As the April 15 tax deadline has just passed, most people have filed their income tax returns. What are you planning to do with your tax refund or how are you planning to pay any tax amount due? Knowing what to expect when filing your taxes can help you plan what decisions to make next. If you...

Credit history plays a significant role when looking for housing. While I live in a college town with many housing options, finding a home anywhere can be difficult if you have a poor credit history. A credit check involves more than just a three-digit number. In a bustling city like mine,...

Another month has gone by, and I’m wondering, how does my household spend so much money? It’s definitely time for a Spending Audit! I’m on the hunt for expenses for things that I don’t want, aren’t important to me, or are too expensive. Join me as I dig deep with this investigative work. First...

Webinars provide a safe environment to explore new or challenging topics. As financial educators, we aim to provide a safe and inclusive environment where participants feel comfortable asking finance-related questions. Chat comments from participants during our 2023 financial education webinar...

With the start of a new year, you should take some time to think about your financial wellness in addition to your overall health. Do you feel like you are in a good place financially? If you are not happy with your current financial situation, how could you change things this year to get on the...

Should I pay extra on my student loan or invest in a Roth IRA? Build up an emergency savings fund or pay off my credit card debt? Pay off my mortgage or put more money in my 401(k) retirement plan? In one form or another, the trending question lately has been, "Is it better to pay down debt or...

Have you heard the news? Do you use the Mint app to track your spending? Maybe you haven’t if you are not a Mint user. But the very popular budgeting app Mint launched in 2009 is phasing out to become integrated into the Intuit-owned app, Credit Karma. They are saying the Mint app will no longer be...

Money and the holidays. For some of us, we happily swing into the spending mode. I look forward to the excuse to buy people gifts and spend money on treats. Each store I walk into is full of tempting, fun, creative, and exciting things all waiting for me! One of my strong money personalities is "...

Leaves are falling, but interest rates remain high. Have you ever wondered how the Fed rate decisions impact you? First, let’s explain what is meant by the Fed. The Fed is short for the Federal Reserve System, the United States's central bank....

The new school year brings a lot of excitement and maybe some new responsibilities. Those responsibilities could be paying housing expenses or splitting those expenses with roommates, buying groceries, managing a budget, and more. But how do you pay for all of these things? Just the thought of...

Raise your hand if you have ever used a service to send your money digitally! *Slowly raises hand* According to research, over three-quarters of U.S. adults have used at least one type of payment app in their lives (...

Talking about money can be tough. We tend to have all kinds of values, mixed messages, emotions and more tied to our money conversations. For some people, the last kind of talk they want to have with family is "the money talk." Unfortunately, this means our children may not be as prepared to handle...

Purchasing health insurance requires choosing which insurance plan works best for you, whether you are choosing from your workplace options or from the marketplace. Before you make your decision, think about what is important to you: Which doctors and/or hospitals are accessible with each...

Money is a topic that impacts almost everyone. Learning what you value and how to balance your individual wants and needs with your available financial resources can impact your overall personal financial well-being. Many people are not feeling comfortable with their finances at the present time...

Hi everyone! My name is Emily Harmon, and I am Extension's new Finances Educator for Champaign, Ford, Iroquois, and Vermilion counties. While I am new to this position, I am not new to Extension. I was one of the program coordinators for the finances and family life programs since 2019. I...

We’re back! After a hiatus, the Plan Well, Retire Well blog is back with renewed energy! We will introduce our Illinois Extension bloggers in the next few weeks. We hope you’ll enjoy our blog posts and find timely, research-based financial information that will help you in your daily life. A...

It takes extra effort around the holidays to stay within a budget. We tend to spend more when we're tired and stressed, and holidays can add tasks and expectations to our already busy lives. In addition, everywhere we turn are spectacular sales, deals, and wish lists full of gifts and gadgets to...

Travel is the spice of life!  Travel is an opportunity to see and do things differently from our daily lives, connect with family and friends, and re-energize ourselves. Whether you choose to out of the county, across the country, or around the world, thinking about ways to decrease costs can be...

Sasha, Kathy, and I attended three virtual conferences in the span of a week (November 13-20)! As personal finance educators, we find opportunities each year to...

As we move through our lives, different challenges and needs rise. In my own family, our needs have changed over time. When my children were young, I was concerned with finding quality childcare and used clothing and toys. As family members aged, we needed home delivery of meals, medical care...

Back-to-school excitement – with a little spice of apprehension – is in the air! As the back-to-school season approaches, financial challenges and opportunities abound. One opportunity is to help youth grow their money skills. It’s easier to engage people in money conversations and decision-making...

Over the past few months, the economic climate has shifted dramatically with high unemployment rates and other levels of financial instability. To help us all sort through the implications of this era, the consumer economics team has launched a new campaign, Financial Wellness Checkup to discuss...

For as long as I can remember, we’ve always had a furry companion in my household. Whether it was a cat, dog, bird, or fish, having a pet as a companion can make many people happier. Having said that, pets have expenses to keep a pet healthy, happy, and safe. Costs There are many...

My family had been waiting to see the movie, Onward since we saw the first trailer in 2019. One of the local theaters is about a mile from our house, and we love to walk (when the weather permits) or take a short drive to see some of our favorite new movies. Since we couldn’t go to the theater when...

At different times in our life, seasons can get tough financially. If you find that you’re unable to make ends meet, you may have to make some tough decisions about which bills get paid before others. If you’re in this situation, here are some choices to consider. Pay Basic Essentials...

Recently grocery stores have started offering a variety of services to help you shop. You can choose to shop online, pay online, have the grocery items delivered to your house and/or pick up your groceries at the store. Who knew you didn’t have to trek up and down the aisles to buy groceries! Here...

We all interpret and react differently to changes. In my extended family, some people have “what to do in a disaster plan,” and others prefer to take steps one day at a time. Whatever your approach to the new challenges that we are currently facing, the financial strains that may emerge could cause...

2019 was a year that most of us seemed to want to forget… but you know the one thing you can’t forget from last year. That debt you may have racked up. Debt, it feels like such a nasty word. For a lot of us, debt seems to follow us around like a bad habit. Debt defined is the money you owe to...

As the seasons shift, now is an excellent time to pause and reflect. This past week I’ve been reflecting on how my values affect my choices, including my financial decisions. I find taking time to reflect before the holiday season (defined by me as Halloween through my sons’ birthdays in January)...

I love when a blog post weeks intersects with a podcast release. This month, Camaya and I tackled the topic of subscription boxes called “You Check All My Subscription Boxes”. This particular topic is what we...

While it’s only September, as a financial educator I’m thinking about my holiday budgeting and spending. Why am I thinking about this now? Because lots of other people are too! According to the National Retail Federation 18% of people start their holiday shopping in September or earlier. Here are...

Originally posted in 2018; updated March 2023. One thing we all have in common, we need food. Likely, every week you spend money on food. How can you keep your costs down? Planning our food purchases and comparison-shopping can help. Planning your meals helps keep food costs down and...