Pinching Pennies for Christmas

One literal misunderstanding. One massive chip on his shoulder. A neighborhood that will never be the same.

Ten-year-old Jake Nudo is tired of being the "charity case" of the family Christmas. While his older brother, Leo, dishes out snark and his relatives shower him with gifts he can’t reciprocate, Jake is left with nothing but a few lopsided salt-dough ornaments and a bruised ego.

When his Grandpa advises him to "pinch his pennies," Jake takes the advice with terrifying literalness. He doesn't just save money—he wages a physical war on copper, squeezing coins until his knuckles turn white and his spirit is tested. But when the magic doesn’t happen and the pennies don’t multiply, Jake doesn’t quit. He pivots.

From the humid lawns of Champaign-Urbana to the frozen driveways of mid-winter Illinois, Jake transforms from a frustrated kid into a pint-sized mogul of the Midwest. With a fanny pack full of petty cash, a "Senior Transport Officer" brother on his payroll, and a ruthless eye for market rates, Jake sets out to prove that "pinching pennies" isn't just an old man’s proverb—it’s a hostile takeover.

A sharp, witty, and unsentimental look at the hustle of childhood, the weight of a lucky 1983 penny, and the high cost of proving everyone wrong.