CREATIVE BUDGETING
There Are Many Topics When it Comes
to Financial Fitness Workshops
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setting a monthly budget
developing financial goals
reviewing credit reports
understanding spending vs. savings
being aware of identity theft
Residents are Not Excited About
Financial Fitness Workshops
 workshops are dry and boring
 residents feel that they have no money so
why participate
 we cannot motivate participation
Common Forms Of Motivation
 Gift cards
 Bonus for attending all sessions
 Matching funds
But……attendance is almost always low
no matter what we do.
How can we make Financial Fitness
Workshops more exciting?
How can we motivate participation?
We Need To Get Creative!
Creative Workshop Ideas
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Birthday Gifts on a Budget
Couponing / Couponing Club
Discounted Entertainment
Holidays on a Budget
Book / Magazine Swaps
Green Cleaning on a Budget
Spring Cleaning and How to Make Money
Herb Gardens at Home
Each of these workshops is unique and fun and you can include
valuable budgeting skills within each one.
Let’s talk about how to incorporate
budgeting into these programs.
Birthday Gifts on a Budget Workshop
How to Get Started Wit this Workshop
 Ask residents to create a list of birthday gifts they need to purchase for the year.
 Put a value to each gift.
 Total the amount at the bottom.
(you can provide a pre-made excel spreadsheet for this exercise)
Have a Discussion About Gifts and Budgets
 Is the gift absolutely necessary or will a card suffice?
 Is the value placed on the gift realistic based upon the overall budget. Are
adjustments necessary?
Gift Ideas
 Discuss some inexpensive gift ideas.
 Discuss purchasing vs. making gifts. Cost savings.
 Make an inexpensive gift during the workshop.
Birthday Gifts On A Budget
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Brownies in a Jar
Homemade Jams & Jellies
Handmade Hats or Scarves
Framed Artwork Created by You
Painted Picture Frames
A Basket of Fresh Herbs From Your Garden
Handmade Note Cards
An Herb Wreath
Birthday Gifts On A Budget
Does anyone have any
other ideas?
Couponing Workshop / Coupon Club
 Hold a Couponing
Workshop at your
location and start a
weekly coupon exchange.
 Couponing is a great way
to stretch a budget.
Couponing Workshop
How to Get Started
 Educate yourself on the world of couponing.
 There are many websites out there for you to review.
 Create a PowerPoint presentation.
 Invite your residents to a Couponing Workshop.
Couponing Workshop
At the Workshop
 Encourage residents to think about how much they spend on
groceries each month.
 Provide residents with a tracking sheet to take home.
 Present your PPT presentation.
 Schedule a coffee and coupon exchange approx. one week later.
 Ask residents to bring the coupons they have collected.
 Review their spending and begin the process of tracking how
much they are saving.
Discounted Entertainment Workshop
Entertainment in San Diego can be expensive. Help your residents
to save by doing a little research for them.
This is a perfect budgeting topic.
Getting Started
 Research free or reduced community concerts, events and
entertainment.
 Create a list and invite your residents to a community meeting
where you share your ideas.
 Give your workshop a unique name such as, “Around San
Diego for Free”.
Discounted Entertainment
Ideas
Free summer concerts in the park
Free museum Tuesdays at Balboa Park
Museum passes that can be checked out at the library
Scholarships for kids at the YMCA and Community Recreation
Centers for camps, classes and athletics
 Check community recreation centers for special events
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Holiday Gifts On A Budget
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Brownies in a Jar
Homemade Jams & Jellies
Handmade Hats or Scarves
Framed Artwork Created by You
Painted Picture Frames
A Basket of Fresh Herbs From Your Garden
Handmade Note Cards
An Herb Wreath
Holiday gift tags
Books and Magazines
Books are expensive and so are magazines. Organize a book
swap where you invite residents to share books and enjoy
some coffee in the community room.
Other Book and Magazine Saving Ideas
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Start a book club
Check books out at the library
Educate residents about free copies of books for eReaders.
Show residents how to get the news on the Internet
Start your own reading library on site
Green Cleaning On A Budget Workshop
 Cleaning supplies can be expensive.
 There are many alternatives to store
bought cleaning supplies.
 You can make your own with everyday
items that you have on hand in your house.
 Homemade cleaning supplies are less
expensive.
 Homemade cleaning supplies are usually
safer.
Green Cleaning On A Budget
 Invite your residents to a “Green Cleaning on a Budget”
workshop.
 Ideal for Earth Week.
 Have supplies available so residents can make some samples.
 Talk about the prices of your supplies.
 Compare the costs of homemade vs. store bought.
 Combine this workshop with other Earth friendly workshops
offered during the same week.
Green Cleaning On A Budget
Recipes for homemade cleaning supplies can be
found on the internet. The most common ingredients
include:
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Distilled white vinegar
Baking soda
Olive oil
Borax
Essential oils
Microfiber cleaning cloths
Newspaper
Hydrogen Peroxide
Lemons
Herb Gardens At Home
Small, indoor gardens are a fabulous way to save on those
expensive herbs we purchase at the store.
Why not grow your own instead?
How to Get Started
 Invite residents to an indoor gardening workshop.
 Show samples of some herbs they can grow.
 Discuss what these fresh herbs cost at the store.
 Provide the supplies and have them plant some herbs to take
home (basil works well).
 Hold a cooking demonstration. Make pesto with some basil to
show them how to use their herbs.
Spring Cleaning & How To Make Money
Let’s face it, everyone of us has items in our household that
they we are not using. They are most likely
worth some money.
How to Get Started with Your Workshop
 Invite your residents to a, “Spring Cleaning & How to Make Money”
Workshop.
 Create a PPT presentation to include the following points:
 Cleaning out those closets and cupboards – items may not mean
anything to you but may mean something to someone else.
 Separate items into 3 groups – To Donate , To Trash or To Sell.
 Think about selling via a Consignment store, Craig’s List or Ebay.
 Items donated may qualify for a tax write -off.
Now that you have
your residents
interested in
saving…. it’s time
to have them
prepare a budget
they can live by.
The Budgeting Workshop
Topics to Include:
 tracking daily spending habits
 Preparing a personal spending plan to include
monthly income and expenses (budget)
 identifying ways to decrease spending
 Identifying ways to increase income
 Identifying spending plan tools that will help
resident manage bills.
Creating a Personal Spending Plan
Use a Daily Expenditures Tracking Worksheet
 Do you know where your money goes each month?
 Understand where your money goes by tracking your spending.
 Help to create a budget.
Week of: _________________________________________
Priority Level Date
Total
Vendor
Amount
Mandatory/Discretionary
Creating a Personal Spending Plan
Income vs. Expenses – creating a budget you can live by.
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Complete Monthly Income and Expenses worksheet.
List monthly income sources & income amounts to the left.
List monthly expenses to the right.
Review the bottom line. What do you need to do?
My Monthly Income and Expense Worksheet
Income
Wages
Expenses
Fixed Expenses
Public Assistance
Rent/Mortgage
Child Support/Alimony
Property Taxes/Insurance
Interest/Dividends
Cable/Telephone/Internet
Social Security
Cell Phone
Advance EIC
Car Payment
Other
Car Insurance
Other
Health Insurance
Other Loan Payments
Other Loan Payments
Flexible Expenses
Savings
Water
Gas/Electric
Groceries
Eating Out
Transportation/Gas
Credit Cards
Day Care / Elder Care
Car Maintenance
Education
Personal Expenses
Donations
Other
Other
Total Income
Other
Total Expenses
Creating A Personal Spending Plan
Analyze the Completed Budget Worksheet.
 Do your expenses exceed your income?
 Do you need to decrease your spending? If so,
brainstorm possibilities for doing so.
 Are there ways you can increase your income?
Follow - Up
Schedule follow up sessions with your
residents to review their situation and make
changes as necessary.
Resources For The Coordinator
TheKrazyCouponLady.com
http://thekrazycouponlady.com/
PinchingYourPennies.com
http://www.pinchingyourpennies.com/
CouponMom.com
http://www.couponmom.com/
CouponSuzy.com
http://www.coupons.com/couponweb/Offers.aspx?pid=13953&zid
jl94&nid=10&bid=10201050ea0c983574217
I have a couponing PPT that will be added to the Dropbox for this event.
A Few Quick Notes On Budgeting
For
Teens and Seniors
Teen Budgeting
There are many ways to engage teens in budgeting as they love
to buy things.
Talk to teens about developing a spending plan to include:
long term savings
short term savings
spending
charity
Determine their short and long term goals.
Develop a spending plan like the one the adults created.
Talk to them about the importance of saving and giving back.
Creative Teen Budgeting Workshops
 Design the ideal gaming room or bedroom
Give teens a budget
Create a wish list of items
Research prices of items online
Create an Excel spreadsheet to track their budget
Create a schematic of their room online or via a drawing
have teens research prices of their whish list items online
 Want it All vs. Need it All
 Feed the Piggy
Senior Budgeting
Seniors have distinctively different budgeting needs - especially
those living on a fixed income.
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Prescriptions prices continue to soar.
Cost of living and insurance continue to increase.
Utilities continue to rise.
Social security benefits are not keeping up.
Creative Senior Budgeting Workshops
Many of the same workshops outlined in the adult section pertain
to the seniors including:
• book swaps
• creative gifts
• couponing
Coordinators can educate seniors on:
• reduced rate prescription plans
• reduced utilities
• free food opportunities at churches and community centers
• free cell phones
• Free or reduced transportation
• Fraud Prevention / Scams Targeting Seniors
Teen and Senior Resources
Teen
FDIC – Money Smart for Youth
https://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/moneysmart/young.html
Financing Your Future Workbook
https://www.ohe.state.mn.us/pdf/FYF_english.pdf
Hands on Banking
http://www.handsonbanking.org/en/
Senior
Hands on Banking
http://www.handsonbanking.org/en/
FDIC – Money Smart for Older Adults
https://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/moneysmart/olderadult.html