Extension calendar helps with money management

The Franklin County Extension System has released its 2019 Money Management Calendar, and Extension Director Katernia Cole-Coffey is encouraging everyone to stop by the office and take one of these free financial tools home.

“We want participants to learn how to reach their financial goals by planning their expenses, keeping spending records for financial decision-making and taxes and remembering their payments and due dates,” Cole-Coffey said.

Cole-Coffey said the Extension system has offered a money management calendar each year for many years, and it is a popular tool among a number of community members.

The calendar provides budgeting suggestions as well as examples of ways to plan financial goals. It breaks down each month of the year with a section for fixed monthly and occasional expenses, flexible daily expenses and a block calendar that can be used to keep track of payments and bills.

“It takes a lot to save your money. It’s something you have to master,” Cole-Coffey said.

A summary section at the end of the calendar allows users to see how they did throughout the year, and the back cover is a chart to track tax-deductible expenses.

In addition to this calendar, people can pick up a shopping list notebook as well as a pocket-sized version of an expense tracker at the Extension office.

“It’s about making good choices. Good financial management is the key to a lot of things,” Cole-Coffey said.

For Franklin County citizens, extension agent Patricia Smith is the person to contact for financial advice. Her email is smithp7@aces.edu.