Reading Skills for Today's Adults

Tim and Ann owned an ’89, four-door Ford. They had driven it over 140,000 miles. It was a good car that had served them well. Tim and Ann had taken good care of it. They had the oil changed every three to four months. They had made repairs on a timely basis. They kept it clean inside and out. 

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Unfortunately, cars don’t last forever. The Ford had gotten rusty and was leaking some oil. At their most recent visit to the mechanic, Tim and Ann were told to expect no more than 20,000 miles from it. It was soon time to buy a new car. 

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A new car meant a new money goal. Tim and Ann were not used to making a car payment. They needed to start saving. They had heard of “paying yourself first” and thought they would give it a try. Before paying any of their other bills, they paid themselves first. It was a regular part of their budget. 

They paid themselves $50 each pay period. That was $100 a month! They opened a savings account for their car fund. Putting their money in a savings account would earn them interest on their money. It was also a safe place to keep their savings. 

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Tim and Ann were surprised at how good it felt to be working toward their goal. By saving a planned amount of money each month, they would be ready to make a down payment on a new car when their old one died. Plus, they didn’t even miss the money they were saving!