Quarterly Coin

Each quarter you and a parent look at your real money — not play money. That’s how you start learning budgeting and investing: what came in, what went out, and what’s growing.

1. Open the Numbers app on your Mac or iPad. (It’s the green one with a “+” on a spreadsheet.)
2. Find the Quarterly Coin spreadsheet. Don’t see it? Ask a parent — they know where it lives.
3. Open it and click around. You should be able to see it, scroll it, and read the numbers. If it won’t open, stop and get help before you go on.

Income is money that comes in. Allowance, a job, a gift, or money your investments pay you all count.

Debt is money you owe someone else. It’s a promise to pay it back — not a gift, and not yours to keep.

A loan is when someone lets you use their money now, and you pay it back later. You often pay a little extra, called interest, for borrowing it.

A bond is you lending money to a company or a government. They pay you interest, then give the money back. Bonds are usually calmer than stocks.

A stock is a tiny piece of a company. If the company does well, your piece can be worth more. It can also go down — that’s the tradeoff.

Some companies share their profits with owners. If you own the stock, that extra cash is a dividend — money the company pays you just for owning a piece.

Sit with a parent and update this quarter’s numbers. What came in, what went out, and what’s in your investments. Use the real amounts — don’t guess.

When the sheet matches real life, you’re ready to talk about it.

Not a test. Sit with a parent and talk these through. Use the spreadsheet when a question is about your money.

1. 1

   Your investment income

   What is your current investment income, and where does it come from?

2. 2

   Bond or stock?

   Why might you pick a bond? Why might you pick a stock instead?

3. 3

   What is income?

   In your own words, what is income? Name two ways you might get some.

4. 4

   Debt vs loan

   What’s the difference between debt and a loan?

5. 5

   That extra dollar

   If a friend pays you back $10 plus a dollar extra, what was that extra dollar?

6. 6

   Why buy a stock?

   A stock can go up or down. Why would someone still buy one?

7. 7

   The bond tradeoff

   Bonds are usually calmer than stocks. What’s the tradeoff — what might you give up?

8. 8

   What is a dividend?

   What is a dividend, in plain words? Do all companies pay one?

9. 9

   This quarter

   Look at this quarter: did you spend more, save more, or earn more? How can you tell?

10. 10

    Extra $100

    If you had $100 extra this quarter, would you spend it, save it, or invest it — and why?