1. Taking Control of Your Cash - Eliminating Debt

2. Happiness Is… Making Informed Financial Decisions Although money may not be able to buy happiness, it is an important part of life. 2 Society for Financial Awareness

3. Wants vs. Needs WantsNeeds 3 Society for Financial Awareness

4. We Buy Because of Emotion, Not Logic! From a psychological standpoint:  We purchase an item we mistakenly believe will make us happy.  The item loses its value to us over time.  We look for the next item to make us happy, and then another, and so on. 4 Society for Financial Awareness

5. Changing Your Perspective Your self-worth has nothing to do with your net-worth. Money does not make the person - it is who they are on the inside that defines their lives. 5 Society for Financial Awareness

6. You Shouldn’t Live in Fear of Your Finances Your financial dealings are serious; however, you are in control, even if it doesn’t always feel like it. You can control your savings, expenses, and even your earnings; however, you have to adopt the mindset to do so. As you begin to build up your feelings of self-worth and develop a positive attitude about yourself and about money, you'll be able to function positively and effectively. There is no point in waiting for your situation to improve before you tackle your money issues. 6 Society for Financial Awareness

7. What Makes You Happy? It’s often been said that the best things in life are free, and it’s true. Unfortunately, some people convince themselves that they don’t deserve happiness and accept their circumstances far too easily. 7 Society for Financial Awareness

8. You Have to be Willing to Sacrifice to Achieve Goals There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. Colin Powell 8 Society for Financial Awareness

9. Take Control of your Circumstances Before setting out to achieve a goal, look how others have achieved something similar and find out how they did it. Find someone who's on the path you want to pursue and have a conversation with them. Following a well-defined path often makes it easier to bring about change. In doing so, you create accountability. You need to be able to walk before you can run, and taking small steps if you’re contemplating significant changes can dramatically improve your chances for success. 9 Society for Financial Awareness

10. Developing Your Plan Evaluating the current situation: “Initial Spending Assessment” Identifying “wants” and “needs” Discussing options and adjusting spending accordingly Tracking spending - Creating a Comprehensive Budget Establishing and implementing short- and long-term goals Reviewing and modifying your plan when necessary 10 Society for Financial Awareness

11. Building an Emergency Fund Plan for life’s unexpected emergencies by setting up an Emergency Savings fund. Set aside at least 3-6 months worth of expenses to help cope with life's emergencies. Emergencies can happen to anyone, anytime! Seek conservative savings vehicles that keep pace with inflation. Society for Financial Awareness 11

12. Become a “Financial Guru” There are thousands of not-for-profit agencies that offer the public free financial analysis. Speaking with a certified credit counselor will help you establish an initial game plan, as well as identify the information you need to know for your financial situation. 12 Society for Financial Awareness

13. Credit Card Debt One of the biggest problems credit counselors see regularly is uncomfortably high credit card debt, which can really devastate a family’s budget. 13 $14,000 Credit Card Balance Society for Financial Awareness

14. Getting Out of Debt Debt Snowball Method Modified Snowball Method Credit Counseling Society for Financial Awareness 14

15. Life on a Debt Management Program Bills which can be included in a Debt Management Program include Credit Cards, Personal Loans (unsecured), Personal loans secured by household items, Past-due balances on telephone bills, cellular phone bills, electric bills, etc., Collection Accounts, Lines of Credit, Disconnected Utilities, Medical Bills, and Repossessions (unpaid remaining balances). Debt Management Program participants typically enjoy: One Convenient Monthly Payment Lower Monthly Payments Reduced Interest Rates Elimination of Late and/or Over Limit Fees Ongoing Education Access to Nationally Certified Credit Counselors Full Support of Our Customer Care Associates 15 Society for Financial Awareness

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