Unit 13: Pin saves money

Pin is a blue little monster. He is 11 years old and he is in the 5^th course of primary education. One day of May, during a lesson of mathematics at school, the teacher explains what they are going to do during the month:

-  Good morning, boys and girls!

-  Good morning, Miss!

-  During this month, we are going to learn about percentages. Have you ever heard about this?

-  Yes, I have! - Pin says - When my mum and I go shopping to the shopping centre, I always see percentages in some shops.

-  Yes, you are right. Can you say an example where you can find percentages?

-  Well, I can see percentages in clothes. For example, imagine that you find a t-shirt with a label and this text: “90% cotton”. This means that almost all the t-shirt is made of cotton.

-  Alright. And have you ever been to a shopping centre on the Black Friday?

-  Yes, I have – Fan says – And there are plenty of percentages everywhere!

-  You are right, Fan. Do you know what they mean?

-  Of course, they show the discount of what you want to buy.

-  That’s a perfect explanation, Fan. Well, as you know, during Black Friday, everything is cheaper because everything has got a discount. Do you know that?

-  Yes, I do, I am going to buy a laptop next Friday – Pin says.

-  OK. I am going to tell you something. There are many people who spend a lot of money to buy clothes, telephones or computers and many other things that are not necessary, because they think they are bargains.

-  Excuse me, teacher what is a bargain?

-  A bargain is something with a very good price. The problem of that people is that they waste their money in useless things, so they don’t have enough money to buy useful things, like food. So I am going to give you an advice: you should save money and spend it for important things.

-  OK. Thanks for your advice, teacher.

Pin and Fan come back home on foot. Suddendly, while they are walking, they find five pounds in the street, between a bakery and a butcher’s.

-  Oh, my god! Look, Pin, there are five pounds on that bench!

-  Wow! We are going to buy a lottery ticket in the shop next to the toy shop!

-  Well, I am not sure… Our teacher says that we should save money…

-  Yes, I know. We are going to do it as an exception, ok?

-  OK… Let’s do it.

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Pin and Fan buy a lottery ticket and they come back home. The next week, Pin receives a call while he is buying some bread in the bakery.

-  Pin, you are not going to believe what I have to tell you!

-  What’s wrong? Tell me, please.

-  We are millionaire, Pin, we are millionaire!

-  Excuse me? What are you talking about?

-  Pin, we are the lottery winners!

-  Wow! Oh my god! I can’t believe my eyes! So what are we going to do with the prize?

-  Um, let me think… The prize is 2 millions of pounds, so you are going to win one million and I am going to get the other million.

-  OK. Fair enough - Pin says. – What are you going to do with the money?

-  I am going to buy a new computer because my old computer does not work, I am going to buy two bicycles, one for my cousin and another one for me, I am going to buy a lot of clothes, I am going to buy one car for my dad and another one for my mum and with the rest of money, I am going to buy many more things. What about you, Pin?

-  Well, I am going to speak with my mum about it. I don’t want to waste my money.

When Pin arrives home, he finds her mum, who is crying:

-  What’s the matter, mum?

-  Oh, Pin. I feel so sad…

-  Why? What’s wrong?

-  Today, your sister, Paint, went to the hospital and she is ill, so she needs to have a surgery to be healthy again.

-  And what’s the problem?

-  The surgery is very expensive. It costs 470.000 pounds. We can’t afford it.

-  Oh, I can see what you mean. But mum, don’t worry!  We are rich.

-  Excuse me? We are not rich, Pin. Don’t say silly things, please!

-  Yes, we are rich, mum! We have got one million of pounds from the lottery, so we can afford Shine’s surgery!

-  Oh, my god! I am so happy!

-  Don’t worry, mum, Shine is going to recover very soon!

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After one month, Shine is recovered. Pin is the happiest monster in the world because thanks to his money, her sister is safe. After a lot of reflection, Pin decides what he is going to do with the rest of money: he is going to spend 30.000 pounds to travel with his parents and his sister to New York to spend some days in a different country. Finally, he is going to give the remaining 50.000 pounds to his dad to start a family business.

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Five years later, Pin meets Fan at the bank:

-  Hi, Fan. How are you? What are you doing here?

-  Well, I am not very well… I am going to ask for a bank loan. During the last five years, I have wasted all my money, so I am really poor now...

-  Oh, I am sorry for that, but you didn’t listen to my advice five years ago.

-  No, I didn’t. I am stupid. What about your life?

-  Well, my sister was ill, but I used my money to pay a surgery for her, so she is completely recovered now, my family and I have very nice memories from our holidays in New York and we are running a successful business: a primary education school. My dad and mum are great teachers.

Fan discovers that he wasted his money in stupid things. Pin feels sorry for his friend, but he learns a lesson: when we have a lot of money, we should not waste it; we should spend it reasonably to help people in need and to have useful initiatives, like starting to run a business, which is going to have many benefits in the future.

THE END