Workforce Development Clients Get a Lesson in Financial Management

Cornerstone's Workforce Development clients are learning to budget, track their spending and stay out of debt in a new course called "Managing Your Money."

The purpose of the course is to help clients of Cornerstone's Workforce Development program establish good financial habits as they enter the workforce and gain independence, some for the very first time.

The course covers the five steps financial awareness:

1. Be aware of what you spend and earn.
2. Build Good credit.
3. Avoid debt.
4. Spend your money wisely.
5. Save for the future.

Each of these steps is further broken down in to a step-by-step, easy to follow guide for the beginner to help those just starting to learn how to manage their finances. Because this task can be difficult for even those with advanced degrees, the step-by-step, common sense approach to money management helps clients see money as an asset that can work in their favor, instead of something to be worried about all the time.

The course offers several practical steps for budgeting including the envelope system and using a software program like Microsoft Excel or Quicken. However you do it, keeping track of what you spend and earn is vitally important.

For those with debt issues, there are a few practical tips to pay down that high-interest credit card or student loan, such as paying your bills on time, paying more the minimum balance and avoiding carrying credit cards to eliminate impulse buying.

Cornerstone is proud of the fact that we are a Christian ministry. So as part of this course, the importance of tithing is stressed, because the money is God's anyway.

"Bring the whole tithe in to the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. "Test me this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the flood gates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."- Micah 3:10

If we have the faith to give to God what is God's, he will bless us 10-fold.