Happy Holidays to All of You!

May blessings of the season be on you and yours!

Please put on your calendar the FLCCT Board of Directors' meetings:

January 9
March 13
May 8
July10
September 11
November 13

An update from NEFE

Greenwood Village, Colo. - Oct. 23, 2008 - As financial and credit
markets constrict, a new social media Web site launches today that
allows people to calculate the true cost of unnecessary purchases, often
regretted in hindsight, while they share them via personal videos or
photos.
Spendster.org, built by the National Endowment for Financial
Education(r) (NEFE(r)), allows people to share their purchases they now
regret while they rate and discuss those of others. The site also
provides tools to calculate how costly items like unopened DVDs and
spotless coffee makers really are and how much could have been saved if
that money were put to more productive use.
Spendster is the brainchild of Ted Beck, president and CEO of NEFE. In
addition to video and photo uploads, the site also provides a calculator
that determines the actual cost of unnecessary and under-utilized
purchases if paid for via credit card, how much these expenditures could
have generated for retirement 40 years hence and even how much richer
you'd be today if you'd put that same amount into Google stock in 2004.
The inspiration for Spendster came to Beck on a flight to Los Angeles.
"Listen, everyone has a drawer full with junk. I doubt anyone has really
sat down to think about how much money they've spent on it all," said
Beck. "For example, someone may find they spent the equivalent of four
college tuition credits on shoes and handbags."
NEFE hopes that Spendster.org will demonstrate to consumers the
long-term financial effects of buyer's remorse while beginning to
educate consumers on their own personal financial needs and
capabilities.
"The time is certainly right for consumers to rethink their spending,"
Beck said. "This site is a fun, slightly tongue-in-cheek way to discuss
what can be serious money."

New FLCCT Board of Directors

Angela Jo Medina, President
Bob Sandera, Vice-President
Ron Bandsuch, Secretary
Kelli Moore, Treasurer
Sid Sokol, Community Groups Committee Chair
Lorraine Bier, Youth Groups Committee Chair
Steve Gonzales, Workplace Groups Committee Chair
Andrea Stiles-Pullas, Resource Development Committee Chair
Pam Noble, Marketing and Public Relations Committee Chair
Sally Borie, Volunteer Training Committee Chair
Tim Mulderig, Volunteer Coordinator

CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE!

Resources

This is an article from a computer guy, Eric Spellman from Amarillo, TX, who I heard speak at a conference this past summer.   I thought you might find the information useful. 

Where Does Your Money Go?

While the stock market continues its wild swings, many experts are perplexed at the causes.  What makes the market surge one day and plummet the next?

Luckily, understanding your own checking account and making accurate predictions is much easier - as long as you track it...

Numerous tools on the Net make this task very easy.  Back in the day, you basically had two choices, Intuit's Quicken and Microsoft Money.  Today, a number of companies are jumping into the mix, giving Quicken and Money a "run for their money."

One of my favorites is Mint.  What makes it stand out is the price - nada, zip, none.  It's free!  All of your data is stored (and backed up) on their secure servers.  With your permission, it connects to your bank accounts giving you instant access to your balances.

Another site, Geezeo, also offers personal finance advice and budgeting, but takes it a step further.  They encourage people to discuss situations with each other - almost a group therapy event.

Mvelopes helps you meet your financial goals by dividing your paycheck into "envelopes."  That way, you won't accidentally dip into the rent envelope when buying groceries.  It takes some getting used to, but if visualizing your money in this manner helps, this site is perfect.

And, before I forget, don't discount Quicken.  Their online version has gotten a number of accolades and is quite cheap.  

Reminder: Annual Meeting next Monday

I hope everyone is planning to attend the annual meeting and volunteer recognition night next Monday, December 8, 2008, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Texas Bankers' Association. I have finished writing the annual report. This is what I had to turn in to my supervisor of Texas AgriLife Extension. I will tailor it more to FLCCT with logo and etc. I think the results are pretty impressive. I will send it to Board Members in an email attachment.

A special thanks to John and Tim for getting the house in order when it comes to volunteers and program results.