Starchild: Malaysian children share tips on how they save money

Chuah Seng Koon, 7

If you save some money today, you will have extra cash on hand to spend on a day when you might need extra money. Sometimes, people use the money they save to donate to a needy cause too

Here are the letters from Starchild readers on the topic, Saving for a a rainy day.

S. Adithya, 7

“Children can help their parents to save money. A simple trick is to turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. Try filling up a cup of water to rinse your mouth,” says S. Adithya, seven.

Emelia Surenthran, 12

Emelia Surenthran, 12, thinks saving is a joy. “Mummy gives me RM10 each week. So far, I have managed to save about RM10 since January. I hope to save RM30 by year end.”

Erica Sofia, 12

Erica Sofia, 12, has been saving most of her ang pow money since she was in Year 10. “In a year, I can save about RM300. My coins and bank notes are kept in my piggy bank. My parents are very proud of me. Daddy says I should study accountancy when I’m older.”

Laura Aleesya, 11

“I can donate some of my money to underprivileged children and to improve the lives of stray animals. I want to use the rest of my money to buy meaningful things,” writes Laura Aleesya, 11.

“I have a piggy bank where I save my coins. Saving money is important. The money can be used to buy my favourite toys. It includes little army soldiers which are about two inches and green in colour,” says Joshua Lim Zi Ming, five.

“If it were a rainy day for me, I would have to break my piggy bank to check if I have sufficient savings for my family and to pull through our days. I would also try to get at least three part time jobs if I am still healthy and strong. Once I have adequate savings, I would then repay the loan from the bank,” says seven-year-old Chuah Seng Koon.

ITEM: Celebrated on April 9 this year, Easter is when children often paint on hard-boiled eggs in various colours and designs. Sometimes, there would be Easter egg hunts. Easter bunnies and chocolates are also popular.

Draw us a picture of your decorated Easter egg or an Easter bunny.

E-mail your contributions to [e-mail] by March 24. Please put “STARCHILD: Easter” in the subject line of your e-mail.

Scanned drawings should be in jpeg format, with a resolution of 200 dpi. Your contributions must carry your full name, age (open to children aged 12 and below only), gender, phone contact, and address.