"How was your weekend, Bonnie?" asked Fat Cat.

"It was great! We went to the mall on Saturday and I bought a lot of neat stuff," answered Bonnie.

"Like what?" Fat Cat asked.

"Well, I bought some stickers for my scrapbook, some crayons and a new coloring book, and some clothes for my doll," replied Bonnie.

"Wow!" said Fat Cat, "That must have cost you a whole month's allowance."

Bonnie hung her head and said, "Every last bit of it. I can't even buy any candy at the store this afternoon. Anyway, how was your weekend, Fat Cat?"

"My weekend was great, too. We had a birthday party for my mother. But she says I can't tell how old she is," explained Fat Cat.

"Did you have cake, ice cream and a clown?" asked Bonnie.

"No, just cake," answered Fat Cat. "But the best part was when she opened the present I bought her."

"You bought her a present on your own?" asked Bonnie.

"Sure, I do it every year. But this year I bought mother something she had been waiting for for a long time," answered Fat Cat.

"What was that?" asked Bonnie.

"She had seen a scratching post at the store, but wouldn't buy it for herself. So I saved my allowance until I had enough to buy it for her," explained Fat Cat. "She was surprised to get it."

"Neat," said Bonnie, "I wish I could get a Bluebird House for my mother on her birthday. But I will never have enough money to buy one."

"Sure you will," said Fat Cat, "all you have to do is save your allowance. Instead of buying stuff at the mall, put your allowance in a Fat Cat Share account at the Credit Union. Before you know it, you will have enough saved up to get her one."

"That's a great idea, Fat Cat!" said Bonnie. "Her birthday is in four more months. And that gives me lots of time to save. But, how do I put money in an account at the Credit Union?" Bonnie asked.

"It's easy," said Fat Cat. "Just tell your mom that you would like to open a Fat Cat account at the Credit Union. It only takes $5 to get started. They give you a Passbook to keep up with your savings. And, if your mom will let you, you can even see your balance online. It's fun to watch your balance grow!"

Bonnie opened up a Fat Cat account that afternoon. She told her mom that Fat Cat told her about saving when he heard that she had spent all her money at one time. But Bonnie didn't say anything about the Bluebird House, because that was a secret.

Bonnie put part of her allowance in her Fat Cat account for the next four months. Then she asked her dad to take her to the Credit Union. There she took out part of her savings and bought her mother a Bluebird House just as she had planned and left the rest there for the future.

At her mother's birthday party, her gift was the biggest, and her mom saved it for last. Bonnie was so proud when her mom opened her present. She had saved her money and bought it all on her own!