We all know how much easier saving is when you have a goal.  I remember as a 12 year old with a newspaper route with 45 customers, I set a goal of saving a $1,000 for the year.  I vaguely recall thinking that I better start saving for college (I heard my older brothers talk about tight college finances).  I created a graph where I charted my weekly savings to see my progress towards my goal.  With a stellar holiday bonus season, I remember the satisfaction that came from hitting that milestone.  

With our activity, “Create Your Savings Goal,” we guide students through a brainstorming session that starts with them writing goals on post-it notes and then has them categorize these goals into short, medium and long-term goals.  We then ask them to pick a goal from each category and develop a plan for how to achieve it.

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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