The First Five Pages.
On the House.

Clarence could hardly believe that the day had finally arrived! Even before eating breakfast, Clarence reminded his mom, “Don’t forget, today is the day to go shopping for a smart robot.” He had earned the prize by completing all his chores at home and getting excellent grades this year in school. She commented, “Clarence Wyze! How could I forget? That’s all you’ve been talking about this week.” He then shouted out, “I’m going to get the newest, best one that I can find!”

Mom answered, “You know this is a reward, but rewards cost money, too. Money doesn’t grow on trees or get cranked out of a 3D printer. Your father and I save money to be able to spend on things we want and not just for things that we need.”

“You may not realize yet, but it costs money to live in this house, keep cars in the garage, and clothes on your body. We have to pay to power on the Xbox, take a hot bath, and keep the fridge stocked with pudding and string cheese. These are called bills and we have to budget our income for them every month. The special bill for a house is called a mortgage. Believe it or not, we have to pay for internet and even TV streaming! What would life be like without YouTube?” she asked.

“Can you please bring me that pile of newspapers from the kitchen counter?” Mom requested. She opened one of the ad inserts and exclaimed, “Before you go shopping, you have a bit of homework to do. I know that word scares you—but trust me, it’s not so bad. Many of those ‘little magazines’ on the top of the pile are sale ads.”

“And don’t forget that we also have to set some money aside to donate to charity. A family should always look out for the less fortunate when they are able. We can choose the charities together before the end of the year.” Mom reminded him.

“A sale means that sometimes items cost less than usual. That means before you begin your shopping mission, you can see where you can get the best deal on what you want. Not everything you buy is on sale, but we can figure out together which products might be included in the sale ads. This is called comparison shopping,” she told Clarence.