“We encourage you wherever you may live in the world to prepare for adversity by looking to the condition of your finances. We urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt. … If you have paid your debts and have a financial reserve, even though it be small, you and your family will feel more secure and enjoy greater peace in your hearts” (All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Finances).

LDS Employment Resource Services (LDSjobs.org) has created a Family Finance Workshop that is designed to teach financial literacy and well-being.

The Facilitator’s Guide contains teaching and discussion resources for the workshop’s 5 main sections: Introduction, Use a Budget, Build a Reserve, Eliminate and Avoid Debt, and My Financial Plan.

The Participant’s Guide contains step-by-step activities, forms, and other resources to help participants apply the principles from the Family Finance Workshop.

The Spending Register is a checkbook-size spending register organized by category to help participants ensure that their expenditures and available income are in harmony with their financial plan.

These materials are available for individuals or wards from store.lds.org.

An electronic version of the Spending Register is available as a Google Document.

Click here for the Family Finances page on lds.org.

Ministering Resources: Family Finances

Many of the following resources could be useful for organizations in group settings, as well as families.

Austin Financial Empowerment Programs
Local center that offers free one on one financial counseling to repair credit and take control of debt. Help also available to work on financial and savings plans.
http://www.austintexas.gov/empower

America Saves
Website set up to help with saving money, improving financial life, and building wealth. Goal setting, budget planning and other topics are available, with an emphasis on saving for young families and individuals. Most topics also available in Spanish.
http://www.americasaves.org

My Money
US Government financial literacy website with resources and tools for consumers and educators. Set up to handle financial needs throughout the life cycle, anything from birth of a child, through home ownership,retirement and death. Tools include on-line calculators,  budget worksheets,  and planning checklists.
http://www.mymoney.gov