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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.

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
Featured Post

🌎💰Growing up in a different financial world

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!🤑 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!🤑 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 — a payment option that lets you buy something right away and pay for it smaller installments over time — 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!🤑 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!🤑 Summer is often a season of big plans and aspirations. I've got a few goals of my own this summer — 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...

Grocery cart loaded with baguette, water, vegetables, various bagged item and a grocery receipt all on a gray 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!🤑 If you've been saying, "I can't believe how expensive everything is now," you're not alone. From groceries and gas to airline bag fees and restaurant meals, so many families are feeling the pain of higher prices. While it's frustrating trying to stretch your cash even further, it also presents an opportunity to teach...

Clock in center of green ombre background with rows of Robux icons all around.

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!🤑 For many kids, school is already out for the year. And with that shift comes more free time, more screen time, and more opportunities to spend money in virtual worlds. Whether it's Robux in Roblox, V-Bucks in Fortnite, or Minecoins in Minecraft, many young people are making purchasing decisions every day without fully...

US map with states outline and icons that match popular tourists attractions: moose for Alaska, beach for Florida, lobster for Maine, Chicago style hotdog on Illinois, mountains for Colorado, grizzly bear for Montana, poker chips for Nevada, rocket for Te

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!🤑 While sorting through some papers last week, I ran across a mini-poster I got years ago that says: Dear Winter, I'm breaking up with you. It's time I see other seasons. Summer is hotter than you... I laughed when I read it, as usual. But as much as I love summer, I can't overlook that it comes with a price tag,...

Teen girl standing on first square of path to a nice house. There are clusters of money every other square or so on the path.

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!🤑 I've been reading a lot about Gen Z outpacing other generations when it comes to saving for retirement. That trend is especially impressive because it's easy for most young workers to hear the word "retirement" and think of a lifestyle that feels eons away from their own. But a powerful lesson that parents and mentors...

A silhouette of an adult below silhouettes of three kids with labels: spender, saver, don't care about $

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!🤑 If you teach enough young people about money, like I do, you'll notice a pattern: They don't all think about money the same way. Some kids save every dollar. Others spend money as soon as they get it. One child may worry about money constantly, while another barely thinks about it. Those differences are normal, but...

Man walking up stairs made from credit cards and at the top step is a gift

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!🤑 I just shredded a bunch of credit card offers I got in the mail, and I noticed they all used rewards programs to try to get me to apply. For many adults, using credit card perks is just a normal part of managing finances. But for young people watching closely, rewards programs can send a message that doesn't quite ring...