Free Solar Calculators and Budget Tips

I recently received this news release touting a back-to-school freebie from Visa:

"Visa USA Giving Away 50,000 Free Solar Calculators

"Visa USA announced that it is giving away 50,000 free solar calculators through its at Practical Money Skills for Life financial education Web site

“To help students and their parents create a budget and stick to it, Visa is offering a free calculator and budgeting tips to anyone who comes to our financial education web site, ”said Jason Alderman, director, Visa USA.

Parents, students, teachers, or anyone who would benefit from a new calculator, can go to the home page of the Practical Money Skills for Life Web site to submit a mailing address so Visa can send the free calculator. Calculators will be sent as quickly as possible on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Resource Materials for Teachers and Parents

At the Practical Money Skills for Life Web site teachers can also access free lesson plans, as well as teacher guides, overheads and worksheets to help students develop personal finance, budgeting and money management skills.

For parents and students, there are interactive games designed to teach financial responsibility and important concepts such as earning, saving and budgeting money.

VISA’S BACK TO SCHOOL BUDGETING TIPS:

*Set a realistic back to school budget before you go shopping.

*Use back to school shopping as a budgeting lesson and have your kids prepare a budget with you.

*Take a print out of your estimated budget with you when shopping and have your child enter in all of the actual expenses.

*Encourage children to follow the budget. Stress that getting a more expensive item might mean sacrificing something else.

*Encourage kids to consider ways to cut costs and manage cash flow, like clipping coupons, looking for sales, or buying supplies each semester.

*Teach your kids to comparison shop to avoid impulse buying or paying for overpriced items.

*Differentiate between "needs" and "wants." Encourage children to contribute their own money to fill the gap between what they "need" and what they "want.”

*Tell kids that if they come in under budget, you will split the savings with them.

*Continue the budgeting lesson by starting kids with an ongoing monthly budget.
If your kids have a checking account, encourage them to keep up all cash, card, or check deductions in their checkbook register."