KristiLyn Wilkinson, M.S., AFC Candidate

You might be familiar with this phrase if you have read Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I’m here to tell you that revolving savings accounts are pretty life-changing as well! A revolving savings account is the magic that keeps irregular expenses from derailing your budget. 
One of the main obstacles to budgeting that I hear from people is that they have expenses that don’t happen every month, that are larger in nature, and throw off their planning. For most people, we tend to live our financial lives month-to-month. Your rent or mortgage is due once a month, your car payment is due once a month, you pay for Netflix and piano lessons once a month, etc. You get the picture. But every month it seems like there are some expenses like a birthday, Christmas, annual insurance bill, college tuition, etc. that come creeping in. ​

Alicia Nelson-Bell, personal finance intern

​When you think of budgeting, what thoughts, feelings or experiences come to your mind? Have you had positive, successful experiences with budgeting or have you had negative and restricting experiences with budgeting? Do you think of budgeting as something that can be fun or as something that takes a lot of time, effort and restricts you from being able to do the things you want in your life? Have you had any experiences in your life where you felt that better money management and planning would have helped you avoid that unfavorable situation? Do you believe that budgeting can be fun? 

When I say “it’s that time of year again,” I know most of you wish I was talking about pumpkin spice everything and not taxes. I bet most people don’t enjoy doing their taxes or owing money for taxes, but I know a lot of people who do look forward to getting their tax refunds. When it comes to saving money on your taxes, tax credits are your best friend. Adjustments and deductions lower your taxable income by a certain percentage (this is based on your marginal tax bracket). Tax credits, however, let you reduce the amount of tax you owe dollar for dollar and that means more money back in your pocket! ​

Jerevie Canlas, Ph.D., CFLE
Empowering Financial Wellness Program Coordinator

​If there’s one thing I learned from the events of 2020, it’s that I need to be on top of my finances just in case something unexpected happens - like a job loss (which happened to me in May), or when we needed a new car (something we had to purchase in November), or somebody needs to be hospitalized (which happened to a lot of people). 
 
They say prevention is better than cure, and that’s the principle behind annual physicals. You go see your primary care provider at least once a year so your general health can be evaluated, and you visit your dentist at least twice a year. Based on a number of factors, your doctor might recommend that you do a couple of things such as exercising more, cutting back on certain foods, increasing your fiber intake, or even referring you to a specialist if necessary. Seeing your doctor at least once a year can detect health conditions that can lead to chronic health issues. The biggest benefit of an annual physical is KNOWLEDGE - and this knowledge can potentially save your life.

AMANDA H. CHRISTENSEN, AFC, USU EXTENSION ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, UMM EDITOR