Third Grade
Worksheets
Decisions, Decisions!
"Do I want to go to the mall with you?" Sarah repeated the question that her friend, Ginger, had just asked her.
"Yeah, a bunch of us are going after school," said Ginger. "We can get ice cream and then shop for new clothes!" her friend said excitedly.
"Well, I don't know..." said Sarah.
"What's the problem?" asked Ginger.
"It's just that I'm saving all my allowance for a new bike," said Sarah. "I just went to the mall with you last Thursday. I spent my whole allowance for the last two weeks! Besides, I need to go walk my neighbor's dog today. I think I'd better just go home on the bus today, but thanks for asking. I'll go with you another time," smiled Sarah.
As she rode the bus home, Sarah thought about ways to use the money that she earned when she walked Mr. Lopez's dog, Brie. She had fun dreaming about what to do with the money. She had so many wants.
Wants are things we may want to have but are not necessary or needed. Needs are goods or services that we must have to live, such as food, clothing, and shelter. We need clothing to cover our bodies and to keep us warm. Clothing is a basic need. But we may want name-brand clothing because it is popular, although its higher price costs us more money.
Everyone who has money must make choices. Needs must be met first, and then leftover money can be spent on wants. Like everybody, Sarah has lots of wants. She really liked going to the mall and buying new clothes, eating ice cream, and going to the movies with her friends. But she also really wanted a new bike, and her parents said she would have to save the money herself.
Sarah knew that she wanted the bike more than she wanted to spend a few hours at the mall with her friends. She decided she would save her money so that she could buy a new bike. That thought made Sarah smile the whole time she was walking Mr. Lopez's dog. Brie was an energetic dog. Sarah thought, "After I get my new bike, I can ride it while Brie runs along beside me. I think she will like that!"
