want?
  5. Is a new toy a need or a want?
  6. You have 2 coins of 5 rupees and 1 coin of 2 rupees. How much money is that?
  7. A pencil box costs 30 rupees. You have 10 rupees. How many more do you need?
  8. Where should you keep your savings?
  9. Who can help you count and use your savings?
  10. Name one thing you would like to save for.

Answer key

Answers: Saving coins in a piggy bank

Do the practice sheet first, then check here. If an answer is different from yours, read the lesson again and try once more.

  1. Keeping some money aside instead of spending it all.
  2. To buy something later or to use when needed.
  3. 10 rupees (2 x 5 = 10).
  4. A need.
  5. A want.
  6. 12 rupees (5 + 5 + 2 = 12).
  7. 20 rupees (30 - 10 = 20).
  8. In a safe place such as a piggy bank at home.
  9. A parent or another trusted adult.
  10. Sample answer: a book, a toy or a gift for my mother.

What next

Keep learning

Get the whole book

All 6 life skills and money lessons for classes 1 and 2 on one page, with every practice sheet and answer key, ready to print.

Life skills and money for classes 1 and 2

All 136 lessonsAll printable books

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