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Building sound money habits at a young age can set you up for financial success through the rest of your life. Fortunately, there are many resources available to help young people learn and build financial skills that are also fun and rewarding. 
Links: 
Explore Visa's Practical Money Skills website
Financial guide book: How to Money: Your Ultimate Guide to the Basics of Finance
Learn about investing with The Stock Market Game
Explore financial resources for every age at MyMoney.gov
Learn more about Triangle's Teen Club account with debit card!
Check out TCU University for more financial education tips and resources! 
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! 
Learn more about Triangle Credit Union 
Transcript: 
Welcome to Money Tip Tuesday from the Making Money Personal podcast.  
Financial literacy is important for people of any age. Without a fundamental understanding of money, it’s difficult to build effective habits that will last throughout the many different stages of life. 
The earlier in life people learn about and practice important money skills, the better.  
Teens are right at the point where money habits start to become relevant and important. They’re likely to get their first job, buy their first car and enjoy their growing independence. Their access to money provides them with the ability to spend more on what they want and need in life. But even though they may have money coming in, they may not know where to look for help when managing their finances.  
According to a 2021 Greenlight survey, 74% of teens surveyed said they didn’t feel confident in their personal financial knowledge and 73% wanted more financial education.  
The challenge for most people at any age is to find the right resources that provide effective education and training.  
If you’re a teen or maybe a parent of a teen looking for some ways to encourage and build financial skills, here are 5 resources that can help your teen learn about money. 
The first one is the website called Practical Money Skills hosted by VISA. It’s designed to teach people of all ages about financial education and covers topics such as credit, banking, debt, identity theft, budgeting and more. It also offers a collection of activities, tools and videos for teens to explore as well as a variety of money games designed for different age ranges.  
The second is to use a financial guide. If your teen enjoys reading, you can check out the book How to Money: Your Ultimate Guide to the Basics of Finance. This book was listed on Investopedia as the best overall money book for teens. It’s a useful beginner’s guide to most money topics that teens can start to explore like starting your first budget, navigating student loans and scoring your first job. It’s also available as an audiobook, so if your teen isn’t much of a physical reader, they can still explore the material from their phone or computer.  
For investment education, the third resource is to try The Stock Market Game. If your teen is interested in the stock market, or you want them to learn more about the stock market, to gain experience or understand it a bit more, there’s a fun tool to explore the ins and outs of the market without using real money.  This is an online trading simulator, set up as a game, that builds familiarity with how the stock market works to help you build confidence in investing. It’s designed to be fun and once you set up an account, it provides fake money that you’ll use to try your trading strategies. 
If your teen likes practical, hands-on tools like checklists, calculators and other resources, then check out this fourth resource, MyMoney.gov. It’s managed by the Financial Literacy and Education Commission and provides an abundance of Youth Resources specifically designed for young people ranging from young children to highschoolers. If your child or teen likes to explore games, there a many on this site to explore. It als

A library card opens the door to a vast world of free resources, from books and e-books to movies and educational courses, eliminating the need to spend on entertainment and learning materials. In this tip, we share the many benefits library cards may offer, some of which might surprise you.   
Links:
Check out TCU University for more financial education tips and resources! 
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! 
Learn more about Triangle Credit Union 
Transcript:
Welcome to Money Tip Tuesday from the Making Money Personal podcast.   
If you're searching for ways to save money on things you use every day, look to your local library. Having a library card offers more benefits than just access to books. A library card is a simple way to access digital learning platforms, streaming services, and other surprising benefits.  
Note that the breadth of services offered varies by library, but don't hesitate to look because you'll likely find something worth signing up for.   
Here are some free platforms and tools your library card might provide access to.   
1. eBooks and audiobooks. Most library cards provide access to a database of eBooks and audiobooks for the many people who prefer to read with an e-reader or listen to their books.   
2. Museum passes and attractions. Libraries often provide discounts on tickets or even free passes to local museums and attractions.   
3. Online learning platforms. Many library cards offer access to online education platforms, where users can explore all kinds of training courses, craft tutorials, and even language learning.  
4. Genealogy research. Explore your heritage without the hefty price tag. With a library card, you may have access to popular ancestry platforms to explore genealogy records and family history databases.  
5. Home improvement and DIY tools. Some library cards allow users to borrow tools and equipment for home improvement and other DIY projects. 
6. Cameras and electronics. Your library card may provide access to cameras, tablets, and other electronic items for digital projects.   
7. Streaming services. Many libraries offer access to streaming services and other online entertainment platforms to watch movies and TV shows and even view recorded stage performances and concerts.   
A library card is an excellent resource for accessing unique and valuable resources at low or no cost. It's a ticket that enables you to connect with your community by providing access to opportunities and many resources for enrichment, relaxation, and personal growth.   
If there are any other tips or topics you'd like us to cover, let us know at tcupodcast@trianglecu.org, and don't forget to like and follow our Making Money Personal FB page and look for our sponsor, Triangle Credit Union, on Instagram and LinkedIn to share your thoughts.   
Thanks for listening to today's Money Tip Tuesday. Check out our other tips and episodes on the Making Money Personal podcast.   
Have a great day!  

We're at the beginning of a new season, the perfect time to establish a new habit or plan for the coming months. If you need a few ideas for some money-saving tips this season, we have some for you to try out.  
Links:
Try one of these savings challenges for a fun way to track and save money
Check out TCU University for more financial education tips and resources! 
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! 
Learn more about Triangle Credit Union 
Transcript:
Welcome to Money Tip Tuesday from the Making Money Personal podcast.  
Spring is a time of refresh and renewal, with many using this season as a springboard for new goals and intentions for the coming year.   
There are many areas in our lives where renewal is needed and welcomed. If you're ready to say goodbye to winter's long, stale season, it's time to welcome the refreshing and energizing season of spring.  Like many areas of our lives, our money habits can also become stale. Here are a few strategies to refresh your finances.   
#1 Try a financial challenge to test your discipline and meet a goal.  
To save extra bucks over the next few months, try a savings challenge, such as the 100-envelope challenge, the five-dollar challenge, or even a nickel challenge.  
Challenge yourself to a new financial habit. Try a no-spend month, where you don't spend any excess money for 30 days. Maybe take a break from online shopping for a few weeks. If you're brave, try to avoid using your credit cards for a month and pay with only a debit card or cash.   
#2 Try spring cleaning your devices.   
Clean out your email inboxes. If you get an overabundance of emails trying to get you to shop for their latest styles or products, give yourself a break and unsubscribe. If you're like me, you get multiple emails daily from companies offering new deals or discounts designed to get you to purchase. Go through and unsubscribe to stop getting those tempting messages pressuring you to shop.   
Go through your phone and uninstall shopping apps that you find yourself scrolling through to stave off boredom. Also, turn off push notifications to reduce the temptation to spend money.   
#3 Set up a time for a monthly financial check-in  
Set up a time once a month to review your finances and budget.  
Take time to determine how much money you're bringing in.   
Take note and track how much money you spent over the last month on food, activities, and other expenses.  
The closer you pay attention to your income and expenses, the better control you can adjust as needed.   
#4 Take time to shop around for better pricing.  
Take note of everything you're paying regularly, such as your cell phone bill, internet bill, insurance, and streaming subscriptions.  
Take note of how much you're currently paying for each item, and then explore other providers or vendors and compare pricing.   
When you're ready, reach out to your existing provider to try and negotiate a better price for your existing plan. They may offer an adjustment to lower the bill to keep your business.   
If you're ready to refresh your finances this season, there are many ways to get started. Try a few or all of these ideas to start your spring off motivated and ready to rock!  
If there are any other tips or topics you'd like us to cover, let us know at tcupodcast@trianglecu.org. Like and follow our Making Money Personal FB and IG page, and look for our sponsor, Triangle Credit Union, on social media to share your thoughts.   
Thanks for listening to today's Money Tip Tuesday. Check out our other tips and episodes on the Making Money Personal podcast.   
Have a great day! 

You may have heard that a popular fast-food chain wound up in some hot water a few weeks ago over rumors they were planning to implement surge pricing on their menus.
For obvious reasons, people were upset because they didn’t want to see hikes in even more prices. But were the rumors true, and is this pricing structure something we’ll see more of in the future? 
Links:
Check out TCU University for more financial education tips and resources! 
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! 
Learn more about Triangle Credit Union 
Transcript:
Welcome to Money Tip Tuesday from the Making Money Personal podcast.  
If you happened to pick up on the recent news story, Wendy’s received some backlash over a rumor that they were planning to implement surge pricing. 
Although the restaurant responded by saying the rumors were false and the message misconstrued, the topic brings forth an even greater discussion about what surge pricing is and how it affects us as customers. 
So, what is surge pricing, and what does it mean for your money and spending habits? 
Surge pricing, sometimes referred to as dynamic pricing, is when a business changes the prices of their goods and services depending on the measure of demand during certain periods of time or due to certain factors.  
Even if you’re not familiar with this pricing structure, you’ve likely experienced it in your own life. It’s not new. The growing debate about it now is whether we’ll start to see it more frequently. 
Some examples of surge pricing you’ll recognize are: 
Historically, airlines and hotels. It’s commonly known that companies in these industries raise prices during popular travel times like weekends and holidays.  
You’ve likely seen it at movie theaters. Ticket prices tend to be higher on the weekends to accommodate for the larger crowds than during the slower days of the midweek.  
Most recently ride share companies like Uber and Lyft. If you’ve used either of these apps, you’ll notice at times when you’re looking to book a ride that they’ll charge more for rides during bad weather or other periods of high demand. 
Surge pricing affects customers and even potential customers because it ultimately means you’ll pay more for items or services during certain time windows. If you’re looking to book a trip to New York City for New Years Eve, you’ll likely be paying more for your travel and lodging than if it were just a random weekend in the middle of the year.  
Much of this is out of our control and we don’t have a lot of influence over what businesses charge for their products or services, but there are a few things we can do to minimize the effect surge pricing can have on our spending.  
First, awareness is key. Knowing when prices are higher is the first step to avoid paying the maximum price for a good or service. Pay attention to when the prices are the highest and try to plan around it. If it means rescheduling that vacation to a different time of year or choosing to fly a different day of the week, it may be worth considering to save yourself some cash.  
Set up notifications for price drops or specific discounts that might land you a better deal. This can come in handy particularly on hotel rooms or plane tickets. You can also try using price comparison apps and tools to take a few moments to review pricing from different companies before making a purchase. 
And of course, consider doing business with different service providers or businesses. If you’re no longer happy with the prices for the service, there may be another one out there you can take your business to.  
A debate over surge pricing is starting to grow with some arguing that it will soon be the future of pricing and that we might start seeing it pop up all over the place.  
Many argue that as businesses adopt newer technology and particularly AI tools that they’re more likely to use those tools to introduce payment structur

Arguments are common in relationships, especially when it comes to finances. If you're tired of bickering about money with your spouse or partner, then keep listening.
In this episode, we discuss a few reasons why couples often fight over money, and we'll share some specific ways you can work together to reach common financial ground. 
Links:
Check out any upcoming webinars for budgeting and debt reduction strategies or watch on demand on our YouTube playlist
Check out TCU University for more financial education tips and resources! 
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! 
Learn more about Triangle Credit Union 

How satisfied are you with your overall financial health? When was the last time you even checked it? If you’re not sure where you stand financially, assessing your existing financial situation is an important place to start.
Stay tuned to learn more about the steps you can take to improve your financial health and wealth. 
Links: 
Triangle's Financial Assessment tool
Check out our Budgeting 101 webinar 
Check out TCU University for more financial education tips and resources! 
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! 
Learn more about Triangle Credit Union 
Transcript:
This is Money Tip Tuesday from the Making Money Personal podcast. 
According to research with online financial experts, the beginning of a new year is the perfect time to assess your financial health and future. Many people recommend doing an assessment right at the beginning of the year because it’s a pivotal time to start fresh. But if you feel a bit behind because you haven’t done it yet, the good news is that there is no bad time to do a financial assessment.  
So, where should someone start with a financial assessment? Here are a few steps to take to get started.  
The first step in a full financial assessment is your monthly spending. Does your income meet or exceed your expenses? How will know if you don’t do a budget! To learn more about budgeting, we encourage you to check out our YouTube channel for our Budgeting 101 webinar. This webinar provides all the information you’ll need to start a budget, including a dynamic Excel spreadsheet that is easy to navigate and fun to use. 
Second, we recommend looking at your income. How much did you earn last year? Is your salary in line with and competitive with similar jobs in your area? If not, a candid conversation with your employer may be in order. As you prepare for this discussion, make sure you do your research and provide collaborating documentation for your presentation. While this type of meeting may be uncomfortable for you and your employer, more employees are sharing their concerns and salary information—not to be negative, but to stay competitive.   
Third, make sure your financial checkup includes a credit check. You can access your credit report for free through annualcreditreport.com. Examine your report closely to ensure there are no discrepancies, especially credit card balances. Identity theft often starts with credit card fraud, so your close examination can guard against fraudulent activity. 
Last, assess your financial progress with savings goals, wealth-building investments, and retirement. Triangle offers a variety of financial planning tools including a new financial wellness assessment tool that provides an immediate snapshot of your shortcomings and recommend steps to improve them. This assessment takes less than 5 minutes, but the outcome is worth it! Check it out at trianglecu.org.  
A solid financial position is essential for a healthy and secure future. An annual assessment can help you make intelligent decisions about your financial health today and prepare you for a wealthy tomorrow. 
If there are any other tips or topics, you’d like us to cover, let us know at tcupodcast@trianglecu.org.  Like and follow our Making Money Personal FB and IG page and look for our sponsor, Triangle Credit Union on social media to share your thoughts.  
Thanks for listening to today’s Money Tip Tuesday and be sure to check out our other tips and episodes on the Making Money Personal podcast.  
Have a great day!