Teaching Tips for Lesson 8: Do Yourself a Favor

This is the eigth 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 8, built on the phrase: "do yourself a favor"

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 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.

1. Simple Discussion Questions

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

Who is your future self?

How is future-you different from you today?
How can saving money now help you later?
What is something future-you might be happy you saved for?
How does it feel to help someone—even yourself?

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

Micro-Activity 1: A Gift for Future-Me

Materials: Paper and crayons (optional)

Ask kids to:

Draw a picture of themselves in the future
Draw or name one thing future-them might need or want

Then ask:

How could saving today help future-you?

Have them say:

“I’m helping my future self!”

Purpose: Builds empathy for the future self and connects saving to caring and planning.

Micro-Activity 2: Save Now, Smile Later

Materials: Jar, envelope, or cup (real or pretend money)

Ask kids to:

Put one coin or pretend coin aside “for later”
Label it “For Future Me”

Ask:

How does it feel to save something for yourself later?

Purpose: Makes future-focused saving tangible and emotionally positive.

3. Challenge Action Step

Challenge:
This week, save something for your future self at least three times.

Each time kids save, ask them to say:

“This is for future me!”

This reinforces delayed gratification and long-term thinking in a positive, empowering way.

4. Key Vocabulary Words

These words help children understand time, planning, and self-care.

Favor: Doing something kind or smart to help someone, including yourself

*Future: The time that comes later

*Future Self: You when you are older

*Save: To keep money for later instead of spending it now

*Choice: An option you can decide on

*Prepared: Ready for what comes next

So when we say saving helps your future self, we mean a small choice today can make tomorrow easier and happier.

Now Check Out Lesson 9

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 9: You'll Feel Fine! It focuses on how when you practice good habits—like saving—you start to feel proud and confident.

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!

Contact Sammy Today!

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.