Family and Consumer Sciences

Live Smart Ohio

Ohio State University Extension

finances

Save Money by Lowering Vacation Costs

Lower Vacation Costs While I was growing up my father would sometimes say this about vacations, “It is not what you are doing that makes it a vacation, it is what you are not doing.” While it is true that we never went to “Wally World” we did go on a vacation of sort every […]

WRITTEN BY: Ken Stewart, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Monroe County

REVIEWED BY: Dr. Roseanne Scammahorn, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Darke County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Photo by Ken Stewart

SOURCES:

  • https://www.kasasa.com/blog/travel/cheap-vacation-ideas "Cheap Vacation Ideas: 11 Tips for More Affordable Summer Travels" March 22, 2022
  • https://www.ramseysolutions.com/saving/cheap-vacation ideas "15 Cheap Vacation Ideas for your Whole Family"- March 9, 2022
  • https://www.travelinspiredliving.com/things-to-see-in-ohio/

REFERENCES:

  • http://www.senic.org/
  • http://www.travelinspiredliving.com/
  • http://www.withintheworld.com/no-money-traveling

FCS February

When we think of February, a few celebrations come to mind: American Heart Month, Black History Month, Groundhog Day, Super Bowl Sunday, Valentine’s Day, and President’s Day. Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Educator Day probably isn’t something you’ve heard about, but it takes place this year on February 15th and highlights the field of study […]

WRITTEN BY: Caitlin Mathews-Smith, OSU Extension, Guernsey County, Family and Consumer Sciences

REVIEWED BY: Amy Meehan, Healthy People Program Specialist, State Office, Family and Consumer Sciences

Bad Credit, No Credit, What’s the Catch?

There are a couple of area car dealerships that advertise “Guaranteed Financing. Bad Credit! No Credit! No Problem! Guaranteed on the spot financing available.”  As the father of a teenage driver, I became curious to find out if this might be an option. What’s the catch? I also wondered would this option help build credit […]

WRITTEN BY: Ken Stewart, Extension Educator,Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Monroe County

REVIEWED BY: Lisa Barlage, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Ross County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Dan Gold-N7RiDzfF2iw-unsplash

SOURCES:

  • Credit Karma, Buy-here, pay-here financing: What you need to know (2022) Kim Porter
  • Lending Tree.com, Why you should skip the 'Buy Here Pay Here' Car Lots (2022)
  • Bank Rate What You Should Know About 0% APR Car Deals, Michelle Black

REFERENCES:

  • Consumer Financila Protection Bureau, https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/educator-tools/buying-a-car/#anchor_start.

Financial Consumers

Do you remember studying the food chain long ago? Plants capture energy from the sun to produce their own food, and are therefore called “producers.” The animals that eat those plants, or other animals, are labeled  “consumers.” When we think of humans as consumers, we may immediately think about our consumption of food and drink. […]

WRITTEN BY: Emily Marrison, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Coshocton County

REVIEWED BY: Courtney Woelfl, Program Specialist, Healthy Finances, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • https://unsplash.com/photos/bmj1Vl77ZWM
  • https://unsplash.com/photos/NpTbVOkkom8

SOURCES:

  • Egan, J. What’s the most important factor of your credit score? Experian. August 29, 2021. https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/what-factor-has-the-biggest-impact-on-credit-score/
  • What is a debt-to-income ratio? Why is the 43% debt-to-income ratio important? Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. November 15, 2019. https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-a-debt-to-income-ratio-why-is-the-43-debt-to-income-ratio-important-en-1791/#:~:text=Your%20debt%2Dto%2Dincome%20ratio,money%20you%20plan%20to%20borrow

REFERENCES:

  • Mortgages key terms. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Retrieved October 18, 2021. https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/mortgages/answers/key-terms/?_gl=1*17g9u5n*_ga*MTg0NTk3MTQyNy4xNjMwNDMwODA4*_ga_DBYJL30CHS*MTYzNDU4NzgxMi40LjEuMTYzNDU4ODI0OS4w

Ditch the Debt in 2020

The holiday decorations have been stowed away, we have sung Auld Lang Syne as we rang in a new year, and now it is time make our 2020 resolution. Rather than picking the same one as in years past, how about trying Debt Dumping? Setting a goal isn’t always easy, it takes commitment and dedication […]

WRITTEN BY: Dr. Roseanne Ellison Scammahorn, Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Darke County, scammahorn.5@osu.edu

REVIEWED BY: Kellie Lemly, Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Champaign County, lemly.2@osu.edu

SOURCES:

  • Setting Goals for the New Year (Ohio State University) - https://u.osu.edu/ohwomeninag/tag/smart-goals/
  • Manage You Money (Ohio State University) - https://fcs.osu.edu/programs/major-program-areas/healthy-finances/money-management/manage-your-money
  • Setting Goals for the Agricultural Business (Ohio State University)- https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/u.osu.edu/dist/1/14976/files/2015/11/Goal-Setting-1akh1p7.pdf
  • Healthy, Wealthy, & Wise (Mississippi State University) - http://extension.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/publications/miscellaneous/m1473_0.pdf
  • Budget Apps (Mississippi State University)- https://www.bulldogbudgets.msstate.edu/budget/#budget-app

Believing You Can Improve Your Financial Life.

When we find ourselves in times of financial hardship, it can overwhelm so many aspects of our life. Maybe you have debt that you’re trying to pay off, or your income has changed and you’re trying to make ends meet. There is no question that these financial situations can cause us stress if we’re unsure […]

WRITTEN BY: Amanda Woods, M.Ed. Healthy Finances Program Specialist, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension

REVIEWED BY: Amy Meehan, MPH. Healthy People Program Specialist, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Pixabay.com

SOURCES:

  • https://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.pn.2018.6a36
  • https://consumerfed.org/press_release/survey-shows-an-increasing-number-of-consumers-have-obtained-their-credit-scores-and-know-much-more-about-credit-scores/
  • https://americasaves.org/blog/532-9-tips-to-help-you-pay-off-high-interest-debt
  • https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/02/money-stress
  • https://americasaves.org/for-savers/save-automatically
  • https://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.pn.2018.6a36

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