GUEST CONTRIBUTOR: MELANIE DABB, USU EXTENSION ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

Receiving a windfall of cash (money that you were not planning on or expecting) can be really exciting! The temptation is probably to go on a spending spree. But, taking the time to explore other alternatives may just turn that windfall into an opportunity to build your wealth or get ahead. If you don’t need your unexpected cash influx to pay your bills, here are two important questions to ask yourself: 

GUEST BLOGGER: EMMA PARKHURST, CHES, USU EXTENSION ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

I consider myself to be a frugal consumer, although this hasn’t always been the case. When I was younger, I thought I was frugal...but the honest truth? I was obsessed with making cheap purchases. I would try to make the least expensive purchase no matter what the item was, which typically meant purchasing lower quality items. As a result, I would have to replace these cheaper products more often, which meant spending more money in the long-run. Yikes! I finally had enough of the cycle when I realized I would spend less over time by purchasing a more expensive and higher quality item that would last longer. Who else can relate? If this experience sounds familiar to you, here are some tips to get out of this cheap-purchase cycle that helped me make smarter purchases:

Welcome to Financial Literacy Month 2020! Woot Woot! The Utah Money Moms team is excited to bring you personal finance content that can help you stay on track with financial goals, make smart money decisions and enjoy financial freedom.  Here's what's coming your way this month: 

1. GIVEAWAY: We'll announce an exciting give-a-way opportunity towards the end of the month.
2. BLOG POSTS: We're curating content every Monday and Thursday to keep you up to date on current COVID-19 financial issues as well as topics like teaching your kids about money. 
3. FB/IG LIVE: Every Friday we'll go live from our virtual classroom to share best-practices, tips and hacks to make managing your personal finances as stream lined as possible.

To start off, let's revisit the topic of financial health, what it means, and why it's critical for financial freedom. Check out What is Financial Health to get started, then see Your Financial Wellness Wheel and download the free printable. Finally, check out Financial Fitness: How to Take Action. 
Can't wait to hear your suggestions for financial health! Join us on the Utah Money Moms Facebook page to share!

Now that we're a few weeks into the year, is your New Year's budget sticking? Here's an awesome tip that may help you keep that goal rolling through the whole year! Having a personal allowance helps you have the freedom to spend money on yourself but the control to not over do it. Have you established a personal allowed? If so, how has having a personal allowance helped you? 

GUEST BLOGGERS: WILLIAM D. DANKO, Ph.D. AND RICHARD J. VAN NESS, Ph.D.

​​Shop ‘til You Drop?
So many articles have been written about becoming an efficient shopper. It’s exhausting just reading about the techniques that people devise in order to have the ‘best’ shopping season ever. Year-round, buying to assure the best deals, studying the desires of gift recipients, most appropriate wrapping for each person, and on and on. Some even specialize in gift shopping for pets. Seems that all of the major newspapers report on the masters of the creative passion of gift-giving for Christmas and other occasions. Time is a precious commodity, so why do some people participate so vigorously in such activities? Just pause, relax, and breathe. There is no fatal consequence of not attending the circus chaos.