“They’re only twelve bucks,” Delia said, holding up a floral-patterned journal set. “Come on, Emily. You know they’d look great on your desk.”
Emily glanced at the journals, then at Lucy, who was already walking away.
“They are cute,” Emily said.
“They’re also a good deal,” Delia added. “Janet paid twenty for hers.”
Emily hesitated, then set the journals back on the shelf. “I’ll pass. I’m trying not to buy anything I don’t really need right now.”
Delia raised an eyebrow. “You sound like Lucy.”
“She’s not wrong,” Emily said. “We all said we wanted to save for the field trip next month.”
The girls moved to the next store, a boutique packed with scarves, gloves, and accessories for winter. Lucy checked the tag on a pair of gray knit gloves, then quietly placed them back.
Delia, meanwhile, was already holding up earrings to the mirror. “These are adorable.”
“They are,” Emily agreed.
“Treat yourself,” Delia said, grinning. “You barely bought anything all semester.”
Emily looked down at her coat. The collar was a little frayed. She thought of the dance coming up next month. She’d wanted to save up for something new to wear.
“I’ll think about it,” she said.
Delia bought the earrings and a pair of gloves. Lucy met them near the door with a small smile. “Ready?”
“Sure,” Emily said, falling into step between them.
As they walked back toward school, Lucy and another classmate chatted a few steps ahead. Emily slowed a bit.
Delia nudged her. “So what’s with the hesitation? You’ve barely spent anything all day.”
“I don’t know. I’m just trying to be careful,” Emily said. “My dad always talks about budgeting.”
Delia rolled her eyes. “It’s just a few bucks.”
Emily didn’t respond. She glanced at the earrings again, still undecided. Then, without warning, a memory rose in her mind.
She was twelve. Her aunt had taken her to a bookstore, and Emily had fallen in love with a hardcover novel—something about a girl who discovered a hidden city underground. She’d begged her aunt for it, but her aunt had said gently, “Not today, Em. That’s not in the plan.”
Emily had pouted the whole ride home, clutching a bag of cheap candy instead.
That night, her dad sat beside her on the couch. “Do you know why Aunt Claire said no?” he’d asked.
“Because she didn’t want me to have it,” Emily muttered.
“No,” he said. “Because money is like time—you can only spend it once. And smart spending is about knowing what you’ll still care about tomorrow.”
Now, walking up the hill toward school, Emily exhaled slowly. She still kind of wanted the earrings—but not as much as she wanted to feel proud of her choices.
Back in the dorms, Lucy peeled off her coat and scarf and pulled a book from her bag. Delia tossed her new purchases on the bed with a sigh of contentment.
Emily sat at her desk. The earrings were still on her mind.
“You okay?” Lucy asked, sipping from a tea mug.
“Yeah. Just thinking,” Emily replied. She hesitated. “I almost bought something I didn’t need. I still kind of want it.”
Lucy gave a small smile. “I get it. But wanting something doesn’t mean you have to get it. Sometimes not buying something is just as satisfying—especially if it means you’re sticking to your goals.”
Emily nodded. “It’s just hard to say no in the moment.”
Lucy set her mug down. “Want to see something?” She opened a small notebook from her desk drawer and flipped it open. Inside were neat lists: purchases, weekly budgets, a page labeled “Stuff I Really Want” and another titled “Stuff I Wanted But Didn’t Buy.”
Emily laughed. “You keep a list of stuff you didn’t buy?”
Lucy grinned. “Yup. It helps me see what I actually miss. Most of the time, I forget about the things on that list after a few days.”
“Can I try something like that?”
“Of course,” Lucy said, handing her a blank page.
Emily picked up her pen and wrote:
| Things I Thought I Wanted – Floral journal set – Silver leaf earrings |
Underneath, she added:
| Goals – Save $30 for the field trip – Set aside $10 for the dance |
Lucy leaned over. “There you go. Budgeting isn’t about saying no to everything. It’s about saying yes to the right things.”
Delia rolled her eyes from her side of the room. “You two are such nerds.”
Lucy laughed. “Financially responsible nerds.”
Emily smiled. For once, that didn’t sound like a bad thing at all.
“Worth Every Cent” by Bright Bunny Books © 2025. Retelling of Chapter 1 of Straight Forward by Lucy Ellen Guernsey, originally published in 1859.
“Worth Every Cent” is best suited for middle school students in grades 6–8, as it explores relatable themes of peer pressure, budgeting, and decision-making in a realistic and age-appropriate context.
Bright Bunny Books 