[Intro]
[Son]
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.

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

[Verse 1:Dad]
We could stop buying groceries
But that might be a mistake
Because eating is a habit
I'd be loathe to try and break

We could 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 the money goes

[Verse 2:Dad]
We don't have to pay for furniture
If you want to learn upholstery
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

[Bridge]
[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.
[Son]
What could I do?

[Verse 3: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 that 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