Moment Boys buy a games console after saving pocket money for two years

After saving every dollar and cent for two years, two boys in Utah have gone viral for finally achieving their goal of buying their own Nintendo Switch.

Parents John and Karli Koelliker posted a video on TikTok of the boys counting their final earnings and making the purchase at Target.

Years earlier, the Koellikers said Newsweek that her sons Cal and Wes played Mario Kart at her cousin’s house and realized that they really wanted to have the same gaming console.

“Rather than buying it for them right away, we decided to create a chart to track their progress toward the goal,” John said. The chart, called the Kolly Boys’ Savings Tracker, became a family tradition, with the boys coloring in sections each time they earned another dollar.

The brothers took on the challenge and found creative ways to make money, from classic lemonade stands to gardening for their grandparents.

“Funnily enough, we found out that Cal also sold a neighborhood kid a rock – which he said looked like crystal – for a dollar,” John said. They also had a few setbacks, such as trying to sell Pokémon cards without success, but it also taught them valuable lessons.

“I’m an entrepreneur and I love that they get a little taste of how much fun it is to make or do something that helps people,” John said.

With the boys’ savings collected in jars, the family headed to Target, with their youngest brother, Crew, helping from the car seat. The father of three told us Newsweek that it took about 15 minutes to count the cash at Target, but luckily they had a friendly and patient clerk to help them.

“She said she saved her money to buy a GameCube at Kmart as a child and relived her childhood by counting money with our children. “They were so excited, and even the few people in line were cheering for the boys,” John said.

The boys’ efforts netted them a total of $369.49 – just enough to cover a Nintendo Switch and additional controllers, but no games.

Then, just as the boys were bagging the goods, a man standing in line behind them was so impressed that he stepped forward with a $50 gift card so they could pick any game they wanted wanted. In the video, he tells the boys, “Hard work pays off, man.”

The Koellikers’ clip went viral, racking up 8½ million views and nearly 10,000 comments from other users praising the boys and the kind stranger.

“I started crying when this guy gave them $50 to buy a game. That was more than kind,” one user wrote.

Another user said he was a Target employee and that this would have been his year if it had happened to him, no matter how long it took to count the money.

John and Karli couldn’t be prouder of the boys’ performance. “We think it’s so important to teach our children that they can do difficult things and that we will support them in their goals even if we don’t buy them what they want,” they said Newsweek.