New Year's Resolutions

Today's author: Lindsey

Christmas is over and now we all turn our eyes towards the New Year and our resolutions for 2013. I always make New Year resolutions only to break them a few weeks later and I am sure many of you have had that problem as well. Let’s try to make this year different though! Here are five New Year’s resolutions to help you get financially fit!

Don’t spend unexpected money all in one place. If you have a bonus or birthday gift come into your bank account, it can be easy to spend it all in one place. Instead, try breaking it up into multiple different items. Put some on past debt, some on an item you want or need now and as always, some in savings!

Start an emergency fund. You should have one in addition to your savings! When you have an emergency fund it will be easier to cover unexpected car repairs or any other curve ball life throws at you. When you use money in your emergency fund your savings money can still be there for those big things you wanted, like a house or awesome vacation!

Ditch your purchasing method. If you are like me, cash in your pocket burns a hole and therefore, I don’t carry it! If I have $20 at the beginning of the week you can be sure I will not have very much of it left and little to show for it by the end. Some people don’t spend cash as quickly as they will take out their debit card. Whatever your method, try not taking it with you and by doing that, stopping those impulse purchases.

Start thinking of your savings account as a bill you need to pay every month. Write it down along with all your bills and pay it just like you would your electric or rent.

Make and actually stick to a budget. Sit down this New Year and look over your finances. Create a budget that is realistic and is easy for you to follow and then do it!

Saving money on gas.

Author: Lindsey

You may be thinking ‘How can I possibly save money on gas?’. Yes, it’s true that gas is expensive and if you have a car you will be buying it at any price, but there are things we can do to help maximize our gas usage and save some money in the long run! Here are seven ways you can do this:

If you are going to get gas, fill up your tank all the way. Trying to save money by only adding $10 one day and $20 or $30 the next does not help you save money. The time and gas you use in making these trips can be saved by making a single stop. 

Fill up once you get to a quarter tank. By driving on a near empty tank you can risk other things going wrong with you car like your electric fuel pump having a shorter life span!

Park in the shade. I didn’t believe it till I did some research but gas can evaporate from your tank while sitting in the sun. If you park in the shade, you can help slow this down plus your car won’t be an oven when you get in.

Use fuel perks! Many grocery stores offer ‘fuel perks’. Maximize these by saving them so you can get a bigger discount on gas. It is also helpful to know the areas that have cheaper gas prices by nature. I live downtown in a bigger city and gas is easily 20 or 30 cents more if I buy it in town. However, if I drive about half hour outside the city it is cheaper. I try to plan my fill ups when I am out of town to save some money and you could too!

Turn off the A/C when you are driving at a slower speed. Open your windows! Your engine works harder and your gas goes faster when running the air conditioning and driving the stop and go during rush hour. Try to save the A/C for when you are on the open road.

Try to drive smarter. Quick stops and starts can use more gas as well as constantly changing speeds. Try to drive easier on the engine and maintain your speed. For most cars, the best speed to be going is around 55 for maximum gas usage!

Plan your trips in advance. If you know this week you have a few stops to make try to do them all on the same day to keep from constantly ‘running to the store’ every day.

What are some of the ways you save on gas?

2013 Spring Schedule

[Closed] indicates that these classes are only for the clients of these agencies. If you are a client or member of these agencies, please call us to register for the class or talk to the director at your agency!

Mondays

            4:00PM (3^rd of every month) – Deborah House [closed]

            11:30AM (Once every month) – Genesis Center [closed]

            6:00PM (Once every month) Genesis Center [closed]

Tuesdays

            2:00PM – Catholic Charities in Downtown Pittsburgh

            6:00PM – WIBO at East Liberty (Starts Feb 19)

Wednesdays

            12:30PM – Northside Commons Ministries in the Northside

            1:30PM – Guardian Angel in New Stanton

            5:00PM (Twice a month) – Operation Better Block, Inc. [Closed]

Thursdays

            9:30AM – Perry High Money Think

            10:30AM – Perry High Money Think

5:30PM – Family Services of Western PA in New Kensington PA

6:00PM – WIBO at CCP (Starts Feb 20)

8:00PM – Genesis [Closed]

           

Fridays

            12:30PM – Obama Money Think

Still to be officially scheduled:

            Powerhouse in Swissvale

            SPHS Day Reporting Center

            Bethlehem Haven

            Maverick Drop In Center

            Giving Tree Drop In Center

            TRCIL Greensburg

If you have a location that you would like to have a class at, please feel free to email Brittany or call 412-820-2050 ext. 419.

Savin' round the Christmas Tree

I must confess, I am a Christmas music junkie. I start listening to it before Thanksgiving and continue till after Christmas. In the car, at home, at work – I can’t get enough of this season or it’s tunes! Unfortunately, some of these songs get stuck in my head and won’t get out. Today the classic “Rockin’ round the Christmas Tree” has been playing in my head nonstop to the point of annoyance. However, something good has come from this and today we will talk about five ways you can be “Savin’ round the Christmas Tree”!

Use discounts or even vouchers to purchase your holiday gifts. Did you know that sites like Groupon or Living Social do more than provide great restaurant discounts? You can buy all kinds of items, from iPod docs to designer clothing, at discounted pricing. There is also an option that allows you to ‘gift’ a voucher to someone else!

When you find the perfect item at the store, check the internet to see if you can find it cheaper online! A lot of products can be found for much cheaper online or at a different store. I can honestly say that personally, I have been able to find almost everything I have wanted to get on Amazon for less that I would have paid in store.

Homemade gifts are a great way to save money and are very thoughtful! Thankfully for any less crafty types, craft stores and websites offer tons of craft-know-how as well as anything you might need to make the perfect gift for that special someone.

We all know it’s hard to control spending when it comes to the little ones; our children, nieces or nephews, godkids, grandkids – the list is endless. One way to save money is to buy things you know they really want. Have the child make a list of different things they want then divided and conquer amongst the adults!

If you have a large family and spend Christmas at two or more places then it may seem nearly impossible to save some money. However, try these two ideas with your loved ones: Decided on a price cap for gifts. For examples everyone can only spend up to $10 or $15 per person. Another way is to do a Secret Santa. Everyone gets a name and that is the person they have to buy for. This can be a great way to save money and create a new family tradition!

FAQs About Financial Wellness

1. What is Financial Wellness? Financial Wellness, just like any other wellness, is the feeling of well being regarding one's finances.

2. What are Financial Wellness classes? Financial Wellness classes are based on the FDIC's Money Smart curriculum. This 11 week course (which is FREE to consumers and agencies that would like to have us teach) is designed to teach people about the basics of banking, credit, fixing credit, getting a home loan, and so on.

3. How can I bring a class to my area? Or how can I find a class in my area? Email Lindsey Blocki at blockil@fswp.org, Andrew Yelanich at yelanicha@fswp.org, or Brittany Linville at linvilleb@fswp.org for more information. You can also call 412-820-2050 ext. 419!

4. What is WIBO? WIBO is a 16 week mini-MBA course for budding entrepreneurs and business owners looking for more information to learn marketing, budgeting, cash flow, human resources, legal information, etc. Due to generous grants, we are able to offer the class for a VERY low $50. If a payment plan is required, we can also give those as well. Contact Brittany Linville for more information: linvilleb@fswp.org or 412-820-2050 ext. 419.

5. What is Budget Counseling? Budget counseling is 1:1 time with our financial literacy trainers to complete and put a budget into action. We are not a credit consolidation center. Our budget counseling is limited to 4 1 hour sessions. For more information, give us a call 412-820-2050 ext. 419.

Fixing Bad Credit

Have you ever seen these advertisements: “We can remove your bad credit!” “Better credit score in six months!” “Create a new credit identity!” Sadly, as great as they sound, they are not true. Credit repair can take years when done correctly, but don’t let that be discouraging. Here are some tips for navigating your credit!

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

No one can remove accurate information from your credit report. You cannot legally create a new ‘credit identity’ and your credit score will not go up 500 point in two months. Be careful of credit repair scams and do your research on any company you are considering. Get a list of recommendations from your bank or credit union and check with the Better Business Bureau before selection a credit repair company.

You can get your credit report for free.

You can order your credit report from all three credit bureaus for free every twelve months. If you are headed to a credit repair company, pull it yourself and bring it with you! No sense in paying someone to do it for you when you can do it for free.  Go to www.annualcreditreport.com  to get yours today!

You can repair your credit yourself.

While going to a credit repair place is helpful, you can also repair and build your credit yourself. If you are not sure where to start ask your financial representative or seek out a credit counseling organization who can direct you on what to do.

Use the internet carefully!

The internet is a wonderful thing but not everything on the internet is true! Make sure when you are researching you are using reliable sources and double checking facts! Try

www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/cred13.shtm for some additional credit tips!

WIN A FREE WIBO CLASS!!

Author: Brittany

Do you have an idea for a business? Do you already own a business and are looking to learn more about marketing, budgeting, Human Resources, Legal, etc? Then Workshop in Business Opportunities is the class for you!

This 16 week course is touted as a miniature MBA course for the budding entrepreneur or small business owner. Do you have an idea for a small business? Do you already own your own business but are looking for more ideas on how to grow your business? Then this is for you!

A WIBO participant must be able to commit to the following:

1.       16 week course: The participant MUST attend each and every session.

2.       The participant must be on time for every session and willing to participate.

3.       The course costs $700+ for the 16 weeks at other locations across the US, but we are able to offer WIBO to our participants for a small fee of $50 due to generous grants from the RK Mellon and Hillman Foundations.

4.       The participant must already have an idea. This isn’t the class to figure out what your idea is, this is the class to take to turn your idea into a reality. At the end of the course, you will have a business plan in your hands. You will learn Marketing, Human Resources, Legal, Budgeting, Cash Flow, Management, etc.

We have two classes scheduled as follows:

Starting February 19^th, from 6-9pm on Tuesdays, at Family Services’ offices in East Liberty. (We are in the same plaza as Trader Joe’s.)

Starting February 21^st, from 6-9pm on Thursdays, at Family Services’ offices at Central City Plaza in New Kensington.

If you are interested in winning a free WIBO class, comment here on this blog or email linvilleb@fswp.org about why you deserve to win a FREE class! This includes all 16 weeks of class AND the workbook.  Please have your entries in by January 1st!