Virginia Solis Zuiker, associate professor in Family Social Science, examines the economic well-being of families in her research agenda. She and her undergraduate students are hosting tabling activities to improve the financial literacy of college students and their families during The month of April – designated as Financial Literacy Month – to raise awareness and promote better informed and educated money management practices. The theme for 2024 is “Inform, Inspire, Ignite.”
Zuiker says April is a great month for individuals and families to stop and reevaluate their finances. Here are some ideas that can help consumers achieve their financial goals:
- Look over your spending plan, also known as a budget – are there areas that need adjusting?
- Try tracking your spending for a month to see where your money is going. What did you learn and how can you adjust your spending for the next month?
- Are there financial topics that you have wanted to learn more about? If so, take time to learn more about that topic by reading books, articles, and/or attending financial workshops.
Zuiker's interest in family finances began early in life.
"When I was growing up, I would observe my parents paying their bills," she says. "They would sit at the kitchen table with all their statements laid out on the table, they would have a cup of coffee and pan dulce (Mexican sweet bread) and begin the process of paying their bills.
"This was before computers, so my parents had a notebook, they entered all the amounts that they had to pay, who they were paying, along with the check numbers used for each bill they paid. One of my parents would write out the checks and the other would sign the check. I saw them do this monthly activity as a partnership."
Zuiker remembers the family delivered the bills directly to local businesses and mailed the rest. The last stop of the family trip was often to a raspa (snow cone) stand for a cold treat.
"These were my earliest memories of my parents paying their bills," says Zuiker. She learned a valuable lesson from them about the financial responsibilities that were expected of being an adult. What are your money recollections as you were growing up?
During the month of April, Family Social Science students will be hosting Financial Literacy tabling. Stop by one of their tables and spin the wheel and see if you can answer a financial question.
Zuiker, who is also the Department's Accredited Financial Counselor supervising faculty, suggests, take time during the month of April to “Inform, Inspire, Ignite” on the topic of your finances.
Family Social Science students in Family Financial Counseling tabled outside of Burton Hall to engage students with financial literacy. They asked students to reflect on their best and worst financial decisions and share their advice as well as test their knowledge with questions on a prize wheel.
More about family financial studies and the AFC certification
Undergraduate Family Social Science students who take the family financial studies concentration have the opportunity to sit for the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education's Accredited Financial Counselor certification (and receive a substantial discount). FSoS is the only program in Minnesota that holds this AFCPE accreditation.