Billy really really wants a crocodile, more than anything in the world. But how will he ever afford one? Especially when there are so many other exciting things to buy. Join Billy in this delightful tale about a little boy with a big plan...Crocodile Billy really wanted a crocodile. Billy's mum told him he could buy one himself with his pocket money. She said she'd give him a bit more if he helped out around the house. That week, Billy helped his mum mop the kitchen floor till it sparkled. With his pocket money and the extra he earned from cleaning, Billy had more money than ever before! But when Billy went to the shops and saw a racing car with flashing lights, he forgot all about the crocodile. The racing car was apple red with bright white stripes. It went really fast. The racing car was also really expensive. Billy counted his money. He had hardly any left and wouldn't be able to buy a crocodile. The following week, Billy tried again. He helped make dinner twice and his money started to add up. He was determined to buy a crocodile. Billy tried hard and didn't visit any of his favourite shops. He even walked right past Pirate Pete's Treasure Trove, not daring to look, because he really wanted a big black pirate hat. But Billy just couldn't resist buying an ice cream at the park. The ice cream didn't cost very much. But once more, Billy didn't have enough money left for a crocodile. So, the next week, Billy put away all his money and didn't buy anything at all. He STILL didn't have enough money to buy a crocodile. Billy needed a big plan. He thought and thought... ... and thought some more... Suddenly, Billy had an idea. He decided to save his money for as long as it took to buy a crocodile. Billy saved and saved. And he went to the library instead of the shops. He kept track of every penny. After three weeks, Billy finally had enough money to buy his crocodile. It really was the best crocodile ever. Billy's big plan had paid off. In fact, his big plan had worked so well that he decided to carry on saving. And Billy knew exactly what he would save up for next... ... a rhinocerous! Dear parents, You've told us that you would like help in preparing your children for their financial future and developing good savings habits. Most children don't need a lesson in spending money, but saving can be much harder. Research shows when children learn about money early, they are more likely to grow up to be money smart. People who save as children are at least twice as likely to save when they grow up, compared to people who didn't save when they were younger. So we've written this book to help you talk to your children about saving money. Sometimes, keeping track of how savings are adding up can provide encouragement to keep going. So we've included a savings chart, just like the one Billy used, so that you can help your child keep track of what they spend and save. And because just having fun is good too, we've included a sheet of stickers. We hope you and your children enjoy this book. Research source: Wardle & McLean Savings Research for Lloyds TSB April 2008 and BBDO/nVision Research/nVision, 2006/TGI Q4 2007 Brought to you by Lloyds TSB and Ladybird Books Ltd A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library Published by Ladybird Books Ltd 80 Strand London WC2R 0RL A Penguin Company 2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1 © Ladybird Books Ltd MMVIII www.ladybird.com LADYBIRD and the device of a Ladybird are trademarks of Ladybird Books Ltd All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior consent of the copyright owner.