How the Sammy Rabbit Song Get in the Habit Teaches Kids 17 Money Lessons — Plus Powerful Vocabulary
At first listen, Get in the Habit sounds like a fun, upbeat song for kids—and it is. It is a fantastic resource for any financial literacy program, lesson, or education tool kit.
But listen a little more closely, and you’ll discover something even more meaningful.
Get in the Habit is not only an infectious—gets stuck in your head and heart—Sammy Rabbit song that entertains; it’s an educational gem that opens the door to 17 essential money and life lessons while simultaneously planting the seeds of introductory personal finance vocabulary children can begin using right away—naturally, confidently, and with joy.
That’s intentional. It sits at the very core of the Sammy Rabbit education strategy: infusing joy with purpose while making it easy for anyone, anywhere, to talk to and teach kids—especially young kids—great money habits.
Children don’t just need exposure to money concepts; they need the language that helps them think about, talk about, and grow with those ideas. When kids have the words, understanding follows. And when learning is wrapped in music, movement, and emotion, the lessons begin to stick.
What’s more, it couldn’t be easier—or more time-efficient—for busy parents, teachers, and community leaders to use. Whether it’s used to teach one lesson or all seventeen, this song transforms financial education into something children and educators of every kind remember, enjoy, and carry with them.
Now, let's dive into the strategy and lessons.
One Song. Three Types of Lessons
Get in the Habit teaches kids in three powerful—and very practical—ways.
First, through repeatable money phrases directly from the song that children quickly remember and enjoy saying out loud.
Second, through real-world money lessons that naturally emerge when kids discuss, reflect on, and apply those phrases to everyday situations.
Third, through everyday money language that builds children’s personal finance vocabulary and gives them the words they need to talk about money with confidence.
To make this simple for parents, teachers, and community leaders, we’ve grouped the lessons into these three categories. Teach one. Teach a few. Or teach them all.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the individual lessons this song can be used to teach.
Category 1: Phrase-Based Lessons From the Song
These lessons come directly from the phrases children hear, sing, and repeat in Get in the Habit. Each phrase introduces a clear idea and a natural learning opportunity—making it easy to spark conversations, build vocabulary, and reinforce positive money habits.
1. Get in the Habit
Lesson: Discuss habits and getting started. Habits are powerful because they shape behavior and create predictable outcomes over time. Whether positive or negative, habits work the same way. By teaching children to intentionally start positive money habits early—such as saving consistently—parents and teachers help establish routines that support long-term financial well-being.
Share with kids: Habits are things we do again and again. When you practice good money habits, like saving, they help you reach your goals over time.
See: Teaching Tips for Lesson 1: Get in the Habit
2. Like Sammy Rabbit + Be Like Sammy the Saver
Lesson: Discuss the importance of having the right role models and friends in building positive money habits. The right role models and friends help children see what good money behavior looks like in action and make it easier to imagine themselves doing the same. When kids have positive examples, good habits feel more achievable and fun.
Share with kids: A role model is someone who shows you how to do something well. When you follow a saver, whether their a role model and/or friend like Sammy, it’s easier to learn good money habits.
See: Teaching Tips for Lesson 2: Be Like Sammy Rabbit!
3. Saving Money All the Time
Lesson: Discuss regular saving. Whether it’s a penny or more, saving regularly—making saving a habit—has the greatest impact over time. Real progress comes from consistent saving, not one-time efforts or saving “once in a while.”
Share with kids: When you make a habit of saving and save often, even small amounts can grow into something big. The habit of saving is what really makes the difference.
See: Teaching Tips for Lesson 3: Saving Money All the Time!
4. You Can Do It
Lesson: Discuss confidence, beliefs, and attitudes. Help children develop a strong “can-do” mindset, especially when forming new habits. Positive money habits—like saving—often require patience, discipline, delayed gratification, and persistence. When kids believe they can succeed, they’re far more likely to stick with those habits over time.
Share with kids: “You can do it” means believing in yourself. When you believe you can save and try your best, good habits get easier. It also means don’t quit. Even when saving feels hard, believing in yourself helps you keep going.
See: Teaching Tips for Lesson 4: You Can Do It!
5. Now Let’s Get to It
Lesson: Learning is important, but taking action adds significant value to knowledge. When you "get to it" and start saving right away, your money has more time to grow.
Share with kids: “Now let’s get to it” means don’t wait. Starting today helps your good ideas work faster.
6. From Every Dollar, Save a Dime
Lesson: Discuss goal setting and the importance of prioritizing saving. Setting a clear, realistic goal helps children focus their choices and build confidence. Saving first—even a small amount—teaches kids that progress happens when goals are intentional and saving is treated as a priority.
Share with kids: Saving a dime from every dollar means saving a little bit right away. When you have a goal and save first, your money can help you reach it.
7. It Ain't Funny When You Got No Money
Lesson: Discuss how money choices have real-life consequences. Spending everything right away can lead to stress and missed opportunities, while saving helps children feel prepared and secure. Learning this early helps kids understand that thoughtful choices today affect how they feel tomorrow.
Share with kids: When you don’t save any money, it can be hard to buy things you need or want later. Saving helps you be ready and feel better about your choices.
8. Do Yourself a Favor
Lesson: Discuss the idea that saving is a way of helping your future self. When children save money instead of spending it all right away, they give themselves more choices and fewer worries later. Saving is a simple act now that creates benefits in the future.
Share with kids: Saving money now is a favor you do for future-you. That's "you" when you are older. It helps you have more choices and feel prepared later.
9. You'll Feel Fine
Lesson: Discuss how practicing good habits—like saving—creates positive feelings. When children make steady progress toward their dreams and goals, they experience pride, confidence, and a sense of accomplishment. Good habits don’t just improve outcomes; they build esteem, making kids feel good about themselves.
Share with kids:
10. Saving One Dime at a Time
Lesson: Discuss the power of small, steady steps. Children learn that saving doesn’t have to be big or dramatic to make a difference—what matters is consistency. Small amounts saved regularly build strong habits and meaningful progress over time.
Share with kids: Good habits like saving help you feel proud and happy. When you make progress toward your goals, it feels really good inside.
11. You Can Watch Your Money Grow
Lesson: Discuss how saving leads to visible, motivating progress. As children see their money increase, they naturally build confidence, focus, discipline, determination, and a strong “can-do” belief system. Tangible results reinforce positive habits and inspire kids to keep going.
Share with kids: When you save, your money starts to grow. Seeing it grow makes you feel proud and excited to keep saving and building your financial independence and well-being.
12. You Can Watch Your Money Grow and Grow and Grow
Lesson: Discuss how consistent saving leads to compounding results. When children save regularly, their money doesn’t just grow—it grows faster over time. This teaches kids that steady habits create bigger rewards and that compounding is one of the most powerful forces in building financial security.
Share with kids: When you save again and again, your money grows even more. The more you save, the faster it can grow—sometimes in surprisingly big leaps—because of something called compounding.
13. Say You Understand
Lesson: Discuss why true understanding matters more than memorization. When children really understand a money concept—like saving—they can show it through their actions. Understanding becomes tangible when kids put knowledge into practice and begin building the habit of saving on their own.
Share with kids: Understanding means you know something well enough to do it. When you really understand saving, you show it by actually saving your money—your actions match what you know and what you care about.
Category 2: Additional Lessons the Song Naturally Teaches
These next lessons do not come directly from the song’s phrases, but they naturally emerge when children, parents, and teachers talk about Get in the Habit and apply its ideas to real-life situations. They deepen understanding and help kids make meaningful connections beyond the lyrics.
14. Discuss Habits and Why They Matter
Lesson: Explain that habits are powerful because they shape our lives through repeated actions. When children practice a behavior again and again, it often produces predictable and positive results. This means anyone can intentionally choose the right habits—especially money habits—to move themselves closer to the kind of life they want. Helping kids understand this early empowers them to take ownership of their future.
Share with kids: A habit is something you do over and over, and the right one can help you get better at things. When you choose good habits, they help you get closer to the life and goals you want. When you choose good money habits, they help you make better choices with your money.
15. Small Choices Add Up
Lesson: Discuss how daily decisions or choices shape long-term outcomes. Every small choice—saving a little, waiting before spending, or thinking before buying—adds up over time. When children understand that even tiny decisions can move them closer to or farther from their goals, they become more thoughtful and confident money decision-makers.
Share with kids: Small choices you make every day matter. Saving a little or making a smart choice again and again helps you reach big goals over time.
16. Saving Builds Confidence, Security, and a Sense of Empowerment
Lesson: Discuss how saving money provides powerful emotional benefits. When children save consistently, they experience the confidence that comes from seeing their progress and the security of knowing they have money set aside. Saving also feels empowering—it gives kids a sense of control, pride, and independence as they realize their actions are creating positive results. These emotional rewards make it easier for children to stick with good money habits and believe in their ability to reach future goals.
Share with kids: Saving helps you feel proud, safe, and in control. When you save your money, you feel ready for the future and strong enough to reach your goals.
17. Understanding Builds Ownership
Lesson: Discuss how understanding the reason why behind a money habit increases responsibility and accountability. When children truly grasp why saving matters, they are more likely to take ownership of their actions and feel responsible for their choices and outcomes. Understanding turns a rule into a meaningful habit kids choose for themselves.
Share with kids: When you understand why something matters, you want to do it yourself. Understanding saving helps you make good choices and feel responsible for your money.
Category 3: Built-In Vocabulary
Get in the Habit also introduces important vocabulary that helps children talk about money with clarity and confidence. Here are key words and phrases from the song that you can use to build children’s personal finance and life-skills vocabulary:
Get
Like
Habit
Save, Saving
Money
Time
Can
Do
Dollar
Dime
Grow
More Than a Song — A Lesson Framework
Get in the Habit isn’t just music. It’s a flexible teaching framework that supports:
Financial literacy
Vocabulary development
Confidence and habit formation
Parent-child, classroom, and group learning discussions
The song gives parents, teachers, and community leaders an easy, joyful way to talk with kids about money—and to build habits that last.
Take full advantage of its power, and stay tuned. Over the coming weeks, we’ll share more ideas, resources, and teaching tips for each of the lessons highlighted here.
Together, let’s help kids, families, and communities steadily strengthen their financial knowledge, habits, and skills—so they become increasingly capable of building bright, secure futures.
More Resources Supporting the Song
Additional Songs and Fun Resources
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parents, teachers, and community leaders learning and growing their financial literacy teaching skills by reading Sam X Renick's series of articles: Money Lessons Parents Should Teach Kids!
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