Better manage your finances

Our resources can help you take control of your money and plan for the future. Create a better budget to cover your family’s expenses and learn the importance of building an emergency fund into your budget. Competency and confidence are two keys for financial stability and strength. When informed decisions are made about earning, saving, investing, spending, protecting and transferring assets, using credit, and sharing there is greater potential for financial security regardless of the challenges encountered.

Visit the Financial and Consumer Education site.

Penn State Cooperative Extension is teaming up with other land-grant universities to help you manage money through tough times. As part of eXtension, Cooperative Extension is able to harness the knowledge of financial experts across the country.

Financial Security: Managing Money in Tough Times serves as a portal to articles on all facets of personal finance as well as providing a way to ask experts specific questions. The site highlights tips and tools to help families stretch their food dollars, decide what bills to pay first, build an emergency fund, and manage debt—among other things.

This website also offers timely financial tools such as PowerPay debt reduction calculation software, bankruptcy prevention information, agribusiness decision-making tools and other financial resources available at many county extension offices.