City Launches Site With Money Makeover Tips

Chicago's new financial literacy campaign: Save it. Spend it. Grow it.

Still trying to dig out of debt? Overwhelmed with financial decisions?

Chicagoans take note. The City Treasurer's office on Wednesday announced a new financial literacy campaign and website.

SaveSpendGrow.org is one stop shopping to help you launch your own money-makeover.

"There is no question there is a deficit in this knowledge," said Treasurer Stephanie Neely, who said the timing to launch the site was right given the current economy.

It’s her job to safeguard billions of dollars for the city in sound investments and she wanted to put her skills and knowledge to good use to help others.

The website is filled with money-saving tips and strategies to help you save money:

  • Know what you owe...
  • Shop lower shelves in stores for lower prices...
  • Shop with purpose, don’t go to the mall for entertainment...
  • Examine your bills.  Find out where can you save...
  • Don’t pay more for basic services than you have to... 

"If you call and say, 'I'm going to switch,' they will say what can I do to keep you," said Neely.

And there are dozens of others.

Even if you scrimp $100 dollars a month overall, that $1,200 over a year's time. 

Neely is also focusing on kids.  Not only with educational money games on the website, but also with money smart seminars for every third and fifth grade student in Chicago.

Neely said children need to be armed with good financial knowledge so they don’t suffer the same pitfalls as their parents in the last recession.

"Let's prepare for the next cycle.  Don't save and then go back to spending.  Change your behavior now," she said.

$MART MONEY: Navigating the Road to Financial Freedom

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