Saving
Saving means keeping some money aside today so you can use it later. Small amounts add up: Rs 50 saved every week becomes Rs 2,600 in a year.
Kids Academy
Practice trading game
You get pretend cash to buy and sell shares, and see what happens, without risking a single real rupee.
Coming soon
We are working with a brokerage house to bring a practice trading game here. Until then, start with the money basics below.
Money basics
Needs and wants
A need is something you must have, like food, school books or a bus fare. A want is something nice to have, like a new game or snacks. Paying for needs first, then choosing which wants matter most, is the start of good money habits.
Making a budget
A budget is a plan for your money. Write down what comes in, such as pocket money or Eidi, then split it: some to spend, some to save, and some to share with others. Checking the plan each week shows where your money really goes.
What a bank does
A bank keeps your money safe and lends some of it to people and businesses who need it. In return, a savings account can pay you a little extra, called profit or interest, for keeping your money there. Many banks in Pakistan offer accounts for children with a parent.
Earning money
Money is earned by doing work or making something people want. Grown-ups earn a salary from a job or profit from a business. Even small jobs, like helping at a family shop or selling crafts at school, teach how effort turns into income.
What is a share?
A company can be split into many small pieces called shares. Own one, and you own a tiny part of that company. In Pakistan, shares of many companies are bought and sold on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX).
Why do prices move?
A share's price changes because people are buying and selling it. When more people want to buy than sell, the price usually goes up; when more want to sell, it usually goes down. News about the company can change what people want.
Risk, and spreading it out
Prices can fall as well as rise, so you can lose money as well as make it. That is why investors spread their money across different companies instead of putting it all in one: one bad day then hurts less.
Thinking long term
Guessing tomorrow's price is very hard, even for experts. Investors usually think in years, not days, and give their money time to grow.
Paying with a phone
Many people now pay with a phone instead of cash, through a mobile wallet or Raast. It is still real money leaving an account, so check the amount and the name before you press send, and never tell anyone your PIN.
What is crypto?
Crypto, like Bitcoin, is digital money that no bank or government issues. Its price can jump up or crash down in a single day, so it is very risky. It is only for grown-ups to decide about, and only with money they can afford to lose.
Spotting a scam
Be careful when anyone promises big profits that are "guaranteed" or "risk-free": real investments always carry some risk. Never share a password or a code sent to your phone, and always ask a parent before signing up for anything.
Try it at home
Three jars
Label three jars Spend, Save and Share. Each time your child gets pocket money or Eidi, they split it between the jars. Decide the split together, for example half to spend, a third to save and the rest to share.
What it teaches: Planning money before spending it.
Savings goal chart
Pick something your child wants and find its price. Draw a thermometer on paper with one line for every Rs 100 of the price. Each time they save Rs 100, they colour in a line, until the top is reached.
What it teaches: Patience, and that goals are reached step by step.
Needs or wants?
Cut pictures out of shop leaflets or write items on slips of paper: rice, a toy car, shoes, chocolate, a school bag. Your child sorts them into two piles, needs and wants, and explains each choice.
What it teaches: Telling the difference, and that some items can be both.
Price detective
On a trip to the shop, ask your child to compare the same product in two sizes or two brands. Work out the price per 100 grams together and decide which is better value, and whether the cheaper one is actually as good.
What it teaches: Comparing before buying.
Plan a meal on a budget
Give your child a set amount, such as Rs 2,000, to plan one family dinner. They write the shopping list, check prices and adjust until it fits. If there is money left, they decide what to do with it.
What it teaches: Budgeting with real prices and real trade-offs.
Spot the scam
Show your child a few real messages: a prize you never entered, a request for a code sent to your phone, a promise to double money. Ask what feels wrong about each. Agree a family rule: never share a code or password, and always ask a grown-up first.
What it teaches: Staying safe with money online.
For parents and teachers
Everything here is for learning. The game uses pretend money only: there is no real trading and nothing to pay. Before a child signs up, check what details the game asks for. It works best played together: make a few trades, then talk about why the prices moved.
Our lessons draw on the State Bank of Pakistan's National Financial Literacy Program, SECP's Jamapunji, the OECD's Global Money Week, Aflatoun, Next Gen Personal Finance and Khan Academy.