Dear Families of Students in Master Your Money J-term class at Metro,

I'm Lesley Hetrick, Metro parent of a 7th grader and 8th grader, and a financial coach and educator.

I’ve enjoyed teaching your students about personal finance!

They are engaged and inquisitive.

I’m impressed to see that families are talking with students about money at home. This gives them an advantage as they face future life decisions.

I encourage you to ask students what they learned in class. You can even take the same test they took!

I love talking about money because of its power to support a life of meaning, peace, and joy.

Feel free to contact me with questions or updates about your personal finance journey!

How to stay in touch:

Thanks, everyone, for the great Metro experience!

-Lesley

Columbus Metropolitan Library

Free books, music, movies columbuslibrary.org/apply-library-card
Free small business resources, coaching, classes columbuslibrary.org/business-nonprofit-center
Free reading buddies, homework help, tutoring columbuslibrary.org/school-help/
Free arts and culture events columbuslibrary.org/culture-pass

Free tax return preparation for qualifying taxpayers

Neighborhood Services Inc. - free groceries www.nsifoodpantry.org

Open Your Ohio 529 Education Savings Account collegeadvantage.com/start

Assignment

Test

Want to take the same test your students took? Click here to test your knowledge!
Students used this test study guide.

Video

Net worth

Our motto: "My net worth is what I own minus what I owe."
Net worth is a number.
Net worth is a snapshot of a moment in time that captures how much total money I have.
Net worth does NOT tell us whether someone is good, bad, hard-working, deserving, or anything about their personal value.
Net worth is invisible.
Wealth is not so much what I spend, but what I don’t spend.

Roots

Our motto: “Money is more mindset than math.”
Use this list of Voices in Personal Finance to record your learning and opinions. (Make a copy for yourself that you can edit).
Use this handout on Money Types and Mantras to understand your inner beliefs about money. (You can make a copy for yourself that you can edit.)

Budgeting

Spending

Our motto: "I spend less than I earn."
Spending is like a muscle. It’s an important part of a healthy financial life. Don’t just try not to spend; learn how to spend well.
Advertisers have ideas for my money– they want it! I need to get clear on my ideas for my money so I don’t just follow theirs.
Good choices on the BIG THREE make a big difference: Transportation, Housing, Food

Saving

Saving= purposely dedicating an amount of money to my future
Saving is NOT… Trying not to spend money. On accident. Buying stuff on sale. (50% off is still 50% on.) Based on fear and shame. Neverending and aimless.
Saving IS… Purposeful and positive. Motivating. Based on hope. Aiming for a clear goal.
Our motto: "I save automatically."
“Automatically” means proactively and regularly. Proactively: working toward my goal before I need the money. Regularly: Setting aside money as part of my regular routine.

Investing

Focus

Money is not what matters most.
I understand what matters more than money and use money to support what matters most.
Our motto: "I connect my money to what matters."
Money is a tool that helps me do what matters.

Learning

Our motto: "I never stop learning."
Personal finance experts also sell products and services. I can learn for free from library books, podcasts, YouTube, online articles, etc.
I use critical thinking to determine which voices will influence me. I am picky about who I listen to. Do their values match mine? Are their motives in line with my well-being?