Saving makes cents

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class John D. Partlow
  • Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  As the saying goes, money makes the world go round, but for those with money problems, that world can sometimes spin out of control.
 
Fortunately, the Airman and Family Readiness Center is here to help those those who may be having difficulties with their finances and find their home life and career are being impacted.

"Financial responsibility is a readiness issue," said Steven Mayfield, 374th Force Support Squadron chief of A&FRC and previous Air Force Financial Readiness program director. "Personnel who are not financially ready can have all the other aspects of their life be affected by it."

Part of someone being financially stable is having a solid financial spending plan and sticking to it.

"With planned spending, someone can fit their spending into a plan instead of only managing their money very well," said Mayfield.

Without a spending plan, someone's finances could run amuck and they could find themselves with debt.

"People accumulating more debt than they can handle is another problem for people," said Mayfield. "We encourage people to pay their credit card bills in full each month to avoid compounding interest problems down the road. Interest on credit balances is what keeps people in debt."

At the A&FRC, classes are frequently held to help people maintain financial readiness and to inform them of ways to stay debt-free.

"My clients have reaped the benefits of becoming debt free, implementing investment plans for their future, as well as understanding how to continue to succeed by following their financial plan," said Chanda Johnston, 374th FSS accredited financial counselor and a financial instructor for the classes.

The classes also teach people a practical way to save their money, giving them more financial freedom down the road.

"People need to pay themselves first," said Mayfield. "If someone gets a raise, they should put aside some of the extra money they are about to receive and have been living without in a savings account, leave it alone and let it build up. A savings account works really well when it is out of sight and out of mind."

The classes are available for every Yokota member and are advertised through most FSS outlets. For Johnston, the goals of the classes are very clear.

"Our goal as financial educators is to provide our service members and their families with the tools to succeed," said Johnston. "Military families that have a financial roadmap have less stress, and can focus more effectively on supporting the military mission."

To learn more about the financial classes held at the A&FRC, call 225- 8725 or visit their webpage, http://yokotasupport.com/page.php?153.