On a lazy afternoon, Dev asked his elder sister Anika to teach him cycling. “Please Didi, all my friends know how to ride a bicycle. Papa and Mummy never have time to teach me. Please!” begged Dev.
Anika had just finished her homework, so she agreed. Both of them took her cycle and went out.
For an hour both of them enjoyed themselves. Soon enough, Dev was able to cycle alone without Anika’s help.
“See how fast I can go! Whee!” exclaimed Dev.
Suddenly, the cycle turned, and Dev went crashing down with it. Anika rushed to him, but luckily, he was not hurt.
Anika examined the bicycle and found that a nail on the road had punctured the tyre. “Sorry Didi, I didn’t mean to do that,” said Dev tearfully.
“It was not your fault, Dev. Are you sure you are fine?” she asked.
Dev nodded and said, “Yes, Didi. I didn’t even get a scratch. But what should we do now? How will we go back?” Dev asked as they had travelled quite far from home.
“Don’t worry Dev,” said Anika. “There is a cycle repairing shop close by. We will go there and get the cycle fixed.”
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“But Papa isn’t with us! How will we pay for it?” asked Dev.
Anika smiled at him and started walking towards the shop as she replied, “I always have some money with me for emergencies. You never know when you might need it. Before I left, I had kept some of it in my pocket.”
Dev was impressed with his sister. “But from where did you get the money?” he asked.
Anika said, “Remember when Grandma had given us some money when she visited us last month?”
“Yes! I bought so many chocolates. I even bought a new tennis ball!” replied Dev.
“While you spent all your money in one day, I saved half of my money. A part of the savings I kept for emergencies like these and the remaining money I spent on buying new pens for school.”
“The emergency money is a very useful idea. I will also keep aside some money for emergencies now,” remarked Dev.
By this time, they had reached the bicycle shop. Dev said, “Now that I have learned cycling, I want my own cycle. But Mummy and Papa said no more gifts till my next birthday, and I had my birthday last month only!”
“Why don’t you save money like me?” suggested Anika.
“What do you mean?” asked Dev curiously.
“Savings help you in collecting money for bigger and better things later on. You want a cycle, so whenever you get money from anyone, you keep aside some of it. Soon, you’ll have enough to buy a brand-new bicycle. I have been saving Rs. 300 per month. By next month I’ll have enough for a new tennis racket,” she continued.
Dev asked, “So then how much money should I save for a bicycle?”
Anika thought about it for a moment and then asked the shopkeeper, “Bhaiya, how much does a new cycle cost?”
“You get a new cycle for around Rs. 2000,” he replied.
“But my pocket money is only Rs. 500!” cried Dev.
“Just start saving Rs. 250 per month. In 8 months, you will have the cycle you want. It will still be before your birthday! The more you save, the earlier you will be able to buy it. Plus, you will still have Rs. 250 for spending per month,” said Anika as she paid for the repaired cycle.
“That is a fantastic idea!” said Dev. “Come fast, Didi. Let’s go home. I want to start saving for my cycle and the emergency fund now!”
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