Consuming Our World - Introduction to Money
Money comes in different forms. Some people use coins and paper banknotes as money. Others use plastic cards. Money can even exist as a file on a computer. Long ago , people used shells , feathers , stones, and even cows as money. How can all of these different objects be money?
The word "money" describes anything that can be used to pay for goods and services. Goods are things that are made, sold, and purchased. Services are things that one 'person pays another person to do.
If a coin can buy food and clothes, that coin is money. If a plastic card pays for food, that card is money. The government of a country decides what counts as money. For example, in Japan paper banknotes and coins called yen are used as money.
The word "money" describes anything that can be used to pay for goods and services. Goods are things that are made, sold, and purchased. Services are things that one 'person pays another person to do.
If a coin can buy food and clothes, that coin is money. If a plastic card pays for food, that card is money. The government of a country decides what counts as money. For example, in Japan paper banknotes and coins called yen are used as money.
Changing Money |
Today, many people use plastic credit cards as money.
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Japanese yen can purchase goods and services in the country of Japan, but not in other countries. The man pictured on this 1000yen bill was a famous Japanese doctor. |
Money has changed through history. In ancient days, money did not even exist. Instead, people traded goods and services for other goods and services. Over time, communities developed money using objects, metals, and paper. Often, a country's money is decorated with pictures of its leaders or meaningful symbols. The symbols stand for ideas like freedom, courage, or strength.
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