Family and Consumer Sciences

Live Smart Ohio

Ohio State University Extension

Money

Spending, Saving, Giving . . . and More

A friend of mine is blessed with two elementary-aged daughters. He and his wife provide them each a $7.00 weekly allowance with the following parameters: $2.00 is okay to spend, $4.00 should be saved, and $1.00 is to be giving away to a charity. These fortunate children are learning a basic principle for achieving financial […]

The Economics of Poor Health, Part One

Would you like to do better when it comes to diet, exercise, and wellness? If so, that’s great, but you are not the only one interested in your health. Others who have a vested interest in you (and your lifestyle choices) are your employers and the government, because health care costs have skyrocketed over the […]

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

REVIEWED BY: Melissa Welker, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Fulton County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • www.flickr.com

SOURCES:

  • http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/173133-those-who-think-they-have-not-time-for-bodily-exercise
  • https://www.uclahealth.org/provider/david-heber-md

Tax Time…….what you need to get prepared

It’s time to put 2015 behind us and look forward to what a new year has in store. Many people are motivated to set financial goals, make spending plans, and get documents organized when a fresh year begins, and as April is only a couple months away, it’s time to start preparing for filing your […]

WRITTEN BY: Tammy Jones, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension – Pike County, jones.5640@osu.edu

REVIEWED BY: Kathy Michelich, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension - Warren County, michelich.1@osu.edu

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • www.pixabay.com

SOURCES:

  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
  • Internal Revenue Service

What Should I Do If I Think I’ve Been Scammed?

As we know from the last blog in this series, How Can I Spot and Avoid Foreclosure Scams? , foreclosure scams take all shapes and sizes and are constantly evolving to evade the authorities. However, they all have one thing in common: the perpetrators are criminals who specifically target honest homeowners that are trying to […]

WRITTEN BY: Patricia Holmes, CFCS, M.S.

REVIEWED BY: Carlie Boos, Ohio Housing Finance Agency

SOURCES:

  • Annual Credit Report http://www.annualcreditreport.com
  • Better Business Bureau. http://www.bbb.org/
  • Consumer Fraud Protection Bureau. http://www.consumerfinance.gov/
  • Equifax. http://www.equifax.com
  • Experian. http://www.experian.com
  • Federal Citizen Information Center, Consumer Action Handbook. https://www.usa.gov/handbook
  • Federal Trade Commission. http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0060-10-ways-avoid-fraud
  • TransUnion. http://www.transunion.com
  • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/i_want_to/talk_to_a_housing_counselor
  • Live Smart Ohio. How Can I Spot and Avoid Foreclosure Scams? http://livesmartohio.osu.edu/uncategorized/holmes-86osu-edu/how-can-i-spot-and-avoid-foreclosure-scams/
  • Ohio Attorney General. http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/
  • Ohio Attorney General, Consumer Advocate e-newsletter. http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/consumeradvocate
  • Ohio Legal Services. http://www.ohiolegalservices.org/public/legal_problem
  • United States Department of Justice http://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/victim-witness/victim-info/financial-fraud
  • United States Securities and Exchange Commission, How to Avoid Internet Investment Scams. http://sec.gov/investor/pubs/cyberfraud.htm

Begin with the End in Mind

And so it goes. We will be celebrating the end of this year and the beginning of a New Year over the next couple of weeks. This is a good time to take stock of where we are financially. What should you be considering? Taxes. Americans are addicted to tax refunds. Consider taking control of […]

WRITTEN BY: Nancy Stehulak, M.Ed, Henry County Extension Educator

REVIEWED BY: Amanda Woods, Healthy Finances Program Specialist

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Pixabay.com

SOURCES:

  • IRS.gov; eXtension.org

Basic, but often forgotten: Unit Pricing

If you are conscious of your grocery budget, you’re probably taking steps toward savings, like shopping for sales, using coupons, and comparison-shopping. Comparison-shopping for different prices on similar products is a great way to save money – if it’s done in a way that truly gives you an apples-to-apples comparison. Unfortunately, sometimes when we compare […]

WRITTEN BY: Joanna Rini, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Medina County, rini.41@osu.edu

REVIEWED BY: Kathy Michelich, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Warren County, michelich.1@osu.edu

SOURCES:

  • http://cookingmatters.org/at-the-store

REFERENCES:

  • http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/pdf/5341.pdf
  • http://www.choosemyplate.gov/budget-price-tag

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