Financial Wellness

Financial Wellness is developing understanding, skills and behaviors to allocate money based on personal necessities and desires. This includes how you understand your financial situation and resources. Below are some ideas of what financial wellness means to our GV community.

Financial Wellness Collage

Be Financially Well

8 Characteristics of Financially Well People 

  • Learning how to manage your money and establishing a personal budget.
  • Not living beyond your means.
  • Making a plan to pay back your student loans.
  • Learning about debt and how to manage it.
  • Building good credit.
  • Thinking long term, e.g. setting up a savings account, setting up investments and/or a retirement account.
  • Learning not to let money be the driving force of your life or an indication of your self-worth.
  • Donating some of your money, if possible, to a cause you believe in.

Improving Financial Wellness

  1. Create a budget.
  2. Save or invest for the future.
  3. Know where you stand on debts and make a plan to pay them off.
  4. Create an emergency fund.

Understand Financial Aid

  • Knowing your way around loans, grants, work study, scholarships and student employment can be tough. Luckily the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships can help you navigate it all. Stop by and see them at LUB100.

Create a Budget

  • Knowing how much money you are spending and how much money you have coming in can be helpful in a lot of ways. It can reduce stress and anxiety and it can you build assets and reach goals. It’s important that when you create your budget you stick to it! Don’t know where to start? Schedule an appointment with MoneySmart Lakers today!

Resources

On Campus

Visit the Career Center website.

  • Receive help to improve your resume and cover letter.
  • Practice your interview skills.
  • Learn how to network.

Search for jobs on Handshake.

  • Search for employment and internship opportunities.
  • Apply for jobs.
  • View upcoming events, such as job fairs.

Visit the Office of Financial Aid website.

  • Learn about tuition payment options.
  • Understand the benefits of work studies and student employment. 
  • Apply for grants, scholarships and loans.

Off Campus

Visit the GreenPath Financial Wellness website.

  • Receive financial counseling.
  • Learn about tools to help you get out of debt.
  • Access money management resources.

RecWell does not endorse any specific financial resources. This website is suggested for education purposes only. Please do your own research before connecting with a financial manager.

Visit the Project Green website.

  • Receive help to achieve economic empowerment right in Grand Rapids.
  • Attend Money Talk Workshops.
  • Learn how to control, save, and increase your money.

RecWell does not endorse any specific financial resources. This website is suggested for education purposes only. Please do your own research before connecting with a financial manager.

Visit the financial literacy programs page on the United Church Outreach Ministries website.

  • Programs to learn basic financial management skills, such as budgeting and eliminating debt.
  • Monthly personal finance workshops.
  • Programs offered in both Spanish and English right in Grand Rapids.

RecWell does not endorse any specific financial resources. This website is suggested for education purposes only. Please do your own research before connecting with a financial manager.

Online

Visit the CashCourse website.

  • Free financial education courses.
  • Utilize self-guided financial tools.
  • Learn financial goal setting skills.

 RecWell does not endorse any specific financial resources. This website is suggested for education purposes only. Please do your own research before connecting with a financial manager.

Get the Mint app.

  • View all of your finances in one place.
  • Check your credit score for free.
  • Receive suggestions based on your spending.

RecWell does not endorse any specific financial resources. This app is suggested for education purposes only. Please do your own research before connecting with a financial manager.

Get the PocketGuard app.

  • Personal finance app.
  • Track your spending.
  • Help develop a budget.

RecWell does not endorse any specific financial resources. This app is suggested for education purposes only. Please do your own research before connecting with a financial manager.

Could sleep impact your financial wellness? This article at Moneygeek by Nathan Paulus shares how the two could be connected, and tips for leveraging adequate sleep to boost your financial wellness!


Page last modified March 1, 2024
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