Money Matters Module Summary

Asset:     An asset is a useful or valuable quality, person or thing. In this workshop, participants will explore the five asset areas of a persons’ life: Human, Personal, Social, Physical and Financial. Research has shown that assets rather than income alone are the key to moving towards a sustainable livelihood.  Participants will learn to use the asset model as a tool for self-evaluation and problem solving.  In addition, they will gain an appreciation of what assets they already have, set goals and identify strategies for improvement.

Banking:     In this workshop, participants will be introduced to the fundamentals of banking. They will be informed about bank account options and benefits and will learn how to use bank services efficiently and safely. Further to this, they will learn about low cost account options and discover banking is a valuable tool in effective money management.  

Budgeting:     In this workshop, participants will learn the importance of understanding their relationship with money. They will learn basic steps to building an effective personalized budget, develop awareness of the difference between needs and wants, see how to identify and track expenses, and most significantly, understand the importance of setting goals to help them stay in control of their spending.

Consumerism:     In this workshop, participants will become more aware of the impact of consumerism and advertising on their spending choices. They will examine ways to tackle consumerism personally and how they can exercise their purchasing power by making spending choices on what is most important to them.  

Credit:     In this workshop, participants will be introduced to the concept of credit and will gain information and tools to understand how to manage credit wisely in their life. The purpose of credit, its advantages and disadvantages, the types of credit that exist and how to get it will be discussed. In addition, how to obtain and read a credit report will be included in this class.

Debt Management:      This workshop is a continuation of Credit. Participants will learn to recognize when they are in debt trouble and what steps they can take to deal with their debts.  How to recognize and stay away from predatory lenders will be discussed. They will also be introduced to the financial administrator’s role.

Stretching Your Dollar:    In this workshop, participants will explore low cost choices and resources available to stretch their dollars in Calgary. Strategies and tips on how to save more and spend less will be discussed. The concept of choosing a life of simplicity is explored.