It’s still only July, but for some, it’s already back-to-school shopping time.
 
Back-to-school shopping is the second largest consumer spending category after holiday shopping. Once you combined school supplies with other expenses—such as clothing and electronics—a family could easily spend between $600 and $1,000.

Most Americans don’t shy away from spending on their furry, feathery and scaly family members.

According to the American Pet Products Association, pet owners across the U.S. spent about $29 billion in pet food in 2017. They spent $17.07 billion in vet care. And that number is likely to rise. The APPA estimates Americans will spend $72.13 billion on their pets this year—almost $3 billion more than in 2017.

Basic money management skills are crucial to daily success but financial education isn’t commonly offered in schools. To help bridge the gap, Greater Nevada partners with organizations like EverFi, Balance, and the Richard Myles Johnson Foundation. Together with Greater Nevada Credit Union, these organizations provide financial education to students of all ages from elementary school to college.

Teens with summer jobs might be earning their own money for the first time — but it won’t be the last. The money habits they learn now could last for decades.

Here’s how to help your teen make the most of a job and those paychecks.

When did you first learn about money? Many people are taught the value of a dollar at a young age, and that then shapes the way they spend money the rest of their lives. April is National Credit Union Youth Month, and across the nation credit unions are promoting the importance of teaching youth ways to earn, spend, save, and manage money wisely. These lessons are important for kids and even a good reminder for adults, since these principles often aren’t taught in school. Below is an overview of how you can instill good money habits in your kids, no matter what age.

Kids are expensive, and estimating how much you’ll spend on your first bundle of joy is tricky. There are diapers, clothing, furniture, food and toys to think of, as well as costs that may not spring immediately to mind, like life insurance and college savings.

Just in case you were wondering, yes! There is a place that you and your student can receive all the resources and information you’ll need to be financially fit and be up to date on how Greater Nevada Credit Union strives to support our students. All from the comfort of your own home!
 

This Christmas, your kids’ lists may be filled with the latest toys and electronics. What happens when that new gift excitement ends?  You’re stuck with storing all that stuff, which will eventually get replaced next year with the current latest and greatest. There has to be another way, and there is! We’ve got some gift giving suggestions for the kids in your life that will withstand the test of time. 

It’s no secret that getting a college education isn’t cheap.  According to collegedata.com, the average annual cost for an in-state public school is $24,061, and for a private college the average is $47,831. With ever rising college costs, parents are putting aside money for college even earlier these days. Here are few tips you can use to save and supplement the costs.

Financial literacy is a crucial life skill for young people, but it’s one that too few are learning.

That’s why April is National Credit Union Youth Month and we’re focusing on helping our youth become more financially fit so they can strengthen their money skills and pump up their savings. 

Ahhhh, remember the days when your kids had goofy gapped smiles and just wanted their two front teeth for Christmas? Well, now that they’re teens with a full set of teeth, you may have no idea what to put in their holiday stocking.
 
Here’s a great idea! Why not give them more financial independence and purchasing power?
 

It’s natural to want to support your kids, but you don’t want to get stuck paying their phone bill and car registration when they’re out of college and almost turning 30. Many parents struggle when it comes to cutting their kids off. They think there is some magic age when they should stop the financial support, but the question shouldn’t be “when,” it should be “how.”

Because we are all raised differently and face our own life challenges, there is no exact roadmap on how to do this. There are some basic guidelines, however, that can be followed in order to ease off on the financial support.

Before the school year begins, teachers send out a list of supplies that your children will need in their classes. Initially you may think, how much can a few pens, pencils and notebooks cost? But according to the Huntington Bank Backpack index, the reality is that between school supplies and extracurricular activities, parents will spend an average of $649 for an elementary school child, $941 for a middle school student, and $1,402 for a high school student.  And imagine what that amounts to if you have more than one school age child. Here are some tips for reducing your back to school costs:

Teaching kids about money can be challenging. You can’t just give them an article out of the Wall Street Journal about finances and expect them to understand it. Kids also have a very short attention span, so when grandpa lectures them on the importance of saving their money, they probably aren’t listening.

All kids know is that they want something and they want it now. So how do you teach them important life lessons and make sure they are paying attention?  Take a look at these simple tips to help your kids learn about money. 

Flash forward to tomorrow afternoon, your phone rings and great news, you’re invited to a Halloween party! But wait, you don’t have a costume, it’s the day before, and if you’re like me, spending $60+ dollars for a once-a-year outfit really isn’t fun...sigh. This happens to me just about every year on Halloween and I thus have two options to debate, sit on the couch trying to find anything other than an old horror movie to watch or go out with friends and probably have a good time.  I know you’re thinking that to enjoy Halloween you need to have some brilliant disguise but trust me, your friends won’t care as long as you go! So suck it up, take my advice and you will have a great time and an easy costume that won’t break the bank.
 

As my husband and I embark upon parenting a human, we did a little research and found that according the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average cost to raise a child born in 2013 to age 18 is expected to be $241,080. We thought it would be smart to start learning from the experts and reach out to some friends who have kids to discuss their financial strategies

When I graduated High School, I didn’t wait long to start making my own way in the world. I’d always been driven and independent, so rather than making the most of my parents’ free room and board, I immediately joined the military, moved across the country and began earning paychecks. My parents raised me with a solid foundation in nearly everything, but if they fell short anywhere it was in preparing me for financial success. We’d struggled to make ends meet for much of my life, and I had no idea what I was doing, or how to implement good financial habits, until years later when I began working for Greater Nevada, where I now teach financial literacy to youth and adults.