Call for Volunteers for Financial Literacy Movement

June will be a busy month for me and the Financial Literacy Movement.

• 3 Community Financial Literacy Workshops
• 1 Guest Speaking engagement on Financial Literacy for families for the clients of a specific organization
• Several Private Personal Finance Consultations

I also hope to lay the groundwork for a Waianae Community Financial Literacy Fair to be held this fall.  Incorporated in this fair I am looking at getting the local schools involved through Financial Literacy PSA Video contest and a Keiki Art contest to create a Financial Literacy Calendar that will help raise funds for the movement and provide Financial Literacy Education in the local schools.

I cannot do this alone, and I appreciate all the support that my family and friends have given me so far. I am currently looking for dedicated volunteers who would like to get involved in the movement. Here are some openings that I am seeking to fill:

Workshop Assistant
Manage the registration table at each workshop, help in set-up of workshop venue, distribute handouts and activities during the workshop, and aide in breaking down and cleaning up after workshop. Time Commitment: 2.5 hours per workshop. 

Keiki Art Contest Project Coordinator-
Work with me to plan, organize, and implement Keiki Art Contest, will be the liaison with each school in the community. Time Commitment: Must be available at least 2 times a month from June - December

PSA Contest Project Coordinator
Work with me to plan, organize, and implement Financial Literacy PSA Video contest, will be the liaison with each media program at the local schools.
Time Commitment: Must be available at least 2 times a month from June- December

Financial Literacy Fair Committee Chairperson for the following committees: 
             - Marketing and Promotions
             - Service Provider Coordinator
             - Guest Speaker Coordinator
             - Donations/Sponsorships
Time Commitment: Must be available at least 2 times a month from July-November.

If you or anyone you know are interested in any of these volunteer positions, Please submit the following to saydeepojas@gmail.com (Serious Inquiries ONLY):  

1. Brief Bio about yourself, please include your education and professional background (500 words or less)
2. Statement about what Financial Literacy means to you and WHY you want to be a part of the financial literacy movement. (500 words or less) 

Although not necessary, you may also submit a current resume.

I am also currently volunteering my time and self-funding the Financial Literacy Movement, however I will be writing these or similar positions into future grants where there may be paid opportunities to continue this work in the community. Be assured that that your time, work and dedication to the movement will be recognized.

Is Your Spending Out of Control?

I came across an article from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling that gave readers a reality check on their spending. Here is what the article shared...

10 Warning Signs to determine if spending is OUT OF CONTROL 

1. Purchases hidden from others

2. Bills paid late or ignored

3. Checking Accounts routinely overdrawn

4. Credit essential to maintain current lifestyle level

5. Unwilling to review how money is spent

6. Unaware of how much is owed

7. Items routinely purchased, and then returned

8. Shopping used as a salve for emotional stress

9. Unwilling to set financial goals

10. Afraid to check credit report and score

Prepare for Financial Success Workshop Series

Financial Literacy Movement Update

Here is the latest news on the Financial Literacy Movement here in Wai'anae.

On-Going Personal Finance Consultations
I have been meeting with clients for a FREE 90 Minute One-on-One Confidential Personal Finance Consultation for the past month. I work with the individual or family to assess their current financial situation and help them develop a plan to meet their financial goals.

Upcoming Workshops
Money Talks For Kids
I have been asked to facilitate a workshop for parents of children 0-3 years old who participate in the INPEACE Parents as Teachers Program in June. It will be a 60 minute engaging workshop that will focus on talking about money with young keiki and letting families know that it's never too early to start learning about finances.

Ready for the "Real World" Series
I will be holding a FREE workshop for the Graduates of the Class of 2013 and their families in Waianae this summer. Whether going off to college in the mainland, continuing education right here at home, or entering the workforce, the workshops will include valuable information to prepare graduates for the "real world" and set them on the right path to financial wellness and responsibility.

Future Events
I recently submitted an application for a micro-grant from Awesome Foundation O'ahu. If awarded, the monies will go towards holding a Waianae Coast Financial Literacy Fair. This will be an engaging and interactive family event that will consist of various service providers, break out sessions, guest speakers and interactive financial learning activities for children and youth. This event will be held late summer/ early fall. If I do not receive the micro-grant that I applied for, I will seek alternative funding through sponsorships and/or kickstarter.

If you are interested in any information about the above information please contact me at (808) 542-6245 or saydeepojas@gmail.com. I am also looking for volunteers and those who would like to become a part of the financial literacy movement.

What is your Financial Four?

When it comes to finances there are many topics to learn and educate yourself about. Anything from Emergency Savings, Calculating Retirement, Tax Time Planning, Creating a will, Understanding Income, and many more. When faced with all these topics to learn, it may be overwhelming. I discovered this fun and educational activity based on a variety of financial topics. Similar to a bracket system like the NCAA Final Four, the National Endowment for Financial Education and Financial Planning Association created financialfour.org.

I invite you all to complete the activity and see what financial topics are most important to you and also compare to others who have completed the activity. Here are my Final Financial Four

1. Pay Yourself First
     -Automate transfers directly into savings
     -Build savings into monthly budget

2. Tax Time Planning
    - Develop a strategy to do even better financially next year
    - Manage your tax refund to pay debt, boost savings, etc.
    - Bunch qualified tax deductions

3. Emergency Kit
    - Ensure that it is portable should an emergency or disaster occur
    - Include important financial documents and small amounts of cash

4. Understand Income
     - Know what is in your paycheck
     - Complete withholding calculator and adjust withholdings

Through this exercise, I now have a list of areas that are prioritized so that I can tackle each one to better my financial wellness. I also discovered that out of the 32 Financial Topics, I am already implementing 22 of them in my life.

I will be utilizing this exercise in personal consultations as well as group facilitated workshops and events. Have fun completing this exercise and feel free to share your Final Financial Four.

Certified Financial Education Instructor Designation

After a few months of going through training and coursework for my certification, I am proud to announce that I am a Certified Financial Education Instructor.

 

The coursework I completed provided me the knowledge, credibility, and confidence that I need to effectively teach financial literacy. As a graduate of the program, I now have the opportunity to be a featured speaker, teach classes, host financial literacy events through the National Financial Educators Council. However, what is more important to me at this time is to be a guest speaker, teach classes and host financial literacy events right here in my community of Wai'anae.

My plans are also to bridge my Masters degree with this certification and provide consulting services to organizations to create financial literacy programs within their organization or assess and strengthen existing programs within their organizations. I will also continue to conduct workshops in the community and provide one-on-one personal finance consultations.

If you or anyone you know would benefit from my services as a Financial Education Instructor please feel free to contact me at saydeepojas@gmail.com.

Pinching Pennies: Gas and Transportation

Pinching Pennies, Bargain Hunting, Scaling Back, Downsizing. These are all terms that refer back to saving money. A little bit of cost savings here and there can go a long way.

Gasoline prices are always pretty high here in Hawaii. Currently the average gas price is $4.22 per gallon and goes as high as $4.35 per gallon. If you are a warehouse member (Costco or Sam's) the prices are around $4.09 per gallon.

When it comes to saving on gas there are a few ways to cut costs:

1. Buy Cheaper Gas - If you plan ahead you can save quite a bit of money on gas. Pay attention to your gas gauge and don't wait until the light goes on to put gas. For me, I plan to put gas at Kapolei Costco when I have to go out of Wai'anae and run errand in Kapolei or town. That way I don't have to make a special trip just to put gas and I don't get stuck spending more by having to put gas at the Wai'anae gas stations.



For Example:

     My pilot has a 20 gallon capacity. If I fill up in Wai'anae at the average cost per gallon...

     $4.22 per gallon x 20 gallons = $84.40 for a full tank

     If I plan it right, and put gas at Costco...

     $4.09 per gallon x 20 gallons = $81.80

     The savings of $2.60 per full tank may not seem that much, but if you fill up once a week that translates to $135.20 savings a year.

2. Drive Less - If you are like me, I'm not a big fan of public transportation, I like to go where I want, when I want. I don't want to feel confined to a bus schedule. This doesn't mean that I can't save a buck or two on transportation. Planning trips into town to make sure you get all your errands done in a specific area that you are travelling to can results in cost savings.

For Example:

     Sam takes Ku to school 2-3 times a week (because we carpool). That is about 46 miles round trip from our house. If Sam drops him off and comes home, then has to go back to pick him up that is 92 miles in one day.

     Each mile driven costs us:

     $81.80 per full tank / 400 miles per full tank = $0.20 per mile

     Two Round Trips to Waiau Elementary and back costs us:

     92 miles x $.20 per mile = $18.40 per day (not including other stops and detours along the way)

    A better solution to save monies is for Sam to stay in the Pearl City area and work from a Starbucks or run errands in town instead of driving all the way back home. Cutting down the travel to one round trip would save us $9.20 a day.

     Throughout the school year this would save us:

     90 days (approx. travel days to take Ku to school) x $9.20 savings
     = $828.00 savings per school year by reducing travel to one round trip

Because we carpool we save additional monies on gas and transportation...

     90 days (approx. travel days that carpool takes Ku to school) x $9.20 per round trip
     = $828.00 savings per school year from carpooling

Other ways to save on gasoline costs:
 - Buy a better fuel efficient car (hybrid or electric)
 - Carpool
 - Bus or Bike to Work