diff --git a/packages/cli/README.md b/packages/cli/README.md
index 5b8389c5..e4f8ed3c 100644
--- a/packages/cli/README.md
+++ b/packages/cli/README.md
@@ -75,6 +75,50 @@ const signedTx: types.StdTx = {
 const postResult = await client.postTx(marshalTx(signedTx));
 ```
 
+## Extended helpers
+
+The above code shows you the use of the API and various objects and is a great way to learn
+how to embed cosmwasm-js into your project. However, if you just want a cli to perform some
+quick queries on a chain, you can use an extended set of helpers:
+
+1. Start a local wasmd blockchain, for example running the setup from `../../scripts/cosm/start.sh`
+2. Start with `./bin/cosmwasm-cli --init examples/helpers.ts` (note the new init file)
+3. Deploy some erc20 contracts: `../../scripts/cosm/init.sh`
+4. Play around as in the following example code
+
+```ts
+const account = (await client.authAccounts(faucetAddress)).result.value;
+account
+
+// show all code and contracts
+client.listCodeInfo()
+client.listContractAddresses()
+
+// query the first contract
+const addr = (await client.listContractAddresses())[0]
+const info = await client.getContractInfo(addr)
+info.init_msg
+
+// see your balance here
+smartQuery(client, addr, { balance: { address: faucetAddress } })
+
+// make a new contract
+const initMsg = { name: "Foo Coin", symbol: "FOO", decimals: 2, initial_balances: [{address: faucetAddress, amount: "123456789"}]}
+const foo = await instantiateContract(client, pen, 1, initMsg);
+
+smartQuery(client, foo, { balance: { address: faucetAddress } })
+
+const rcpt = await randomAddress();
+rcpt
+smartQuery(client, foo, { balance: { address: rcpt } })
+
+const execMsg = { transfer: {recipient: rcpt, amount: "808"}}
+const exec = await executeContract(client, pen, foo, execMsg);
+exec
+exec[0].events[0]
+smartQuery(client, foo, { balance: { address: rcpt } })
+```
+
 ## Other example codes
 
 ### Create random mnemonic and Cosmos address
diff --git a/packages/cli/examples/helpers.ts b/packages/cli/examples/helpers.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5f175a05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/examples/helpers.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+/* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/camelcase */
+import {
+  logs
+} from "@cosmwasm/sdk";
+
+const defaultHttpUrl = "http://localhost:1317";
+const defaultNetworkId = "testing";
+const defaultFee: types.StdFee = {
+  amount: [
+    {
+      amount: "5000",
+      denom: "ucosm",
+    },
+  ],
+  gas: "890000",
+};
+
+const faucetMnemonic =
+  "economy stock theory fatal elder harbor betray wasp final emotion task crumble siren bottom lizard educate guess current outdoor pair theory focus wife stone";
+const faucetAddress = "cosmos1pkptre7fdkl6gfrzlesjjvhxhlc3r4gmmk8rs6";
+
+const pen = await Secp256k1Pen.fromMnemonic(faucetMnemonic);
+const client = new RestClient(defaultHttpUrl);
+
+const networkId = "testing";
+
+
+// helper functions
+const instantiateContract = async (initClient: RestClient, initPen: Secp256k1Pen, codeId: number, msg: object, transferAmount?: types.Coin[]): Promise<string> => {
+  const memo = "Create an ERC20 instance";
+  const sender = encodeAddress({ "type": types.pubkeyType.secp256k1, "value": toBase64(initPen.pubkey)}, "cosmos");
+  const instantiateContractMsg = {
+    type: "wasm/instantiate",
+    value: {
+      sender: sender,
+      code_id: codeId.toString(),
+      init_msg: msg,
+      init_funds: transferAmount || [],
+    },
+  };
+  const account = (await initClient.authAccounts(faucetAddress)).result.value;
+  const signBytes = makeSignBytes([instantiateContractMsg], defaultFee, networkId, memo, account);
+  const signature = encodeSecp256k1Signature(initPen.pubkey, await initPen.createSignature(signBytes));
+  const signedTx = {
+    msg: [instantiateContractMsg],
+    fee: defaultFee,
+    memo: memo,
+    signatures: [signature],
+  };
+  const result = await initClient.postTx(marshalTx(signedTx));
+  if (result.code) {
+    throw new Error(`Failed tx: (${result.code}): ${result.raw_log}`)
+  }
+  const instantiationLogs = logs.parseLogs(result.logs);
+  const contractAddress = logs.findAttribute(instantiationLogs, "message", "contract_address").value;
+  return contractAddress;
+}
+
+// helper functions
+const executeContract = async (execClient: RestClient, execPen: Secp256k1Pen, contractAddr: string, msg: object, transferAmount?: types.Coin[]): Promise<readonly logs.Log[]> => {
+  const memo = "Create an ERC20 instance";
+  const sender = encodeAddress({ "type": types.pubkeyType.secp256k1, "value": toBase64(execPen.pubkey)}, "cosmos");
+  const instantiateContractMsg = {
+    type: "wasm/execute",
+    value: {
+      sender: sender,
+      contract: contractAddr,
+      msg: msg,
+      sent_funds: transferAmount || [],
+    },
+  };
+  const account = (await execClient.authAccounts(faucetAddress)).result.value;
+  const signBytes = makeSignBytes([instantiateContractMsg], defaultFee, networkId, memo, account);
+  const signature = encodeSecp256k1Signature(execPen.pubkey, await execPen.createSignature(signBytes));
+  const signedTx = {
+    msg: [instantiateContractMsg],
+    fee: defaultFee,
+    memo: memo,
+    signatures: [signature],
+  };
+  const result = await execClient.postTx(marshalTx(signedTx));
+  if (result.code) {
+    throw new Error(`Failed tx: (${result.code}): ${result.raw_log}`)
+  }
+  const execLogs = logs.parseLogs(result.logs);
+  return execLogs;
+}
+
+// smartQuery assumes the content is proper JSON data and parses before returning it
+const smartQuery = async (client: RestClient, addr: string, query: object): Promise<any> => {
+  const bin = await client.queryContractSmart(addr, query);
+  return JSON.parse(fromUtf8(bin));
+}
+
+
+const randomAddress = async (): Promise<string> => {
+  const mnemonic = Bip39.encode(Random.getBytes(16)).toString();
+  const randomPen = await Secp256k1Pen.fromMnemonic(mnemonic);
+  const pubkey = encodeSecp256k1Pubkey(randomPen.pubkey);
+  return encodeAddress(pubkey, "cosmos");
+}