Savings goal
Saving for a nintendo switch
Typical price $199–$349. Best for ages 8–14.
Quick take
The modern "I want a gaming console" goal. Parents stay sane by outsourcing "yes" to the save jar.
The parent lens
When a kid asks for a $300 console, the best answer is rarely "yes" or "no" — it's "here's the math." Turning the ask into a savings goal lets them self-select: if they want it, they'll save. If they don't, they lose interest in a week. Either outcome is a win.
How long will it take?
At $10/week a $300 Switch is 30 weeks. At $15/biweekly (a typical 10-year-old allowance) it's 40 weeks — nearly a year. Most kids lose steam; the ones who don't really, truly wanted it. That is the point.
At a glance, for a $299 target
Gotchas
- ×Price the games too — $60/game adds up and should come from spend money, not an extension of the console goal
- ×Warn against "upgrade as soon as you arrive" creep (OLED Pro, bigger memory card) — lock the spec before saving starts
- ×Discuss online safety and screen time rules before they hit the finish line, not after
FAQs
Is it OK to let a kid save for a Switch?
Absolutely — it's a great intrinsic-motivation goal. Whatever you think of screen time, a kid who saved $300 over 9 months has learned more about money than one who got it for Christmas.
What if they abandon the goal halfway?
That's the whole lesson. Saved money is still saved; let it roll into whatever the next goal turns out to be. Never "refund" the partial savings back to spend — the muscle memory of "I have savings" is the point.
Related goals
A Gaming PC
$600–$2,000
The long-term teen goal. Often pairs with a parent-match and some freelance earnings.
An iPad
$329–$1,099
The first big tech goal that doesn't come with a monthly bill. Useful for school plus the Lego Builder, Procreate, and reading habit.
Headphones
$30–$350
A small-ticket entry into "real" tech savings. Cheap enough to finish in a month, expensive enough to feel earned.