Библиотека Розиля провела семинар по бюджетированию для жителей города

ROSEVILLE — The Roseville Public Library held a budget seminar Aug. 12 with Michigan Schools & Government Credit Union. MSGCU Community Relations Specialist Roslyn Grafstein led the workshop and provided several tips to people to help them balance their budgets. She stressed that everyone’s financial situation is unique. “I really wanted to talk about the basics today,” Grafstein said. “The big thing is understanding your expenses. If you don’t know what money is coming in and what money is going out, it’s really hard to make a plan. Know what your goals are. Know what your budget is.” The budget presentation came at a time when the cost of living has increased considerably. “Finances are personal. You take two people who have exactly the same situation, they’re not necessarily going to have the same goals. You’re going to have to make some tough choices sometimes,” Grafstein said. “What you do with your money is your choice. You need to figure out what works for you. You don’t need to be perfect; you need to be consistent.” One suggestion is to track your finances by writing them down in a ledger. MSGCU provided budget worksheets to track one’s monthly take-home pay, monthly living expenses, debt and assets. Income included salaries, Social Security and pension/retirement, and expenses were varied, including insurance, gas, electric, groceries, dining out, streaming, personal care and education. A good way to help break down costs is to divide them in three groups: necessities such as the mortgage, auto payments and utilities; savings and debt including credit cards, money for college and student loans; and discretionary, which can be shopping, vacation and entertainment. “All these things add up,” Grafstein said. “This is a place where you can start and you can tweak it.” One way to budget is to pay yourself first. That means setting aside money for savings or retirement before paying bills or buying items. Another thing to keep in mind is to plan for unexpected expenses that could arise. “You need to figure out what to set aside for emergencies,” she said. Ashley Neirynck, MSGCU branch manager at the Warren location, said she uses the envelope method to set aside money for home projects, vacation, auto and other expenses. “You put money in each one because you’re budgeting for those specific things, so when you’re ready for a vacation, that’s what you have available,” Neirynck said. “I’m a fan of it. That’s my thing. It might not be your thing, but it does help to plan when I want to go on vacation. This is how much I have. This is the type of vacation I can afford. “You can do envelopes or you can do multiple savings accounts and name them what you want,” Neirynck said. “Maybe you can’t put as much in this month, maybe you can only put $10 instead of $20, but at least you’re putting something in there to plan for the future.” Also, taking advantage of technology such as automation and bill-pay reminders are helpful to keep track of your spending. Grafstein reminded attendees that life will change. “You need to figure out what works for me right now and then what will change,” she said. “Twenty years ago, I had little kids. I was in a different financial situation with the money that was coming into my household and going out, what my concerns were and what I needed money for. Now I’ve got two kids in college, so I’m in a different situation. Ten years from now, I might be retired. You got to be flexible enough so every few years you can review it.” Grafstein said that many times people know how much certain expenses are, such as their mortgage or car payment, but they might not remember other expenses, including groceries or dining out. “If you don’t write it down and keep track of it, you’re not going to remember,” she said. “The key is to keep track of it and know where the money is going. You need to be honest.” Also never plan your budget based on overtime pay. Take the extra money and put it into savings, pay off some debt or buy yourself something nice.