SAVE FOR YOUR DREAMS!

Join the over 500,000 people who have taken advantage of the America Saves pledge to help them achieve their savings goals! The first steps towards building your emergency fund, paying down debt or planning for retirement are:

  1. Choose your campus and role below by clicking the appropriate button
  2. Complete the form with your information
  3. Start saving and tell a friend!
     

 

Financial Planning for Young Adults

Coursera Mooc: Financial Planning for Young Adults

Sign up for Financial Planning for Young Adults, a new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) offered by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. and the University of Illinois on Coursera, to get a jump start on turning the goal you set into a reality. This free, online financial planning course is now open for registration. The course provides an introduction to basic financial planning concepts. It is open to the general public through Coursera, an education platform that partners with universities and organizations worldwide to offer courses free of charge.

For more information about the course and to register, visit: https://www.coursera.org/learn/financial-planning 

Cultivating Currency

Cultivating Currency is a financial website for undergraduate and graduate students within Illinois.

For more information visit: http://publish.illinois.edu/cultivatingcurrency/

Earn a Digital Badge

The University launched the Financial Literacy Badges Program, from which you can earn recognition for establishing positive financial behaviors.  Setting a savings goal is one step towards the Savings Badge. Learn more about how to earn this badge and others by visiting the website.

#UISAVES Organizers         

 

RSS Recent Blog Entries View all »

  • 5 Ways To Teach Kids How To Save At Home

    We start kids young with almost everything— sports, school, so why not saving? We are always looking for new ways to #ThinkLikeASaver in the America Saves community. The earlier that you have a positive mindset around saving, the easier it is to save successfully as an adult.

    Read more...

  • Creating a budget for your family

    It’s always the right time to create a saving and spending plan (aka a budget). It’s also a good idea to revisit that plan annually or when a major shift occurs in your income or expenses. 

    We’ve created an easy to use, but thorough, Spending and Saving Plan tool to use. Before you get started, here are some tips to help you #ThinkLikeASaver, ensuring that your money is working smarter and harder for you.

    Read more...

  • 4 Steps to Spending Your Stimulus Check Wisely When You Don't Have An Emergency Fund

    Most Americans don't have an emergency fund. While we're all experiencing this pandemic very differently — some having only minor inconveniences and others finding themselves without a job or having to close their business — those without a savings cushion are vulnerable to feeling the ramifications of COVID-19 for a very long time.

    Read more...

  • Pantry Shopping and Meal Planning Preparation Tips

    With experts telling Americans to practice social distancing and to be ready for a possible 14-day self-quarantine one of our first concerns is food. How do we shop and prepare for 14 days worth of meals? Equally important are concerns about shopping without overbuying and staying on a budget.

    Read more...

University of Illinois Saves

Partner Resource Packet

Want to share savings messages?

Our Partner Resources Packets include blog, social media, and other content.

View the latest

Tip of the Day

  • Fourth saving strategy: Save automatically through a monthly transfer from checking to savings http://ow.ly/sj3vP

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Saver Tips and Stories View all »

Taking Steps Toward Financial Fitness

Nicky Vasquez learned about Virginia Saves when she attended her first class with Bank On Virginia Beach. The instructor shared how important it was to have a written savings goal, and the entire class joined Virginia Saves as the first step toward financial fitness.

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From Overwhelmed to In Control

In 2017 Debi felt overwhelmed. Her credit cards were maxed, and she wasn't exactly sure how to handle it. When asked how her credit issues started, her answer sounded like many Savers that we've spoken to: making too many impulse purchases. “I was driven by feelings like ‘That sounds good,’ or ‘I am too tired to cook.’” Then she attended a university extension program that introduced her to America Saves. That’s where she heard the tip that set her on her savings journey - stop accumulating debt.

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Put 20 Percent Away

“I am a single mother, and I make ends meet for me and my daughter, but I wanted to put money away for my daughter for a college fund. So I started saving 20 percent of my paycheck every month to put it away in a savings account with a high Annual Percentage Yield (APY). By the time my daughter is 18, I will have saved nearly $90,000.”

Read more...