A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or
more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two
months apart.
All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons
are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have
to be present when lessons are released. You will have access to all lessons until
the course ends. However, the interactive discussion area that accompanies each
lesson will automatically close two weeks after the lesson is released. As such,
we strongly recommend that you complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
The final exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the final
exam has been released, you will have two weeks to complete all of your course work,
including the final exam.
Week One
Wednesday - Lesson 01
Why know where all your money goes? This lesson will inspire you to take this course and find out the answer! In this lesson, we'll talk about why anyone would want to set up a Spending Plan. We'll also discuss the difference between the Planning Mindset and the I Want It Now Mindset, as well as the ways that either mindset affects your everyday life. We'll look at lifestyles and how people usually choose them unconsciously. Then you'll find out how to examine yours, and whether you want to make any changes. We'll also discuss The Black Hole of Monthly Payments: what it is, how it works, and why you'll want to learn how to avoid it. This lesson is the foundation of all of the ones that follow, because it will get you excited to learn why to get control of your own money.
Friday - Lesson 02
In this lesson, you'll begin the work of tracking your money by learning how to create a Net Worth Statement. We'll look at how your personality affects your attitude towards money, and how to manage money in marriage and relationships. Then we'll discuss why you should set some goals for yourself, and you'll work on writing your own financial Wish List.
Week Two
Wednesday - Lesson 03
This lesson begins with a discussion about the importance of your checkbook. We'll discuss various banking topics like ATM transactions and debit cards, and how to choose the best bank account for you. Then we'll delve into how to create a Mail Station and a Bill Paying Station as a place to organize yourself for paying your bills. We'll also cover how to keep all of your paperwork—from what to save to how to create a filing system.
Friday - Lesson 04
This lesson is the backbone of good money management. You'll learn how to balance your checkbook and how this task affects all of your money issues. We'll also take a look at keeping track of your credit card statements.
Week Three
Wednesday - Lesson 05
In this lesson, we'll examine that enemy to financial freedom: debt. We'll look at how to know if you're in debt trouble, and you'll compile your own personal debt list. We'll also discuss tax debt, and then most important, we'll examine how to best pay debt off. Finally, you'll work on prioritizing your debt so you know what to pay off first.
Friday - Lesson 06
In this lesson, it's time to look at your spending habits and where you've been spending your money. You'll create a list of expense categories, and then create a Historical Costs Worksheet to examine where your money has been going. We'll also discuss how to keep a cash log to track where your cash gets spent. Very few people know the answer to this! But you will after completing this lesson and its assignments.
Week Four
Wednesday - Lesson 07
In this lesson, we'll get into planning how to change the way you manage your money, which begins with drafting your first Spending Plan. We'll discuss how a Spending Plan works, and we'll look at how to create one using your Historical Costs Worksheet as a base. Then we'll compare your figures with standard guideline percentages to see where your Spending Plan might be off.
Friday - Lesson 08
Now it's time to set up some detail about how to work your Spending Plan. You'll start by learning how to create a Bill Paying Plan. This will show you what bills to pay when. We'll also discuss getting an allowance (like a lot of us had as children) and how this will help you to manage your spending.
Week Five
Wednesday - Lesson 09
In this lesson, we'll go to the heart of how to really use your Spending Plan with the Envelope System. We'll examine what it is, how it works, and why it's superior to other methods of budgeting. All of the other lessons build up to this one.
Friday - Lesson 10
In this lesson, we'll look at the guts of the Envelope System and examine it in detail. This is the nitty-gritty, how-to lesson that pulls together everything you've done so far.
Week Six
Wednesday - Lesson 11
Today we'll discuss some temptations to overspending, including your personal spending weaknesses, keeping up with the Jones, housing and transportation issues, and teaching kids about money. If you're not careful, these things can pull you off track.
Friday - Lesson 12
In this last lesson, we'll look at why and how to save, and how to best use your savings account. We'll explore stocks, bonds, mutual funds, retirement accounts, and saving for college. And you'll review your Wish List now that you've learned how to better handle your money. At the end of this lesson and this course, you'll be able to confidently answer the question "Where Does All My Money Go?" And you'll experience the freedom that comes from not worrying about money any more!