[Kid:]

Dad, how come you or Mom can't pay for me to go on my band trip to the Rose Bowl Parade? Don't you make a ton of money?

[Dad:]
I don't know about that, but we do have a ton of expenses.

[Kid:]
Like what? Isn't there something here we can do without?

[Dad:]
We can stop buying groceries,
But that might be a mistake;
'Cause eating is a habit I be loath to try and break.

We can stop paying income tax,
But they might send me to jail.
And if we don't pay the mortgage,
Then they'll take our house;
Then where would we get our mail?

If not for all these bills and taxes,
Our income would more than suffice.
I feel like a real big cheese
Until everybody takes a slice!

I don't want to bore you,
With my troubles or my woes,
Still you're old enough to know where all the money goes.

We don't have to pay for furniture,
If you want to learn upholstering.

We don't really need to pay the phone bill
We can use tin cans and a string. It's bedtime.
We'd never have to pay to paint the house,
If we went off and lived in a cave.
And if you're planning on inheriting a million bucks,
Then there's really no need to save!

We make a decent living, that's true,
But we have to pay these bills when they come due.

Please observe this illustration
Which irrefutably shows,
Exactly how and where the money goes.

[Dad:]
You know if you could help us cut down on some of these expenses, I bet we could save enough for you to go on that trip.

[Kid:]
What could I do?

[Dad:]
We could really lower the phone bill,
If you'd limit the length of your calls. Bye
You could probably put some money in your savings bank,
If you skip one trip to the mall.
We'd spend a little less on electricity,
If you turn off the light when you leave.
And we could save a lot on our laundry bills,
If you'd watch where you put your sleeve!

You could bring a little in with a part time job,
All we ask is you do your best.

If you earn a little here
And save a little there,
We'll try to come up with the rest.
We can't stop the money from trickling out,
But we can control how it flows.

And we can start by being aware of
Where the money goes.

Where is my money?
My money!

It's gone.