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Start Money Smart. Money Information, Money Education

The date is almost here!!

The Real Life Money Smarts Adult Workshop is an all-day event that provides hands-on information on how to better handle your money on a day to day basis. This is no high-level "Investment Seminar". You'll learn basics regarding better management of your checking account, understanding and avoiding bank fees, better management of your credit card debt, and how to stay organized so your bills are paid on time, every month.

Where: Second Street, Medford
When: February 7, 2009 from 10AM to 5:30PM
How much: $25 per ticket

Classes designed for adults, but appropriate for ages 16 and older.

Click here to complete registration form. (pdf)

Proceeds go to help Cambridge Women's Center and to increase financial literacy in Boston communities.

What's been going on...

The Transition House becomes Money Smart

Since 1975 Transition House has innovated programs and services to help families break the cycle of violence. Their Transitional Living Program provides security and skill-building to enable self-sufficiency and independent living. Part of that education involves understanding and managing personal finances.

Once a week for six weeks Start Money Smart meets with women and talks about topics related to checking accounts, credit cards, paying bills budgeting, paychecks and taxes. For more information on the Transition House of Cambridge and their programs go to www.transitionhouse.org.

What's coming up...

Belmont Day School

Understanding that parents need ideas on how to talk to their kids about money, a local parent, Lee Burns contacted his children's school, Belmont Day, about having a SMS program. After agreement from the headmaster, Jameel will be providing a workshop on March 25th to parents of local students.

Smith Leadership Academy

This Dorchester Charter school is having a series of events focused on financial education in its community. SMS has been asked to lead the February 10th event to middle school students and their parents on Becoming Financial Fit. The other dates and topics during the series are...

  • Feb 7th - Saving Makes "Cents" Starts at Home
  • Feb 10th - Becoming Financially Fit
  • Mar 10th - Saving For College
  • Apr 7th - Starting a Business

Success Academy at Haverhill

Haverhill High School has been a great supporter of SMS over the years, having workshops for their VIP program and Young Parents Group. This year SMS will be providing weekly classes to the Success Academy. This program was developed for ninth graders having problems advancing through high school. Jameel will be organizing activities and lessons on personal finance over the next several months.

Coming Soon

Start Money Smart's first book!

Reserve your copy today!

SMS books are designed to be short, easy to read, filled with images and dialogue to explain complex topics.

Paying Bills is Not a Money Issue is for adults and teens, covering topics like:

  • The different ways to pay your bills.
  • How to stay organized so bills get paid
  • What to do when you don't have enough money
  • Why do we hate the word "budget".
  • What's the smartest way to pay off credit card debt

This book will be available in paperback and on-line for $12.95. If you reserve your copy now, you can guarantee an issue for $10.00 when it becomes available.

Save and order today!

For more information on obtaining your copy, e-mail jameel@startmoneysmart.com.

Living in the Dark

If I told you there was a room that you had to enter – you had no choice – you must enter this room. And I told you that what is in this room would scare you – no avoiding the fear – you will get scared. Would you rather have the lights on or the lights off when you enter that room?

If you said "lights on", why? Why would you want to see something that you know is going to scare you? Since you're going to be scared anyway, wouldn't it be better to not know or see anything? Or would it be better to get a clear picture of what's causing the fear so you can prepare for it and deal with it.

I meet people every week that are choosing to keep the lights off in their financial life. There's no avoiding going into the room, but they'd rather not see the cause of their fear. They choose to sit in the dark, afraid.

There's the doctor who frequently goes on vacation whenever he gets stressed about the drop in patients, and therefore income for his practice, knowing that the trips cost him even more money.

There's the single mother of three who finally has a good paying job and can afford to get out of debt, but is scared to take that step because that may mean she'll have to grow up and really plan for her financial future. No more handouts.

There's the professional man, ten years away from retirement, forced to spend all of his savings after he was laid off from his job two years ago. But now that he has a new job, he doesn't see the point in trying to build up his savings again, so he goes on shopping sprees buying clothes and gifts for his girlfriend.

Even if these true stories don't sound like somebody you know, there are plenty of people that decide not to open mail, not to think about saving, not to return a bill collector's phone call, not to sit down and make a list of their bills – because they don't want to see what will scare them. They rather enter the scary room with the lights off. You have the option to turn the lights on.

Start Money Smart, Inc. has designed programs that address these exact issues and is prepared to teach them to adults as well as teens. For more information, go to www.startmoneysmart.com.

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