Third Grade
Worksheets
Three Different Choices
Jimmy started saving his allowance at the beginning of summer. He was saving for a new bike. He saw the perfect bike in the window of the cycle shop. It cost almost a hundred dollars. His parents said he could have it as long as he paid for it himself. His allowance was only five dollars a week. He didn't really want to wait five months to get the bike so he decided he needed to earn some extra money along the way. He mowed his neighbor's lawn and earned five dollars for that. He took care of another neighbor's dog while his family was on vacation and earned ten dollars for that. With his allowance and his earnings, it would still take him a long time before he could buy the bike. Jimmy began to think of other things he could do to earn money. He walked all around the neighborhood asking for work. By the end of the summer, Jimmy got his bike.
Fred wanted a scooter. The scooter he wanted cost three hundred dollars. He started saving his allowance for a scooter. His father told him he would pay half the cost of the scooter, but Fred must pay the other half. Fred was excited. He got six dollars a week for his allowance. He had already saved twelve dollars. His friend Mike came over with a new computer game. They played it together. It was fun.
"How much did it cost?" asked Fred.
"Twenty dollars," answered Mike. "But I know where you can get a used one for only twelve."
Fred wanted the new game. He took his scooter savings out of his drawer, and he and Mike went to the store to purchase the game. After he played the game for a while, he was tired of it. He wished he had not spent the money he had been saving towards the scooter on a game. Now he would have to start all over.
Because Fred kept spending all or part of his allowance, he gave up on getting a scooter.
Maria saw a pretty coat at the department store. She wanted it for school. She asked her mother if she could have the coat. Her mother said she did not have the money to buy a fancy coat like the one Maria wanted. Maria's face fell. She pouted the rest of the morning. When she and her mother got home, Maria went to her room. She lay on her bed looking at magazines. Her mother asked her to help make dinner.
"Just a minute," Maria answered, but she did not help her mother. Maria went into the bathroom and took a shower. Her mother made dinner without Maria's help.
