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presents Paisa PalsPaisa Pals · Book 3
Kabir NEEDS a remote-control car. Or does he just WANT it? Join Srestha Didi and the Paisa Pals as they find out where pocket money disappears, try the three-jar plan, and become budget superheroes!
Saturday morning… WOW! A remote-control car that does flips! Riya! I NEED that car! Need? Or want? Is there a difference? A big difference! Knowing it is a money superpower. A superpower? Tell us, Didi! Did someone say superpower? We're in!
NEEDS are things we must have to live safely and stay healthy. WANTS are nice to have, but we can live without them. Chocolate is a NEED! I can't live without it! You'll survive, Kabir. I promise. (sadly) Fine. It's a want. Needs on this side. Wants on that side. Easy!
Quiz time! Need or want? Water! NEED! Cold drink? WANT! A yummy want. School shoes? Need! We can't go to school barefoot. Shoes with flashing lights? Want… but a VERY big want! See? Shoes are a need. Fancy, costly shoes are a want. The same thing can be both!
Every school day… One packet of chips, please, Mahendra Bhai! …for a whole month. Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! My ₹200 pocket money is GONE! Did the mouse eat it? No mouse this time. ₹10 of chips, 20 school days. That's ₹200! Small spends add up, beta. Like drops filling a bucket!
Hello, Kabir! Here's my secret: I can be spent only ONCE. If you spend me on chips, I can't help buy your car. Every time we choose one thing, we give up something else. So chips today means no car later? With a plan, you can have the car AND a few chips! A plan? Tell me!
I always make a plan BEFORE I spend. It's called a budget. A plan for money? Before spending it? That's so grown-up! A budget is just a plan that tells your money where to go. Without a plan, money goes wherever it likes. Like your chips money! Hey! (laughing) She's right, though!
Try three jars. When pocket money comes, split it BEFORE you spend. ₹100 to Save, ₹80 to Spend, ₹20 to Share. The car costs ₹600. At ₹100 a month, that's 6 months. SIX?! Buy fewer chips! Move ₹50 from Spend to Save. ₹150 a month means my car in just 4 months. Deal!
Our family makes a budget every month too. Needs come first: home loan, food, school fees, electricity and the doctor. Next comes saving. We save first, before buying any wants. Wants come last: a movie, eating out, a holiday. So wants wait in the queue? Needs first. Then savings. Then wants. Every family's plan is a little different.
Oh no! My school shoe broke, and sports day is tomorrow! Don't worry, Riya. We keep emergency savings for surprises like this. Emergency savings? Like a superhero's secret stash? Exactly! Money kept aside for things we don't expect, like a broken shoe or a doctor's visit. That's why savings come BEFORE wants. And I'll pick plain school shoes. A need, not a want!
My teammate has these shoes. I NEED them! Are your shoes broken? No… they're fine. Just not shiny. So is it a need or a want? (sighing) A want. Just because my teammate has them. Wanting what friends have is normal. Ask yourself: will I still want it next week? Good trick, Didi!
Look, Didi! The car flies over a river! Ads are made to make us want things. They show only the shiniest side. In the ad it flies. In real life, it just… drives. Hmm. Maybe I'll use my one-week waiting rule first. Great idea! If you still want it after a week, it's a real want. The week starts NOW!
My dream bat costs ₹1,260. I have ₹1,030 in the bank. So you need ₹230 more. I'll put ₹100 from my pocket money into my Save jar every month. In 3 months you'll have ₹300 more. That's enough! I made you a goal chart! Colour one part every month. A goal, a plan and a little patience. That's how saving works! Bat, here I come!
Day 1 I want that car SO much! Day 4 Still want it… a little less. Day 7 I still want it. So it's a real want. I'll save for it! Well done, Kabir! Waiting helps you choose wisely. Last year I waited, and forgot about half my wants! Waiting saves money. Got it!
Ajji's birthday is tomorrow! Let's use our Share jars. Together we have ₹120! Perfect! That buys a small birthday cake for Ajji. Happy birthday, Ajji! The sweetest part isn't the cake. It's your kind hearts! Sharing a little makes money feel good. That's what the Share jar is for.
Three months later… ₹1,330! Enough for my bat! Let's go! Still ₹1,260. No price rise this time. Phew! My dream bat! Saved for, not wasted! And I've saved ₹450. Just one more month for my car! And you still buy chips. Just not every day! Planned chips taste better!
So, Paisa Pals, what's our money superpower? 1. Needs first. 2. Save next. 3. Then wants. 4. Share a little. Budget superheroes! And remember: plan me before you spend me! Squeak! Save cheese, spend cheese, share cheese! See you in Book 4, Paisa Pals! Bye! I'm off to count my jars!
Answers: 1-b 2-a 3-c 4-b 5-a 6-b
Draw a line from each thing to where its money should come from.
| What the money is for | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Saving up for a toy car | Share jar |
| A small snack this week | Emergency savings |
| A birthday cake for Ajji | Family needs budget |
| A broken school shoe | Save jar |
| Monthly school fees | Spend jar |
The difference between needs and wants, how small spends add up, making a simple budget with Save, Spend and Share jars, saving for a goal, why families keep emergency savings, and handling wants that come from ads and friends.
Paisa Pals is created by Srinivas Kambhampati, AMFI-registered Mutual Fund Distributor (ARN-265474, EUIN E091320), working under the brand Rytvae Consulting. This book is for financial awareness only. It does not recommend any bank, product, investment or scheme. More free comics: rytvae.com (Kids' Corner).
What’s next?
ComicBook 1
Why do we need banks?
Saving money in a shoebox — what could go wrong? Plenty! Join Srestha and her friends as they find out how banks began, how they keep our money safe, what happens to the money we deposit, and why every family needs a bank.
ComicBook 2
Why Do Prices Rise?
Why does Kabir's favourite chocolate cost more than last year? Join Srestha Didi and the Paisa Pals as they turn into price detectives, follow three big clues, and find out why prices rise and what families can do about it.
Coming soon
The Paisa Pals have more money adventures on the way. Check back soon for new comics to read!
