Once upon a time, there was a young boy named Timmy who wanted to open his own candy store. He had a big dream, but he didn't have enough money to start his business.

One day, Timmy's dad told him about something called a budget, which is a plan for how to spend his money wisely. With this idea in mind, Timmy started saving every penny he could to make his dream come true.

One day, Timmy heard about a company that was offering a buyout, which means they were willing to pay for the entire candy store. Timmy was very excited, but he also knew that a buyout was a type of loan that required collateral, or something valuable that he could use as security.

Timmy remembered that he had a piggy bank filled with change, so he decided to use it as collateral for the buyout. The company agreed and gave him the cash he needed to start his candy store.

However, Timmy soon realized that there was a catch. The buyout was callable, which meant that the company could ask for their money back at any time. To protect himself, Timmy made a contingency plan, or a backup plan, just in case the company called back their loan.

Thanks to his smart thinking and budgeting skills, Timmy's candy store became a huge success. He was able to pay back the loan and even had enough capital, or money, to expand his business.

From then on, Timmy never forgot the importance of budgeting, planning, and being prepared for changes. And that's how Timmy became the successful candy store owner he always dreamed of being.

Reflections

• What did Timmy want to do when he grew up?
• How did Timmy get the money he needed to start his candy store?
• What was the catch with the loan Timmy received?
• How did Timmy protect himself from problems with the loan?
• What did Timmy learn about budgeting and planning?