May: Here is where our class money went this term. Please check it.
| CLASS 302 · This Term |
|---|
| Money in (50 x 30 students) 1,500 |
| Paper and pens (including geography maps) 420 |
| Flowers for Teachers' Day 300 |
| Cola, cake and one class T-shirt 560 |
| Left 220 |
Ken: The numbers are right. What will we do with the 220?
May: We can keep it for next term, or give it back: about seven dollars each.
Ken: Seven dollars is not worth the trouble. Keep it.
Every Thursday · 12:30 to 13:00 · Room 105
Bring any coins or notes you want to save. This is a common job for Class 303, and the answer to every question is yes if you ask early. Two students from Class 303 will write down the amount and give you a paper with your name and your number on it. The money goes to a real bank at the end of each month.
There is no fee, and the school does not charge anything for this. We are not trying to teach you to save every dollar. We are trying to show you what happens to a small amount over a year, so that later, when a bank offers you something, you will know the questions to ask.
Dear Sir,
I opened a student bank book at your bank in March. The paper I signed said there would be no fee for a student bank book. Last week I saw that fifteen dollars had been taken out in April, May, and June.
I went to the central office and was told the free years end when a student turns twenty. I am nineteen. Nobody could explain the charge, and I was asked to write to you.
Could you look at this and tell me what the fee is for? If it was taken by mistake, I would like the 45 dollars back. It is not a large amount, but I would rather understand it than forget it.
Sincerely, Li Mei
It costs more to have less. This sounds strange, but ask anybody who has counted coins at the end of a month.
A person with money buys rice in a large bag at a lower price for each bowl. A person without money buys a small bag every few days and pays more each time. One can wait for a sale; the other must buy today. One pays a bill on time; the other pays a late charge.
None of this is about being careless with money. It is about time and choice, and having less of both. When we say somebody should simply save more, we are often asking them to do the one thing that is hardest where they stand.