Money Matters - Cash Flow Management (Spending vs. Saving)

Introduction
Welcome to Money Matters, a weekly discussion group relating to topics of personal finance and financial education/literacy.
Attendees are encouraged to share their personal experiences related to finances to help others learn and achieve their financial goals.

Topic
The topic will be Cash Flow Management (Spending vs. Saving).
Once you make some money, you have to decide what to do with it.
We all have regular expenses that we probably don't think about that much, but then there are times to consider whether to spend money on something or not.
It is likely valuable to have a more intentional or deliberate approach when it comes to decision-making regarding spending or saving money.

Discussion Prompts / Questions

• Do you use a budget or utilize budgeting tools? What do you find helpful about these?
• When you are considering spending money on something, what are you imagining as the alternative if you saved the money instead? i.e. Do you think about what you are saving for?
• Have you heard of the concept of an "emergency fund"? How might having one help you?
• Do you know approximately how much you spend per month/year?
• Do you use credit cards (or anything other than physical cash really, such as debit cards, with your phone, etc)? Do you think you spend differently (more? less?) when using them?

Additional Materials
Some materials relating to this topic are:

• (articles) Making a budget, Budgeting: What It Is and How to Do It
• (article / blog post) The Impact Of Saving vs Spending Over A Lifetime: A Case Study
• (article) How credit cards activate the reward center of our brains and drive spending

Soliciting Notice
Any attempts to advertise, promote, or sell financial products and/or services will not be tolerated.

Financial Advice Disclaimer
The information provided is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered personalized financial advice. Consult with a qualified financial professional before making financial decisions.