Welcome to My Blog
Hey everyone! This is where I'm going to post stuff that's important to you and me. I'll talk about saving money, shopping, looking for sales and other fun stuff.

See you later!

P.S. Don't forget – Save Your Money. Save the World!

Save, spend, share—the smart way to use money!

What do you do when you get money? Spend it all on video games? Buy tons of candy?

Next time, try these three things instead:

1. Save some. Put a little into your piggy bank or savings account. That way, you’ll have money later when you need it.
2. Spend some. Buy something you really want—today.
3. Share some. Do you love pets? Donate to an animal shelter. Want to help your community? Give money to a local charity.

Violet's free for all

Violet wants you to have fun without spending any money. She picked some super cool locations for you:

Your living room
Invite friends over and stream a movie on your TV. You can also build a pillow fort or play a game!

The library
Did you know that the library lets you borrow books, movies and magazines—for free??

The playground
Do you love swings, slides and monkey bars? Hit the playground for awesome free fun.
 

Do you have the boredom-spending bug?

Boredom-spending is when you buy things just because you have nothing else to do. Are you a boredom-spender?

Take this quiz and find out:

1. You and your friends run out of games to play. Do you:
   A. Go on a shopping spree at the mall
   B. Save money and ride your bikes
    
2. When it’s raining outside, would you rather:
   A. Download a bunch of expensive apps to pass the time
   B. Work on an awesome puzzle
    
3. You’ve had your skateboard for a month. You want to:
   A. Buy a new one! A month is a looooong time.
   B. Keep on riding! Your board will last a while

If you answered “a” to any of these questions, you might have the boredom-spending bug. But don’t worry—there’s a cure! The next time you’re bored, save your money instead of spending it.
 

Wants vs. Needs

Do you know the difference between a want and a need?

A want is something that's nice to have but not necessary, like a toy. A need is a requirement, like food or dinner.

Check out these items. Are they wants or needs?

1. Smartphone
   A. Want
   B. Need
    
2. Video Game
   A. Want
   B. Need
    
3. Candy
   A. Want
   B. Need
 
4. Warm clothes for winter
   A. Want
   B. Need
 
5. Backpack for school
   A. Want
   B. Need

Answers: Questions 1-3 are wants. Questions 4 and 5 are needs.

Pro tip: the next time you're going to buy something, ask yourself, "Is this a want or a need?
 

Violet’s Money Personality Quiz

Take this quiz to see how “cents-ible” you are when it comes to money.

1. WHEN I RECEIVE MONEY, I USUALLY...
   A. Deposit it into my Credit Union account.
   B. Spend a little and save a little.
   C. Go wild and spend every last penny.
    
2. IF I WON A MILLION DOLLARS, I WOULD...
   A. Save most of it for college and other important things
   B. Celebrate by spending some of it and saving the rest.
   C. Spend it ALL on a huge party.
    
3. BEFORE I SPEND MONEY, I USUALLY...
   A. Ask my parents for their opinion.
   B. Look for sales and compare prices.
   C. Can’t wait to spend!!!

Now add up your answers…

If most of your answers were:

A's
Congratulations! You're a Savings Superhero.

B's
Not bad! You're a Superhero in training.

C's
Watch out! Your spending is out of control. Don't worry, it isn't too late to learn to save and be a Saving Superhero.
 

Have you caught Dr. Spendit’s Commercial Chaos??
Dr. Spendit LOVES commercials. He’s always telling kids to watch more of them (he thinks you’ll buy more things).

Commercials are okay—just don’t let them trick you into buying things you don’t need.

Take this quiz and find out if you’re obsessed with commercials:

1. Do you program your DVR to record commercials instead of TV shows?
   A.Yes
   B. No  
2. Do you watch TV commercials on YouTube?
   A.Yes
   B. No  
3. Is your favorite cartoon character a cereal mascot?
   A.Yes
   B. No  

*If you answered “ Yes” to any of these questions, you probably watch TOO MANY commercials!

Violet’s “shop ‘til you drop” quiz
Are you in danger of shopping ‘til you drop? Take this quiz and find out:

1. Is the food court at the mall your idea of a home-cooked meal?
   A. Yes.
   B. No.
    
2. Do the mall salespeople know you by your first name?
   A. Yes.
   B. No.
    
3. Are all of your Internet bookmarks for online stores?
   A. Yes.
   B. No.

If you answered “A” (“yes”) to any of the questions, you may be shopping too much!

Spendit’s Wasteful Ways
Dr. Spendit wants everyone to spend money! Take this quiz and see if you can stop him.

1. Dr. Spendit tells you to hose down your house to keep it cool in the summer. You:
   A. Use the hose and waste gallons of water.
   B. Open the windows for fresh air.
    
2. Dr. Spendit says to keep all the lights on, even when you’re not home. You:
   A. Flip the switches to “On”, and go play with your friends.
   B. Tell him it’s wasteful and costs money
    
3. Dr. Spendit asks you to turn on every TV in the house to watch cartoons. You:
   A. Run all the TVs at once.
   B. Enjoy the show on one TV, in one room.

If you answered “B” to all of the questions, congrats! You’re helping save money—and the world!

You know you spend too much money when ...

1. Money actually burns holes in your pockets
2. You have an iPod for everyday of the week.
3. You can use your receipts to build a full-scale paper mache version of the Statute of Liberty
4. You think you hear your name in commercials.
5. You can’t afford a penny for someone’s thoughts.
   
   

The BEST Place to Save Your Money: The Credit Union
Here’s why...

• They have a friendly staff
• They like kids
• They’ll teach you about money
• You’ll always know where to find your money
• You’re the boss at the credit union
  
  

Really, Really Bad Places to Save Your Money
Looking for a safe place to stash your money? AVOID these places at all costs. They may seem safe, but you’ll never get your money back.

1. Under a rock ... in the lion’s den at the zoo.
2. Buried in the ground ... near your neighbor’s pit bull.
3. In a piggy  bank ... on top of Mt. Everest.
4. Under the mattress ... of your baby brother who wets the bed.
5. Buried in hole ... of fire ants.
   
   

Five Ways to Save Money
Having trouble saving money? Here are a few tricks to remember:

1. Don’t carry a lot of cash around because you might be tempted to spend it.
2. Every time you get money, put some away.
3. You don’t have to save every penny you get. Spend a little, save a little.
4. Save with the credit union — you’ll make more money.
5. Create a saving plan and stick to it.