Yours, Mine, and Ours-Money with your Honey
January is a great time to start a new habit—a new Spending Habit! Are you and your partner on the same page about personal finances? When it comes to bills, spending, saving and debt, are you both in agreement? Whether you are new to financial co-habitation, or you’ve been spending time (and money!) together for years, this 4-week class is for you—with OR without your Partner!
Wednesday January 10th 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Communication and Your Money Personality: Saver or Spender? Thrifty or Generous? Risk taker or Risk adverse? What you like best about your partner is often the opposite of how you perceive yourself—but when it comes to how we handle our finances, these differences can actually cause tension and lead to serious problems down the road. Learn how to work with your partner to understand (and accept) your differences and communicate regularly about your money in and money out.
Wednesday January 17th6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. —Building Your Spending Plan: One thing we do know about our bills is that they happen every month and with regularity, even when our income may fluctuate. Rent, phone, electricity, food, gas, internet—these monthly expenses add up! And those “one-time” expenses happen more often than not—car repairs, kids’ field trips, birthday party gifts, and broken dishwashers—how do we budget for those expenses? In this workshop we will identify all the expenses that go into a year, and break them down into manageable numbers—participants will have access to a budgeting worksheet and receive tips on apps and computer programs that help you manage your cash flow.
Wednesday January 24th6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. - Avoid the Debt Trap and Building Your Credit: Debt and Credit go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other, and both should be in good standing. Debt that helps you build wealth can be a good thing, as long as you know how to manage it effectively. In this class you will learn about safe debt levels, what to look out for in a loan agreement, and how your credit affects your ability to borrow. We will discuss ways to improve your credit, too.
Wednesday January 31st6 p.m.-7:30 p.m.-Growing Old(er) Together-Your Financial Future: Wills, Power of Attorney, Life Insurance and Retirement savings—Do you have your financial ducks in a row? If you haven’t quite figured it out, this class is for you. We will talk about why you would want a will or life insurance, how much you need to retire, when to take out social security, and how to start saving if you haven’t started already.
Liz Scharf and Margaret Ferguson are AFCPE® Accredited Financial Counselors® who work at Capstone Community Action in Barre. Join them for this FREE 4-week series in January that will help you change the way you and your partner communicate about and manage your money. To register, email: or call 802-477-5215.