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? 

​It’s story time! Who doesn’t love a good story? Last month I was on a Dr. Seuss kick and had some fun drawing parallels between Dr. Seuss stories and personal finance best practices. Don’t worry, I’m not finished with Dr. Seuss yet so keep an eye on the blog to catch more ways to use the creative doctor’s writings in your journey to financial wellness. In the meantime, since I mentioned journeys, have you read about Ulysses’ journey in Homer’s Odyssey?

​Needs vs wants.  Who hasn’t fought that budgeting battle?  Tough as the struggle may be, it is a fight that can be won.  The reasoning is pretty simple, right?  A need is something that is essential for you to be able to live and work.  Needs include housing, transportation and food.  Wants, on the other hand, are expenses that help you live life more comfortably. Wants include entertainment, travel, and toys.  It seems straightforward enough, but what about those gray areas where needs and wants overlap?  On occasion, our wants may seem so powerful that we can’t imagine living without them. Consider an item such as housing. Shelter is a need; however, it may become a want if you’re paying more for rent or a mortgage in order to live in a larger home or upscale area.  And clothing? That, too, is a need, but if you buy expensive brands or are buying clothing just because it’s on sale, it can quickly fall into the want category.  There are several strategies to help you win the needs vs wants battle.

Each year millions of Americans participate in National Make a Difference Day, a day set aside for volunteers to participate in big or small acts of community service.  While this day comes every year on the fourth Saturday of October, it doesn’t need to be the only day for volunteering your time.
Volunteering is beneficial for many reasons ranging from increased good health to emotional wellbeing.  Sandra Quadros Bowles, on her Money Wisdom blog, suggests that volunteering can also provide some significant financial benefits.

Guest Blogger: Tasha Killian, USU Extension Assistant Professor

​I love decorating! There is something exciting to me about making your place your own through décor. Buying new pieces, creating different styles, and finding things that fit into what you want in your space is a lot of fun, but can also end up costing a lot. If you are like me and you don’t have a lot of extra cash to purchase some of the items you’d like, it can be a challenge to find things to fit your style and your budget. Luckily, there is a solution, so you do not have to live with bare walls! That solution is doing it yourself.