For Immediate Release on October 11, 2007

Edith Tavira is the Hispanic single mother of twins who finds it difficult sometimes to give her kids all the things she knows they deserve. Edith is self-employed and through lots of hard work, has been able to get by. But like most parents, she sometimes wonders if she could do better if she had more knowledge of her personal finances.

Edith learned of a free monthly seminar being presented in Spanish at the Frisco Family Services on saving and money management. She went to the class hoping to discover some new techniques for saving.  She had been studying and learning for 5 years by reading books and getting advice from others, and while she had saved some money she had hoped there would be a better way.

Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) of North Central Texas, presents a monthly seminar titled “Your Money Roadmap” at the Frisco Family Services, in English as well as in Spanish. Visit www.cccsnct.org and click on the calendar for more details and times. The seminar covers budgeting ideas, rapid debt reduction and wise use of credit. Gina Alfaro-Garcia, a CCCS Account Specialist is the instructor for the Spanish course.

“This was a great opportunity to go through this class,” Edith told CCCS.  I learned so many wonderful things about saving money; how to know where my money is going and to set up a spending plan each month and to follow it through.”

Edith went home, analyzed everything she learned in the seminar and called CCCS to say what a blessing the seminar and CCCS was to her on that particular day. She was at the right place at the right time.

CCCS suggests tracking daily expenses for every penny spent and placing the expense in its proper category in order to see spending patterns and weaknesses, if any.  Most people are able to find $50 to $600 of their own income when they track because they may have been indulging in financially unhealthy behavior such as eating out, music and entertainment, or perhaps buying lottery tickets.

Edith is prudent with her money and states she found no particular weakness or pattern to her spending, but really likes being in control by seeing it all written down. Now she knows where her money goes and can make better choices. She says she also has learned how important it is to “pay yourself first” by setting up an emergency fund before any bill is paid in order to make a habit of saving.

“I plan to use the tools I learned in class to save money so I can give some extras to my children.” Edith said.

Univision, the largest Hispanic television network, chose to include Edith in their televised weekly financial segment  “Straight Talk on Your Finances” (“Cuentas Claras”), where Edith shared the importance of keeping a clear understanding of her finances and stretching every penny in order to meet her objectives for short term and long term personal and financial goals.

Edith is a true example of staying focused, determined and pro-active, in proving that even with a single income, it is possible to not only stay afloat, but to thrive.

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CCCS is a member of the nation’s largest and longest-serving national nonprofit credit counseling organization, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, Inc. (NFCC).  Our collective mission is to provide services to consumers to help them achieve financial wellness through financial management counseling, financial education and when appropriate debt reduction services through debt management plans. Be informed; Knowing the Difference Can Make All the Difference is assurance provided through CCCS and the NFCC. As a condition of membership, CCCS is required to maintain high quality services through standards set by The Council on Accreditation and the NFCC, along with Credit Counseling Consumer Protection Standards.  To read more about these guidelines visit www.nfcc.org or you may call 1-866-600-CCCS (2227) for pre-recorded information.  For direct access to CCCS locally, call 1-800-856-0257 for a confidential appointment with a certified credit counselor.  Visit us online www.cccsnct.org.