Goods and services

Have you ever held a crunchy, red apple in your hand? Or snuggled into a super soft sweater on a chilly day? Have you ever had a grown-up give you a cool haircut or a teacher tell you a fantastic story? All of those things are part of our team. We are everywhere, helping you every single day. You can call us Goods and Services. I’m Goods, and I’m anything you can touch and hold, like your favorite toy, a yummy cookie, or a colorful crayon. My partner is Services, and she is any helpful action someone does for you, like a doctor helping you feel better or a bus driver taking you to school. Together, we make the world go ‘round.

Let’s zoom way back in time, before there were stores like we have today. Back then, if a farmer grew lots of potatoes but needed a warm blanket, he had to find someone who made blankets and wanted to trade. This was called bartering. But it could be very tricky. What if the blanket maker didn't want any potatoes? The poor farmer would be left with a big pile of potatoes and a very chilly night. People needed a better way. So, they invented something amazing: money. With shiny coins and paper bills, the farmer could sell his potatoes to anyone and use the money to buy a blanket. It made everything so much easier. A very smart man named Adam Smith thought we were so important that on March 9th, 1776, he wrote a famous book all about how we, Goods and Services, work together to help everyone in a community.

Now, let's zoom back to today. You can see our team everywhere. When you go to a toy store and pick out a brand-new building set, that’s one of us Goods. The friendly person who helps you at the cash register is providing a Service. When a firefighter bravely puts out a fire, that’s a very important Service. When you get a new pair of sparkly shoes, those are Goods. We are the amazing team that helps everyone share their special talents and creations. A baker shares yummy bread, a musician shares beautiful songs, and a builder makes cozy houses. By sharing what we can make and what we can do, we help make our towns happy, strong, and full of wonderful things. The next time you are out and about, see how many of us you can spot.