by jbreslawski | Feb 24, 2017
Nationally, America Saves Week is an annual opportunity to promote good personal savings behavior!
More locally, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is collaborating with America Saves in a campaign to help Floridians build wealth, not debt! The Florida Saves, (floridasaves.org) statewide initiative has been officially endorsed by Jeff Atwater chief financial officer for the state of Florida. Why? Because research shows that, too many households with an unexpected expense of just $400 could be thrown into a financial crisis! This means a clog in the sink or a broken freezer could easily send a family into debt.
During Florida Saves Week, February 27 to March 4, 2017 UF/IFAS is urging residents to pledge to set a goal and start saving! Like our Florida Saves Facebook page to keep up with the latest info.
Saving money for an emergency makes good sense. Families with money saved for an emergency are less likely to face financial stress, less likely to fall behind on their bills, and less likely to deal with subprime alternative money sources that have higher costs than conventional options.
Make a commitment to yourself and take the Florida Saves pledge to help you reach your savings and debt reduction goals. Additionally, Florida Saves will motivate you with periodic information, advice, tips and reminders sent by email or text message to help you reach your savings goal. Paying yourself first, saving your tax refund, and saving automatically are just a few ways that Florida Saves encourages you to build wealth and reduce debt.
Plus, this year Floridians who pledge to become a saver can enter to win $50 to be put toward reaching their financial goals by completing a short survey after setting a goal and signing the Florida Saves pledge.
Want to win more? Take a video or photo to share your savings story and follow the link to enter to win a national prize of $1,000 in theAmerica Saves http://www.americasavesweek.org/imsavingfor/ contest.
Take the pledge at floridasaves.org Set a goal and make a plan!
by Angela Hinkle | Sep 28, 2016
I did it! Or should I say, I didn’t do it! Or more realistically, I almost didn’t do it! What? Spend money in the month of September. Some of you may remember my wallet really needed a break, so I set a goal to spend no money in the month of September unless absolutely necessary.
Did this help? Yes, my wallet, checking account, and credit cards seem much more at peace. Was it easy? Except for a few bumps and hiccups, it wasn’t too bad. Like a good financial citizen, I paid all by bills and gave at church, I kept gas in my car, and had plenty of food (in my house).
However…
Snafu #1: The food thing was a little trickier when it came to work. I went to a conference and for five days, we only received one dinner, one lunch, and two breakfasts. The people from Idaho brought and gave out great potato chips (but I could not and should not try to live off of those). I brought lots of nuts, granola bars, and small containers of fruit in my suitcase but still had to fork out money for three dinners and one lunch with a little more substance. My traveling companion knew of the goal I had set and was nice enough to buy me dinner one night. (I think I must have looked really sad and hungry.)
Snafu #2: When did September become the season of giving? A wedding and a baby shower brought out the checkbook. Oh well, there are a new bride and mom-to-be who are happy.
At home, the only food I had to buy was bread (yes, I could have frozen some – yuck, or made some – no time) and milk (yes, I could have used the dry milk – yuck to drink) and since I miscalculated the amount of dog food in the house, I had to buy some of that, too. I will give a big shout out for canned and frozen foods. It was no big deal to not go out to eat nor go to the movies or to other forms of entertainment. (The good stuff doesn’t usually come out until October anyway.)
What about my all-important trips to the nail salon? Ha! I found a gift certificate (I love those things) that took care of both trips to the salon.
Though I didn’t go hard-core all the way, I did really well. I feel so much better and I’ve veered off my path toward debtor’s prison (yes, exaggeration).
I am blessed to have a comfortable life so this was not that difficult. One month without extra spending was a free gift I gave myself. See if giving yourself the gift of a no-spend month makes your life better. Then be sure to share your success stories.
by Angela Hinkle | Sep 7, 2016
The month of August has been a financially painful time for me. I blame this on the fact that my only child has just begun her first year at college. Lots (and I mean a whole lot) of spending happened in preparation for this auspicious endeavor.
- Ouch – I began to question if I was spending more than I was making. (This was brought on by reading Building a Spending Plan: All Six Steps, a UF/IFAS EDIS publication.) Actually a very helpful financial read. Check it out: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/HE/HE82700.pdf
- Ouch – My credit card bills in the last few months have been quite hefty.
- OUCH – The college bills for housing and tuition came due.
What to do to help alleviate some of the pain caused by this financial stress? I remember reading about “no-spend” months. People often pick February because it has the fewest number of days. But I feel the need for immediate action – and so September it is.
A no-spend month means you don’t spend money on anything except the absolute necessities. I have to pay the mortgage, the car payment, utilities, and I have to get may nails done (yes, that is, in fact, a necessity for me). But no buying clothes or shoes, going out to eat, going to the movies, buying gum or an emergency caffeinated drink. Since there is no child in my house now, I think I may actually be able to do this.
Researchers say if we tell others about our goal, we are more likely to work hard to achieve it. So I told the participants in a health class I was teaching about this goal of mine. One very sweet, gentle, older woman said, “Honey, you know you can’t do that.” My somewhat deflated response was, “Why?” Her kind answer – “You know you’re going to send that child care packages.” Right she was.
However, undeterred, quite determined actually, I have found ways to plan around such obstacles. I sent a care package to the child at the end of August and will send the next one at the beginning of October. I will eat out of the fully stocked freezer and pantry to avoid trips to the store. I will start September with an already full tank of gas. I will watch TV at home. I will do this!
Once October rolls around, check back in and I’ll let you know how I did. Wish me luck!
by Judy Corbus | Feb 10, 2016
As W-2 forms and other receipts start rolling in, we’re reminded that tax season is upon us once again. It’s exciting to get back some of your own hard-earned money in the form of a tax refund! Saving a portion of your tax refund can be a big step toward meeting your savings goals, so it’s no surprise that a 2015 tax season survey found that a majority of those who receive a refund planned to save it.
This tax season, reward yourself for saving some of your refund by entering for a chance to win $25,000 through SaveYourRefund. SaveYourRefund has 101 cash prizes, including 100 weekly prizes of $100 and one grand prize of $25,000. Making smart financial decisions isn’t always easy, but splitting your refund couldn’t be simpler. Follow these quick and easy steps to enter to win in 2016:
- Use Form 8888 to split your refund. Entry to win with SaveYourRefund starts with splitting your refund into savings.
- Save $50 or more of your tax refund. In order to enter, use Form 8888 to save at least $50. There are a number of accounts you can save into including a savings account, a U.S. Treasury Direct account (savings bond), and a myRA retirement account.
- Visit SaveYourRefund.com to enter. You will automatically be eligible to win one of ten $100 prizes that will be given away every week from the start of the contest until the end of tax season.
- Upload a picture here that represents your savings goal or motivation, and you’ll be entered to win the $25,000 grand prize!
Need tax assistance? Take advantage of a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. VITA programs offer free tax help to those who generally make $53,000 or less, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and limited English speakers.
Get ahead of your financial goals by splitting your tax refund into savings, and reward yourself with SaveYourRefund!
Source: Tammy Greynolds, AmericaSaves.org.
by Ricki McWilliams | Jan 27, 2015
America Saves Week 2015 ~ February 23 – February 28
America Saves Week is coordinated by America Saves and the American Savings Education Council. Started in 2007, the Week is an annual opportunity for organizations to promote good savings behavior and for individuals to assess their own savings status. Typically, thousands of organizations participate in the Week, reaching millions of people. This campaign encourages individuals and families to save money and build personal wealth.
The 2014 Annual National Survey Assessing Household Savings (released during America Saves Week) revealed that while most Americans are meeting immediate financial needs, they are worse off than several years ago.
- Only about one-third of Americans feel prepared for their long-term financial future.
- 68 percent reported they are spending less than their income and saving the difference – down from 73 percent in 2010.
- Nearly two-thirds of respondents (64%) said they “have sufficient emergency savings to pay for unexpected expenses like car repairs or a doctor visit” – down from 71 percent in 2010.
- 76 percent said they are reducing their consumer debt or are consumer debt-free – down from 79 percent in 2010.
To learn more about America Saves Week and Pledge to Save, visit: www.AmericaSavesWeek.org
Set a Goal. Make a Plan. Save Automatically.
Get Involved! Events during America Saves Week include:
Ag Save$ Summit
February 23 – 9:00am CST/10:00am EST
Jackson County Extension Office, 2741 Pennsylvania Avenue, Marianna, FL 32448
(view registration link for additional locations)
FREE to register: bit.ly/AgSavesSummit
America Saves Financial Challenge – Online
February 22 – March 23
FREE to enroll: http://bit.ly/MoneyChallenge2015
Challenge Yourself to Save Money – America Saves Challenge Twitter Chat (#eXASchat)
February 24 – 2:00pm CST/3:00pm EST
Log in to Tchat.io at http://www.tchat.io/ and insert #eXASchat into the textbox that pops up so you can tweet easily and view the live Twitter stream
Where to Turn for Financial Advice – Webinar
February 25 – 11:00am CST/12:00pm EST
Free Registration: http://bit.ly/finpro2015
Personal Finance Questions – Realities & Myths – Webinar
February 26 – 11:00am CST/12:00pm EST
Free Registration: http://bit.ly/faq2015
