The Step-Down Principle is one of my favorite personal finance concepts. A great tool to help you spend less and find more money each month to knock out debt, build an emergency fund, save for a vacation, etc. in three easy steps!  Let's dive in! 

GUEST BLOGGER: LIZ VANCE

October is a fun month because it marks the beginning of the end of year holidays! So many fun things come our way the last few months of the year which, unfortunately, can mean a lot of expenses! I know it may seem early to have a post about affording the holidays, but preparation is key to several of the tips I want to share. So, here is a list of things you can do to make the next few months more affordable.

AAA Fair Credit Foundation in partnership with the Thayne Center at Salt Lake Community College is hosting a Financial Wellness Fair on October 23rd from 5-8 PM at the 1575 S State Street in Salt Lake City.
The Fair will be a fun event with photobooths, interactive story boards, and prize drawings.
Resource tables will share important, practical information about financial wellness.
Smaller, 30-40 minute in-depth breakout sessions will address the following topics:

• Food and Nutrition.
• Healthcare access and medical debt.
• Housing: rental and home purchase.
• Legal issues
• Financial services
• Community services
• Strategies for increasing income.

The event is free and open to the public. Don’t miss this opportunity to ask questions and learn from financial experts about best practices related to personal finance. Visit this Eventbrite link to register for free! 

GUEST BLOGGER: Elizabeth Vance

Earlier in the summer I wrote up a post about free/cheap summertime activities. Now that fall is upon us, and it’s my absolute favorite time of year, I thought a follow up post for autumn would be fun! Here’s the problem, though. Every typical fall activity costs money: corn mazes, hayrides, football games, haunted houses, etc. So, here are a list of free or cheap fall activities you could try.

GUEST BLOGGER: MELANIE JEWKES

Recommendations for food storage are to have 72-hours’ worth of food and water to tie you over until water supplies, roadways and help can reach you in the event of an emergency. BeReadyUtah.gov spells that out to be one gallon of water per person per day for at least 3 days and a 3-day supply of non-perishable food. However, the American Red Cross recommends having a 3-day supply of food and water for emergencies that require an evacuation, AND  a 2-week supply for emergencies where you are confined to your own home.
 
Don’t let that 2-week supply of food and water be too daunting. Here a few tips on establishing a food storage for emergencies on a budget.