By Tracy DeFore, County of San Diego Communications Office
Those holiday bills are rolling in and money might be a bit tight right now. Or it’s the New Year and you’ve resolved to manage your finances in 2019, rather than letting them manage you.
Whatever the case, the San Diego County Library can help you meet your financial goals. For the fourth year in a row, the County Library is partnering with San Diego County Credit Union to offer Financial Wellness Wednesdays, a series of free classes designed to help you manage your money.
To get you started, SDCCU has five tips you can use right now to stretch your dollars.
•Get Organized
•Set a Goal
•Create a Budget
•Pay Off Debt
•Stick to It
Financial Wellness Wednesdays classes are available at County libraries from Fallbrook to Bonita to Borrego Springs and more than a dozen others.
SDCCU finance experts cover a wide range of topics such as Building a Better Budget, 10 Simple Ways to Financial Success, 30 Ways to Trim Your Budget, College Financing 101, Teens and Money, and Raising a Money Smart Kid. Other topics cover Internet safety like Preventing Identity Theft and Scams, and Safeguarding Kids’ Identity and Online Privacy.
“The County Library is a lot more than just books; our branches are more like community centers,” said County Library Director Migell Acosta. “We offer a wide variety of classes in health, education and fitness. Financial Wellness Wednesdays is just another way we help customers improve their daily lives.”
“As with anything else, such as eating healthier or losing weight, having a road map is the first step in achieving financial success,” said SDCCU Business Development and Community Relations Senior Vice President Sarah Bilyeu. “Identify your goals, jot them down and make a road map on how to get there.”
Bilyeu says your income doesn’t determine your financial success, but your choices on how you spend your money do. In other words, living within your means. Sometimes life circumstances like divorce, foreclosures and medical bills can lead to severe budget problems, but there is a class that addresses that too: Rebuilding after a Financial Crisis.
Financial Wellness Wednesdays classes run from now through March. Registration isn’t necessary, and visitors can take one class or the entire series. To find times and locations, visit sdcl.org.
Tracy DeFore is a communications specialist with the County of San Diego Communications Office.
