Teaching Tips for Lesson 7: It Ain't Funny When You Got No Money!

This is the seventh of seventeen blogs providing practical teaching tips inspired by the lyrics and concepts from the Sammy Rabbit song Get in the Habit!

In the original blog, How the Sammy Rabbit Song Get in the Habit Teaches Kids 17 Money Lessons — Plus Powerful Vocabulary, we explored how the song supports financial education in three powerful ways:

Through clear, repeatable phrases directly from the song
Through real-world money lessons that naturally emerge when kids discuss and apply those phrases or concepts
Through everyday money language that builds financial vocabulary.

Now, we’re expanding on that foundation with a series of blogs that offer teaching tips for each of the 17 individual lessons embedded in the song. Each blog will include: (1) Simple questions to ignite discussion and learning (2) Two easy-to-implement micro-activities (3) A challenge action step (4) Key words to build personal finance and life-skills vocabulary.

Let’s begin with Lesson 7, built on the phrase: "It ain't funny when you got no money!"

For context, the full lyrics for each phrase are:

It ain't funny when you got no money, so do yourself a favor, be like Sammy the Saver!

The full phrase has been intentionally organized into separate lessons, making it easy to teach one concept at a time or combine them as a sequence.

You can click on the following links to find: song lyrics and a karaoke Video.

Summary

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.

1. Simple Discussion Questions

Use one or two—short, easy, and great for home or classroom conversations.

What happens if you spend all your money right away?
How does saving some money help you feel later?
Have you ever wanted something but didn’t have money for it?
How can your choices today affect tomorrow?
Which choice helps you feel more prepared—spending everything or saving some?

2. Two Micro-Activities (2–5 Minutes Each)

Micro-Activity 1: Spend It All or Save Some?

Materials: None

Read short scenarios and ask kids to choose by pointing or raising a hand.

Examples:

Spend all your money today or save some for later
Buy one small thing now or save for something bigger
Use all your pretend money or keep some just in case

Ask:

Which choice helps you feel more ready?
Which choice might cause stress later?

Purpose: Helps children connect choices with real-life feelings and outcomes.

Micro-Activity 2: Ready or Not?

Materials: Paper and crayons (optional)

Ask kids to draw or describe:

One situation where having savings helps (lost toy, field trip, gift, surprise)

Then ask:

How would saving make you feel in that situation?

Have them say:

“Saving helps me be ready!”

Purpose: Builds emotional awareness around preparedness and security.

3. Challenge Action Step

Challenge:
This week, practice saving something instead of spending everything.

Ask kids to:

Save at least one coin, dollar, or pretend money
Put it aside for later
Say each time:
“I’m choosing to save for later!”

This reinforces thoughtful decision-making and emotional confidence.

4. Key Vocabulary Words

These words help children understand consequences, choices, and feelings.

Money: Money is a tool we use to trade for things we need or want. | Money is a tool we use to exchange for goods and services. | Money is a tool we use to buy things and help us reach our goals.

*Choice: A decision you make

*Consequence: What happens because of a choice

*Prepared: Ready for what might happen

*Stress: A worried or uncomfortable feeling

*Secure: Feeling safe and confident

So when we talk about money choices, we’re learning that what we do today can change how we feel tomorrow.

(Note: Words with an asterisk * are not in the song lyrics, but they are important to this lesson, so we’ve included kid-friendly definitions.)

Now Check Out Lesson 8

This blog is part of a 17-lesson series that uses the Sammy Rabbit song Get in the Habit to make it fun, easy, and effective for anyone to talk with and teach young kids about great money habits.

When ready, check out Teaching Tips for Lesson 8: Do Yourself a Favor! It focuses on how getting in the habit of saving is a favor you do for future-you.

Additional Songs and Fun Resources

Keep:

kids listening, learning, singing and growing with a FREE or PREMIUM Money School Memberships.
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!
delivering financial education at home, in school, and other venues with Sammy's Dream Big Financial Education curriculum!

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We welcome your questions, suggestions, and ideas! Let’s connect, brainstorm, and partner to keep helping kids, families, and communities build strong financial literacy knowledge, habits, and skills—so together, we can create better and brighter futures for all.