$$$...Money Matters

This month all of Ms. Avila’s classes are learning the basics of personal finance in the United States.  We learned the basics such as spending, debt, living within your means, savings, having a budget, and credit cards.  The following is a list of information and links to help you continue learning about money so that you can make educated choices that will help your financial future:

How to make a budget work for you:

¨  1^st Think about everything you spend money on for one month, even the little things like a can of soda or a pack of gum.  Make a list.

¨  2^nd Think about how much money you make in a month.  Make a list.

¨  3^rd Use the two lists to create a Budget Spreadsheet.

¨  4^th The 80-10-10 rule:  Only use 80% of the money you make, 10% goes into savings, 10% goes into giving back .

¨  5^th After you have a budget, give yourself a CASH ALLOWANCE.  You can only use that cash amount per month. Once is gone, you cannot spend more!!!

¨  6^th Plan for Long-Term Goals!!

¨  7^th DON’T QUIT!!!

Great MONEY Sites:

·         The Mint:    

o   ESL 2 /learn about $ and play some games: http://www.themint.org/kids/index.html

o   ESL 5 /learn about $ and play some games: http://www.themint.org/teens/index.html

·         Planet Orange:

o   Games to learn about $: http://www.orangekids.com/

·         Living Wage Calculator:

o   How much it costs to live in West Orange: http://www.livingwage.geog.psu.edu/places/3401379790

o   How much it costs to live in any city in the U.S.:

http://www.livingwage.geog.psu.edu/

o   Crown.org: http://crown.org/