Cents-less

==Summary==
Mr. Ratburn thinks it is time for his class to learn a little about money...or, rather, the lack of it. For the entire weekend, no one in the class can spend a cent.
==Plot==
Mr. Ratburn talks about money and its importance to the class. He then states that it would be difficult to imagine life without money and tells the class that it is exactly what he wants the students to do. Buster then starts to daydream of him sitting on a stool at the Ice Cream Shop, while Brain gives him his order of a "frozen yogurt replica of the Montreal Stadium with extra snow". With food on his face, Buster asks if he can have the chair in the shop to which the Brain allows, stating that everything's free. Giving the chair to his butler outside, Buster flies off in a helicopter heading to Paris. His daydream is finished and the class scene returns where Mr. Ratburn then explains the process of bartering (trading). This time, Arthur daydreams of a scene inside a village where Brain is sculpting a goat out of rock that catches Arthur's eye. He offers to trade it for D.W.'s singing cow that Brain rejects, ending the daydream. Mr. Ratburn concludes by giving everyone, including himself, an experiment for the weekend which is to not spend any money. Muffy laughs, thinking that he is joking, only realizing that he isn't when everyone stares at her.
Cents-less
After school, as Muffy gets her backpack, Francine asks her how she is going to get through the weekend, pointing out that spending money for Muffy is like breathing. Muffy grabs out her credit card, convinced that using a credit card isn't the same as spending money in bills. But Francine informs her that it is still spending money, but you're just paying for it later. Later at home, Francine is convinced that Muffy won't last even a couple of days when suddenly she is given a letter to see its fifty dollars included! Her dad jokes, stating he would spend the money for her since she can't do it herself, but Francine is too smart.
The following morning, Mr. Ratburn is having trouble finding a decent breakfast. He manages to find pistachio nuts, along with very old condensed milk... He tries it, but quickly decides its not a...very healthy meal so he looks into a suitcase with his many puppets.
Later at the toy store, Muffy is hiding while she spies on Bailey purchasing the doll she wanted. Francine catches her and claims its still cheating when the cashier tells Muffy and Bailey someone else already ordered the "action figure". Muffy demands a barter and asks him what he wants for it. She tries to offer him scented skin lotion, but its no use. Muffy begs him and finally Binky tells her he wants a Buzz Mc Boom Boom trading Card and then he will give her the "action figure".
Francine tells Muffy its very rare, but Brain may have an extra, as he collects many baseball cards. As the two girls leave, Francine suddenly sees some sports equipment she would love to buy and there is a sale this weekend only.
At Brain's house, the male informs the girls that he has three of the cards Muffy is after. But he will only part with one of the cards for a partical excellerator. Muffy promises to bring it as Brain mentions not having enough room to put his cards on display and the two girls leave. Muffy is a bit concerned, knowing she can't provide the item that Brain wants and hopes he'd settle for her clothing instead when they suddenly see a puppet show going on in the park. After he finishes, he reveals himself to the many people and thanks them, then mentions he is only working for food, not money.
As he eats, Mr. Ratburn mentions that he forgot to go grocery shopping before the project so he had to bring out his old act. He then gives Muffy some advice when she mentions how badly she is doing so far and Muffy then tries to get him to give her the card through a trade. But it's no use, Brain has heard them all and does not find any of them funny. Muffy then tells him that she won't be able to get him what he wants until she is in college and then offers to help him with his display so that he doesn't have to keep switching things around.
In thanks of what she did for him, Brain barters the card Muffy needed and gives it to her. Muffy then goes to trade it so that she can get the doll she wanted.
In class, she is telling everybody her story and thanks Binky a final time for the "Action Figure" (even though it was a doll, and Binky said it wasn't) and then Francine mentions how Muffy managed to help her save her money and put it into the bank. The episode finishes as Mr. Ratburn confirms that this project was a "hit" by using his puppets, which makes Buster laugh. The episode then finishes.
==Characters==
===Major===
*Francine Frensky
*Muffy Crosswire
*Nigel Ratburn
*The Brain
*Binky Barnes
===Minor===
*Buster Baxter
*Punchy and Jude
*Arthur Read
*Oliver Frensky
*Bailey
*Baseball Mitt
===Cameo===
*Sue Ellen Armstrong
*David Read
*Alex
*Jenna Morgan
*D.W. Read
*Fern Walters
*3rd Grade Male Cat
*3rd Grade Male Rabbit
*George Lundgren
*Rattles
*Prunella Deegan
*Catherine Frensky
*Unknown Male Adult Rabbit (Number 3)
*Unknown Female Adult Rabbit (Number 4)
*Unknown Male Rabbit
*Laverne Frensky
*Otis
*Brian
*Maria Pappas
*Maria's mother
*James MacDonald
*Vladimir and Estragon
===Mentioned===
*Bubby
==Trivia==
*The $50 bill that Francine is given by Bubby is pink, while regular American dollar bills are green and Oliver Frensky asked Francine sarcastically if it was the wrong color.
*Timeline: This episode is set between January 20 and February 20 as it said in Bubby's card that Francine's birthday was a month away.
*Muffy still has interest in World Girl dolls, as can be seen when she tries to buy the Tammy the Tornado doll.
===Cultural references===
*The song that the singing baseball glove sings in Francine's imagination is a parody of "".
*Mr. Ratburn's goldfish, Vladimir and Estragon, are named after the main characters from , which, incidentally, was parodied in "Waiting to Go."
**One of his pets "Vladimir" has a Name simliar to 
*Punchy and Jude are a parody of Punch and Judy.
===Errors===
*Right before Arthur imagines him and Brain trying to barter, the cuff of his shirt is missing its line. Right after the imagination spot the lines are on the cuff.
*When Francine and Muffy first visit Brain's room, the Grebes hat on his shelf is green and yellow, the usual Grebe colors. However, when Muffy returns, the hat is now red and a light tan color.
==Gallery==
Punchy and jude.jpg
Vladimir and Estragon.jpg
Cents-less - title card.JPG|Title Card New
Toys' Interior 2.JPG
Toys' Interior 1.JPG
Toys Store.JPG
Unknown Female Adult Rabbit 3.JPG
Screen Shot 2013-10-19 at 1.15.41 PM.png
Screen Shot 2013-10-19 at 1.16.59 PM.png
S15E04a Title Card.jpg|1504a Title Card
Screen Shot 2016-07-08 at 11.26.24 PM.png|Buster being presented with a free ice cream in his daydream about a world without money.
Screen Shot 2016-07-08 at 11.27.01 PM.png|Buster taking off in his private helicopter in his daydream about a world without money.
Screen Shot 2016-07-08 at 11.27.41 PM.png|Arthur offering to barter with Brain for the goat statue Brain built. Arthur offered to trade D.W.'s cow.
Screen Shot 2016-07-08 at 11.28.00 PM.png|D.W.'s singing cow that Arthur offered to trade in his daydream about a world without money.
Screen Shot 2016-07-08 at 11.28.52 PM.png|Muffy's reaction to Mr.Ratburn's assignment where she and the class are challenged to go the weekend without money.
Screen Shot 2016-07-08 at 11.29.15 PM.png|Muffy's proposed solution on how to get around the restriction of not spending money.
Screen Shot 2016-07-08 at 11.29.58 PM.png|Francine discussing her solution of using a credit card and informing her that it still counts as spending money.
Screen Shot 2016-07-08 at 12.52.40 AM.png|Nigel Ratburn presenting different forms of money to the class.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.20.15 PM.png|Francine receiving $50 from a relative. She is disappointed she cannot spend it though.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.21.15 PM.png|Mr. Ratburn attempting to make Breakfast of the goods he has on hand as he forgot to go shopping
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.21.33 PM.png|Mr.Ratburn frustrated at his failed attempt to make breakfast.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.22.05 PM.png|Muffy attempting to have Bailey buy a doll for her since she cannot buy it.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.22.28 PM.png|Francine informing Muffy that buying it through Bailey is still using money.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.22.47 PM.png|Binky has reserved the doll as it is of a wrestler.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.23.10 PM.png|Muffy offering to barter Lip Balm for the doll.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.23.29 PM.png|Muffy asks Binky if there is anything he would trade for it. He says he would for a Buzz McBoomBoom baseball card.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.23.55 PM.png|Francine and Muffy after Francine informs her that the Brain may have one.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.24.38 PM.png|Francine stopping to look at sporting equipment that she is tempted to buy.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.24.56 PM.png|The Brain showing his 3 Buzz McBoomBoom baseball cards, which he says he would be willing to trade one for a particle accelerator.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.25.18 PM.png|A picture of the Brain's unorganized baseball card collection, which he says he would like to be organized.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.25.49 PM.png|Mr. Ratburn brings out his puppets. He asks for food donations in exchange for putting on a show. This is his plan to eat without having to use money.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.26.18 PM.png|Muffy and Francine discussing their issues bartering with Mr.Ratburn
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.26.33 PM.png|Buster telling Muffy that she could barter with jokes, like Buster did. Buster gives her a common joke to use in hopes of entertaining Brain.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.26.49 PM.png|Muffy uses this common joke, which Brain already knows.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.27.04 PM.png|Brain asks her when she will have the particle accelerator and she says that her dad said they couldn't break ground on it until she was in college.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.27.30 PM.png|The Brain begins to switch out his old displayed cards for new ones. Muffy offers to organize them so he can have all of them displayed.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.28.14 PM.png|Muffy presents Brain with his newly organized shelf.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.28.24 PM.png|A picture of the shelf organized by Muffy.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.28.50 PM.png|The Brain gives Muffy a Buzz McBoomBoom card in exchange for the service she gave to him, organizing his baseball card collection.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.29.07 PM.png|Muffy presenting to the class how she bartered for the doll.
Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 7.28.14 PM.png|Easter egg in the show. The cast are dressed up as animals in the picture above Muffy's head.
==References==
Category:Season 15 episodes
Category:Episodes with songs
Category:Episode pages without home video
Category:A to Z
Category:Arthur episodes
Category:Pages with Wikipedia links