Over the next month, local libraries
will offer financial literacy programs on a variety of money-management topics.
Join in on this incredible opportunity to gain the knowledge, tools, and
resources to help improve your financial future!
test
Get Fiscally Fit
Here are top tips to start saving now:
Have gratitude for the resources: Write down five things about your financial life that you're grateful for. Glad to get paid weekly? Grateful to be able to pay your child care? Happy you bought at house?
Gather evidence: Collect your pay stubs to see how much income you have. Go through all your bills to compute your monthly expenses. How much money do you spend each month?
Make a plan: Using the above information, make a monthly budget. Be sure it includes savings, even if it's only 5 percent of your monthly income.
Enlist buddy support: Get your spouse or best friend to agree to help you stick to your plan.
Conduct plastic surgery: To avoid credit card usage, determine which bills you will pay by check. Pay all other expenses with cash.
Divvy it up: Divide cash expenses into four envelopes, one for each week foe the month. When the envelop is empty, you're finished spending for that week.
Write it down: Get a small notebook. Each day, write down purchases, even if it costs less than a dollar, to see where your money is going. Don't procrastinate.
How to jump start your savings:
Dig yourself out of debt.
It's hard to feel strong, healthy, and happy--and sometimes to even sleep at night--when you're buried under a mountain of debt. Most of us have been there, done that. You can become debt-free; so many have and are a living, breathing testament.
Who doesn't hate bills? Tired of feeling bad about not being able to pay them? Then it's time to focus on a goal of becoming debt-free with the same fervor you use for everything else you are successful at: total determination. Get fierce! First, stop buying so much stuff. Don't totally deny yourself everything, don't deny yourself of a book or magazine (especially if it's on financial literacy). Consolidate monthly payments or set up a pay your bill day of the month, one day. Cut up credit cards, and start targeting one bill to pay each off, one at a time, starting with the lowest balance first. It may help to earmark paychecks, bonuses, and monetary gifts for certain bills. Once you pay off your first bill, you will feel the addiction of paying off your debt, setting a goal and reaching it!
If you're under a mountain of debt and feel you need professional help, you can locate credit counseling and debtor education information on the US Trustee Program website at https://www.justice.gov/ust/credit-counseling-debtor-education-information.
For this post, some excerpts were used from Oliver, Stephanie Strokes, "Daily cornbread," 1999 and https://www.justice.gov/ust/credit-counseling-debtor-education-information 03/13/2018.
Have gratitude for the resources: Write down five things about your financial life that you're grateful for. Glad to get paid weekly? Grateful to be able to pay your child care? Happy you bought at house?
Gather evidence: Collect your pay stubs to see how much income you have. Go through all your bills to compute your monthly expenses. How much money do you spend each month?
Make a plan: Using the above information, make a monthly budget. Be sure it includes savings, even if it's only 5 percent of your monthly income.
Enlist buddy support: Get your spouse or best friend to agree to help you stick to your plan.
Conduct plastic surgery: To avoid credit card usage, determine which bills you will pay by check. Pay all other expenses with cash.
Divvy it up: Divide cash expenses into four envelopes, one for each week foe the month. When the envelop is empty, you're finished spending for that week.
Write it down: Get a small notebook. Each day, write down purchases, even if it costs less than a dollar, to see where your money is going. Don't procrastinate.
How to jump start your savings:
- Make sure that part of your budget includes a savings account deposit. Even if it is not very much, try to put something away each month.
- Consider experimenting with living as frugally as possible for a month or two. Any money that does not go to basic needs for the month can go into your savings account. Cut anything out of your life that is not completely necessary. That could mean no more eating out, no coffees out, no entertainment, finding a carpool to get to work, or even taking the bus.
- Work with your employer to set up an automatic deduction to your savings account from your paycheck each month. This will force you to save with each paycheck you receive.
- Are you expecting a tax return this year? If so, you can request that it be automatically deposited into your savings account.
- Do you have a lot of items you no longer use lying around the house? Use the Internet to sell some of those unwanted items, or consider having a garage sale. Any proceeds can go directly into your savings account.
- Have any spare time on the weekends or weeknights? Consider getting a second job. Any income from that job can go directly to the savings account.
- If you are up for a raise soon, put that extra money into a savings account once you receive it.
Dig yourself out of debt.
It's hard to feel strong, healthy, and happy--and sometimes to even sleep at night--when you're buried under a mountain of debt. Most of us have been there, done that. You can become debt-free; so many have and are a living, breathing testament.
Who doesn't hate bills? Tired of feeling bad about not being able to pay them? Then it's time to focus on a goal of becoming debt-free with the same fervor you use for everything else you are successful at: total determination. Get fierce! First, stop buying so much stuff. Don't totally deny yourself everything, don't deny yourself of a book or magazine (especially if it's on financial literacy). Consolidate monthly payments or set up a pay your bill day of the month, one day. Cut up credit cards, and start targeting one bill to pay each off, one at a time, starting with the lowest balance first. It may help to earmark paychecks, bonuses, and monetary gifts for certain bills. Once you pay off your first bill, you will feel the addiction of paying off your debt, setting a goal and reaching it!
If you're under a mountain of debt and feel you need professional help, you can locate credit counseling and debtor education information on the US Trustee Program website at https://www.justice.gov/ust/credit-counseling-debtor-education-information.
For this post, some excerpts were used from Oliver, Stephanie Strokes, "Daily cornbread," 1999 and https://www.justice.gov/ust/credit-counseling-debtor-education-information 03/13/2018.
Mental Fitness
Are you struggling, like so many others, in maintaining your emotional health in a stressful world? How is your mental fitness?
Just as physical fitness relates to the health of your body, mental fitness relates to the health of your mind and emotions. So, what are the traits of someone with good mental health? They have
Just as physical fitness relates to the health of your body, mental fitness relates to the health of your mind and emotions. So, what are the traits of someone with good mental health? They have
- positive relationships
- choose health behaviors
- set goals they can reach
- have ways to cope during hard times
- enjoy success in school, work, hobbies, sports, or other personal activities.
Mentally healthy people experience a wide range of emotions, depending on what's happening in their lives. They have stressful feelings during hard times. But they cope and recover over time. People with poor mental health have trouble coping. They feel so sad, afraid or angry that they can't function. They may need therapy, medicines and/or time in a hospital to recover.
Like a lot of measurements in life, most people fall somewhere between good/excellent and poor mental health.
Here are some behaviors you can practice to increase your mental fitness.
- Accept who you are. You know the ways you're different from and similar to others. You value your strengths and respect your limits. Use more of the skills you're good at. Be kind to yourself. Be generous with others. Notice and trust your feelings.
- Develop strong relationships. You connect with people at work, church, in your community. Share your experiences, joys and fears, even your problems with others. Be a better communicator, listen more and practice empathy. Be fair, respect and accept others without judgement. Be kind to others, and ask for help when you need it.
- Be in charge of yourself. Have a belief in your ability to contact what happens in your life. Know and accept the difference between what can and cannot be changed, make changes when you need to. Be willing to take risks to meet your goals. Pay attention to your feelings, notice other people's feelings too. Be honest with yourself. Learn how to solve problems and make informed decisions.
- Balance the positive and negative. Act in ways that support your values and belief system. Learn to recognize your moods and thoughts that causes you distress. Shift your thinking and negative through negative thoughts. List things you enjoy in life. Reflect on this list often. Don't dwell in spaces that anger you. Develop strategies that allow you to cope with stressful situations. Remember to play.
Everyone can improve their mental health. Eating well, being active, getting proper rest and sleep are some key areas you can change to increase your mental health. There is no doubt with some practice you can increase your resilience, optimism and overall emotional well being, your mental fitness.
'Tis the Season
Lucky for me I have an email account specified to use when opening club savings accounts, signing up for savings with various retailers, shops, and stores. They do not come into my everyday email account where I get messages from friends and family members, or a bill reminder.The account set up for giant, rite aid, cvs, nordstrom, kate spade, bath & body works, coach, and others is a separate account and it is BOOMING with offers and specials and holiday sales. If I was an impulsive shopper, I'd have a home full of purchases, and struggling to pay my bills.
Don't get caught up in the hype of holiday sales and offers. Here are a few tips to stay focus, but most of all, be grateful for what you already have and that which you share with your loved ones at no cost:
- Unsubscribe to sales emails or set up a separate account
- Don't purchase something (even at sale price) that you do not need
- Don't purchase gifts for friends and family, make gifts such as framed pictures, baked goods, or invite them over for dinner and games
- Be aware of your financial status and goals
- If you didn't plan to make a purchase, don't buy it
- Set financial goals for 2018 (it's never too early to start)
- Limit your credit purchases (it's not really a sale if you're paying interest on the purchase)
Do not let the holidays over take you or make you blue. Instead, celebrate the season with your friends and family. Have potlucks, game nights, wine tastings (everyone bring a wine) and make a dish together (everyone can bring an ingredient).
I recently met my friend at the local town center. We had a festive time at the center tree. We had great conversation beside the warm fire, and took pictures to share on our social media account. The actual face time with one another was priceless! Now that's something worth saving, the memories we created!
'Tis the season!
(Share some ways you can save money and your sanity during the holiday season in the comments below)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)