Family and Consumer Sciences

Live Smart Ohio

Ohio State University Extension

Money

How to use active learning to teach (the often dry, touchy and technical) personal finance topics

I am teaching two undergraduate courses in our OSU financial planning track this semester and have been thinking about how to best teach personal finance topics. They are often dry, technical, and uncomfortable. I learned about several new resources, books and websites, at a professional development event at OSU last December, where the speaker, HDFS […]

WRITTEN BY: Cäzilia Loibl

REVIEWED BY: Amanda Woods

How are you “spending” your tax refund?

I know not everyone is happy about the tax changes for 2018, but most people will benefit, at least a little, from the changes. With the changes to the tax code, some of you may be getting a slightly larger than usual refund for the 2018 year. Whether your refund increases or not, there are […]

WRITTEN BY: Misty Harmon, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Perry County, harmon.417@osu.edu

REVIEWED BY: Joseph Maiorano, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Harrison County, maiorano.2@osu.edu

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • https://pixabay.com/en/laptop-online-digital-taxes-flag-2151350/

SOURCES:

  • https://www.debt.org/blog/spend-tax-refund/
  • https://www.consumerreports.org/taxes/smart-ways-to-spend-your-tax-refund/
  • https://cfaes.osu.edu/sites/cfaes_main/files/site-library/site-documents/News/FF_taxrefund.pdf
  • http://www.getrichslowly.org/2012/02/02/how-to-spend-a-tax-refund/
  • http://livesmartohio.osu.edu/money/maiorano-2osu-edu/whats-out-of-your-wallet/

REFERENCES:

  • Pilnick, Katherine. (February 21, 2013). 10 Smart Ways to Spend Your Refund, debt.org
  • Fried, Carla. (April 24, 2017). Smart Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund, consumereports.org
  • Filipic, Martha. (February 2016). Use your tax refund to pay off debt and save, Family Fundamentals
  • Aberle, Lisa. (February 2, 2012). How to Spend a Tax Refund, getrichslowly.org
  • Maiorano, Joseph. (January 12, 2018). What’s Out of Your Wallet?, livesmartohio.osu.edu

What’s Out of Your Wallet?

In this column, I encourage you to develop a budget. I acknowledge the challenges of doing so, particularly setting aside money for any expense, before you take money out of your “wallet” to pay for that expense. Hopefully, the following information will help nudge you develop a budget. N.B: if you get inspired to start a […]

WRITTEN BY: Joseph Maiorano, PHD, Family and Consumer Sciences, Harrison County Ohio, maiorano.2@osu.edu

REVIEWED BY: Misty Harmon, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Perry County, harmon.416@osu.edu

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • https://pixabay.com/en/wallet-money-credit-card-online-2125548/

SOURCES:

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Burkett
  • https://personalfinance.duke.edu/topics/budgeting

REFERENCES:

  • Stehulak, N.; Carter, S., Dematteo, B.; and Hill, M. (2015). The home account book. Bulletin 723. Downloaded on January 9, 2018 from, https://fcs.osu.edu/sites/fcs/files/imce/PDFs/Home%20Account_2015.pdf

Swedish What Cleaning?

One of the big home trends being predicted for 2018 is Swedish Death Cleaning. It is the latest in a series of decluttering philosophies, but different in that it is geared more towards the end-of-life stage. The idea comes from Swedish author Margareta Magnusson. Her book, called The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, makes […]

WRITTEN BY: Donna Green, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Erie County

REVIEWED BY: Candace J. Heer, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Morrow County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • https://search.creativecommons.org/

SOURCES:

  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/americans-are-pack-rats-swedes-have-the-solution-death-cleaning/2017/10/12/248dcf82-aebe-11e7-a908-a3470754bbb9_story.html?utm_term=.591d3aaf54e5
  • https://www.messyminimalist.com/swedish-death-cleaning-minimalism/
  • https://www.wpr.org/death-cleaning-swedish-phenomenon-gains-steam-america

Consider the Gift of Debt Freedom in 2018

A recent poll of 1,155 American adults found at CreditCards.com revealed that only 53% planned to buy Christmas gifts that cost $50 or more this year. And it wasn’t only those with modest incomes who were planning to cut back on spending.  According to the survey, 44% of those with annual household incomes of over […]

REVIEWED BY: Reviewed by: Candace J. Heer, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Morrow County

Financial tips at the end of the year

The end of the calendar year is a perfect time to review our financial lives of the past year and make plans for the new year. I have used the following four websites in my research and for my undergraduate personal finance course at OSU, and organized them into four steps. I hope you find […]

WRITTEN BY: Cäzilia Loibl

REVIEWED BY: Amanda Woods

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