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The FinLit Zone

I equip young people with the money skills they need in adulthood. Subscribe to my newsletter for tips on how to help youth build financial confidence.

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🎁 Free? Look again.

Dollars, Cents, and Confidence Weekly tips for the grown-ups shaping youth into financially savvy adults Hey there! It's Talk About Money Tuesday, my favorite day of the week!πŸ€‘ Let's talk about one of the most powerful words in marketing: FREE! Young people are growing up in an economy where free can be pretty complicated. A free app collects personal data. A free trial may become a paid subscription. Or a free delivery offer comes with service fees. That's why it's so important for young...

Purple and green score board with tallies for income, spending, savings, and debt. Go Team Money Smart is in a banner at the bottom of the board.

Dollars, Cents, and Confidence Weekly tips for the grown-ups shaping youth into financially savvy adults Hey there! It's Talk About Money Tuesday, my favorite day of the week!πŸ€‘ Well, I have to be honest, folks. I keep seeing fall clothes in the stores and I don't like it. Can I enjoy this last bit of summer without all these reminders that fall is coming? πŸ˜‚ With new-season clothes in stores β€” sometimes months before we need them β€” it's easy for young people to think they need to shop now to...

White refund check for $4,783.12 on a purple background

Dollars, Cents, and Confidence Weekly tips for the grown-ups shaping youth into financially savvy adults Hey there! It's Talk About Money Tuesday, my favorite day of the week!πŸ€‘ Parents of first-time college students, here's one more thing for you to think about as move-in day rapidly approaches: Your 18-year-old freshman could log into their bank account during the first week of class and see several thousand dollars there. What would they think that money is for? If they're like many...

Blue backpack with school supplies in it on a green background and the words "hidden costs" on the pocket of the backpack.

Dollars, Cents, and Confidence Weekly tips for the grown-ups shaping youth into financially savvy adults Hey there! It's Talk About Money Tuesday, my favorite day of the week!πŸ€‘ For some families the first day of school is right around the corner. Others still have a few more weeks to enjoy the slower pace of summer. Once that first day arrives, many of you think the hard part is over. Then the emails start stacking up in your inbox. There's a field trip next month. Picture day is coming up....

Vintage Ford mustang, a buy sell button with a hand lumbering over it, a mini mansion and a pair of colorful nikes in a four square grid. Yellow background.

Dollars, Cents, and Confidence Weekly tips for the grown-ups shaping youth into financially savvy adults Hey there! It's Talk About Money Tuesday, my favorite day of the week!πŸ€‘ I've been sifting through thrift store racks with a renewed passion, thanks to a recent news story about a young thrift store shopper finding an item worth tens of thousands of dollars. (More on this story later). The discovery drew plenty of attention and, for me, raised an interesting financial question: Can a...

Girl and boy on a blue background facing each other and the girl is putting money in the boy's hand.

Dollars, Cents, and Confidence Weekly tips for the grown-ups shaping youth into financially savvy adults Hey there! It's Talk About Money Tuesday, my favorite day of the week!πŸ€‘ This time of year can feel like a whirlwind. You're squeezing in the last summer adventures and stocking up on school supplies, while trying to juggle whatever else is on your plate. I totally understand how your plans to teach your kids financial responsibility keep getting pushed to "later." If you only have the...

Red jeep Cherokee on gray background with words related to total cost of car ownership: car payment, oil change, new tires, gas, tolls, parking fees, car insurance

Dollars, Cents, and Confidence Weekly tips for the grown-ups shaping youth into financially savvy adults Hey there! It's Talk About Money Tuesday, my favorite day of the week!πŸ€‘ It's been hard to miss the steady stream of headlines in recent years about the rising cost of reaching the traditional milestones of adulthood. For many young people, buying a home, owning a car, or living independently doesn't even feel like a realistic goal in today's economy. That presents a challenge and...

Yellow price tag divided into four pieces with the numbers $350 on the tag. Sage green background.

Dollars, Cents, and Confidence Weekly tips for the grown-ups shaping youth into financially savvy adults Hey there! It's Talk About Money Tuesday, my favorite day of the week!πŸ€‘ While searching for a new hairstylist I've noticed a trend: More than a few offer buy now, pay later (BNPL) financing for their services. It struck me because BNPL β€” a payment option that lets you buy something right away and pay for it smaller installments over time β€” has become a familiar checkout option for...

Tiffany style lamp and basic lamp with white lampshade on a pink background. Hand curled around white lamp.

Dollars, Cents, and Confidence Weekly tips for the grown-ups shaping youth into financially savvy adults Hey there! It's Talk About Money Tuesday, my favorite day of the week!πŸ€‘ Dorm decor sales are in full swing and it looks like the papasan chair is still undefeated. Year after year, it's marketed as a must-have item to make a college dorm room feel crowded like a home away from home. I'm willing to bet a soon-to-be college freshman is buying one right now, with plans to make their tiny dorm...

A target connected to a piggy bank by a line of dollar bills

Dollars, Cents, and Confidence Weekly tips for the grown-ups shaping youth into financially savvy adults Hey there! It's Talk About Money Tuesday, my favorite day of the week!πŸ€‘ Summer is often a season of big plans and aspirations. I've got a few goals of my own this summer β€” mastering a buttery, flaky pie crust from scratch and finally organizing my basement storage space are at the top of the list. Kids may not have culinary or decluttering goals on their summer to-do list, but maybe...