1. Handling Your Money Wisely Section 3.1: Financing Your Life © 2010 TSTC Publishing Taking Charge: Chapter 3

2. Know Your Current Habits Write down each expense as you spend your money Write out a personal net worth statement Apply SMART to your financial situation © 2010 TSTC Publishing

3. Financial Goals Write out your financial goals Where your money needs to go What you would like to put your money toward Reevaluate your net worth and financial goals annually © 2010 TSTC Publishing

4. Budgeting Basics Fixed expenses Bills, debts Variable expenses Household items, groceries Discretionary expenses Movies, restaurants, CDs © 2010 TSTC Publishing

5. Saving for a Rainy Day Save at least 10% of income Save your spare change in a jar Open a savings account © 2010 TSTC Publishing

6. Stretching Your Dollar Be creative Clip coupons Buy used books Take advantage of free online downloads and shareware offers Watch the bulletin boards at school © 2010 TSTC Publishing

7. Handling Credit A credit card is not free money Pay in full monthly to avoid finance charges Pay attention to interest rates and annual fees Limit the number of cards you have © 2010 TSTC Publishing

8. Protecting Your Identity Never keep your Social Security card in your wallet Buy a shredder and shred all mail or unwanted documents that contain personal information Don’t leave your checkbook, credit cards or mail with personal information lying around Be aware of putting personal information on social networking sites © 2010 TSTC Publishing

9. Further Reflection Make a personal budget: How did making a budget make you feel? Where does the majority of your money go? Where do you want your money to go? © 2010 TSTC Publishing

10. Additional Resources Mint Refreshing Money Management www.mint.com Suze Orman www.suzeorman.com The Motley Fool www.fool.com © 2010 TSTC Publishing