MHYC: Living on a Budget

Last month our VISTA in Colorado Springs, Kate, gave some great tips on how to live within her AmeriCorps VISTA budget. This month, we’ve asked a Corpsmember and Assistant Energy Crew Leader, Robin, to give some insight on living on a Corpsmember budget. Here’s what Robin had say:

“Living on a budget is tough, but it is doable.

Since I began working at Mile High Youth Corps, I have grown accustomed to managing my money better and adjusting to the living stipend. Before working here, I had another job where I was paid weekly. I was able to keep some spending money and still put some into savings every month. Going from that to a living stipend with AmeriCorps has taught me several ways to better control my budget and watch my spending. Here are just a few of my tips to help you make it work on a Corpsmember budget:

• Eat smarter: Pack you lunch every day instead of always going out for fast food. Also, don’t be scared of leftovers! You can always bring some of last night’s dinner and heat it up for a quick lunch.
• Keep an eye on your utilities: Don’t spend money you don’t have to by leaving lights on around the house or taking extra-long showers.
• Curb your spending: Use coupons! It may seem like something for the elderly, but believe me, coupons come in handy.
• You can still have a good time: Although a lot of places to have fun can cost a pretty penny, there are a ton of things to do around town for free. Check out a free day at the museum or aquarium or go play Frisbee in the park.

There are plenty of ways to live well on a Corpsmember budget. The secret is to keep an eye on your spending and cut unnecessary costs. You can still have fun and eat well while covering all of your basic needs and utilities. You don’t need to cut out all of your spending, just spend smarter!”

-Robin P.
Assistant Crew Leader, Energy

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AmeriCorps: Living on a Budget

Living on a Budget: VISTA Style
By Kate Prestine (MHYC Colorado Springs)

With signing up for AmeriCorps comes the understanding that not much of a salary will follow, no matter what program you choose. In the AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program, the one I’m a part of, the point isn’t to make money, it’s to alleviate poverty. With that goal in mind, AmeriCorps has set the VISTA monthly living stipend at the poverty line, as well.

But I still have bills that need to be paid each month: rent, utilities, car insurance, cell phone, internet, and more. Yet in my past 6 months with AmeriCorps, I’ve surprised my family and friends by having been able to see and enjoy an incredible amount of Colorado, all while keeping my finances in line. Here are my “secrets to success” on how to live large on a small amount:

1. Personal financial planning. “Financial planning” always sounds like such a businessman phrase, like something you need to hire someone to do for you. However, it’s a pretty crucial skill I think everyone should know, emphasis on the “personal” part. My personal financial planning is way more simple than setting up a retirement fund for myself or college funds for my unborn children. It’s just planning out my expenses month-to-month.

Essentially, I create a bill calendar every month. For each bill, I write the name (example: Comcast) and the exact dollar amount in the date square that it’s due. I also put a dollar sign on each date that I’ll be receiving a paycheck. This helps me to see when I will have to pay certain bills by and what I will have after those have been paid. Some folks like to pay off everything at once, though I prefer to pay a few days before each bill is due. Both ways work – you’re still paying the same amount. It’s just a matter of having or not having that (sometimes seemingly) large chunk up front to pay everything off at once.

2. Saving when you can. This is a tough one for VISTAs and generally, for most people. If I still have money after bills are paid, it’s so tempting to spend, spend, spend. There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself every now and then, but saving a little every month is equally rewarding to me. Whether that savings turns into a vacation fund, an emergency cushion, or a pot to dip into for shopping sprees every now and then, it’s never a bad thing to have a little extra.

After consulting my bill calendar, I try to set aside a given amount each month for my savings account. Most banks can set up an automatic transfer from your checking to your savings of whatever amount you want. To plan for it, treat that amount like another bill, whether it’s $20 or $200 a month. You’ll be surprised how fast it adds up.

3. Be picky with your spending. Whenever you have some extra money after bills, be smart about what you’re doing with it. I don’t mean don’t spend it, but don’t blow it either. Say you’re thinking of taking a weekend trip: it’s pretty easy to estimate how much gas will cost you. Or if you’re wanting some new clothes, go after items you’ll wear often or that you’ve been eying for some time. Set limits for yourself, too. Try carrying a set amount of cash instead of using a credit or debit card. Then when that runs out, you know you’ve reached your limit.

With those three tactics, living has actually been very comfortable for me. Though many other factors are certainly incorporated into how I’m living my life, these practices are a great start to getting everything in order.

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We Have a Food Pantry!

It was a cold December day. Kara and I, the two VISTAs at MHYC, got into Kara’s car and drove to The Food Bank of the Rockies for our Agency Orientation. We followed her Garmin’s directions all the way to northwest Denver past the Purina factory.

We weren’t sure what to expect. How big was this place? Was it an organized non-profit or one of those that have the vision but not the know-how? How many people would be in training with us? What would we learn about the whole process?

Whatever our expectations were, they were shattered by the awesome training we received. We were shocked when we started our training and learned that there were at least a dozen other people there for the Agency Orientation training. All of them had a vision: to feed the people they help. In the training, there were many churches that didn’t just preach the gospel but followed it. There were quite a few agencies that helped ex-inmates get back on their feet by supplying them with food for the inmates and their families. There were natives of Mexico that helped recent immigrants adapt to American life by giving them basic food staples. It was uplifting to be in the same room with these people.

What we learned in training was that Food Bank of the Rockies (we affectionately nicknamed it FBR) has a highly organized system. Agencies can come in and volunteer to receive food credits or they can get the food by purchasing it. The food ordering process is really easy, as it’s done all online. Two days later, the food is packed and ready to be loaded.

Where does the food come from? Our orientation told us that over 19 million pounds of the food come from donations. That is nineteen……million…..pounds! The donations come from various sources including reclamation (slightly dented cans, almost stale food, etc.), organizations like Denver’s Table Food Rescue and Feeding America, local produce, food drives, and the local food industry. The next largest source is from USDA Commodities, which is food donated from the government. The commodities account for over 15 million pounds of food. Lastly, FBR purchases about 6 million pounds on it’s own to keep up the supply.

What was really amazing to Kara and I was that FBR serves mostly children: 42% of their clients are children while 10% are under five years old. Seniors represent about 5% of the clients they serve. FBR reports that 42% of the households they serve have at least one working adult and 14% are homeless. So it really sounds like the people that get the food are in dire need of help.

FBR has a symbiotic process in place that allows the organization to function, while allowing agencies to get the food they need to help their population. Here’s how it works: for every three hours of volunteer time one person puts in, he or she earns a 20 pound food credit to their agency. Now, we have sent anywhere from 10-50 volunteers to FBR in the past year. So we had a lot of credit just waiting to be spent. Credits did expire so we had to get to work fast.

As soon as we were back from the holiday break, Kara and I got to work on filling up our pantry for the Corpsmembers. With help from staff member, Michelle Martinez, we placed our order online. We ordered all kinds of things from hand sanitizer to noodles. After an order of 2500 pounds, we now have tons of crackers, cereal, and juice. The pantry is set up in the basement and the food is ready to go to those in need.

I can’t wait to start giving food to the Corpsmembers that, before us, weren’t sure what they were going to eat. Thanks to Kara, Michelle, and me, no Corpsmember or their family will go to bed starving!

-Melissa Stoneking, AmeriCorps VISTA

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New Colorado Springs VISTA

Hi! I’m Kate Prestine, the new VISTA at our Colorado Springs field office. I’ll be doing marketing and outreach for MHYC down here. I’ve got about a month and a half under my belt and so far, so good!

A little about me:
I’m originally from Southwestern Michigan, but call Indiana my home – spent a little over half of my life there. I’d been living in Indianapolis for nearly three years before I moved out here. I’ve got a B.A. in Journalism from Indiana University and have been using those communications and graphic design skills quite a bit here. I’m recently engaged – my fiance is a VISTA up in Denver with Trout Unlimited, but only goes up about one day a week, so we live in the Springs. I really dig hiking, paddling, biking, good beer, skiing and music. (I’ve been playing guitar for about 10 years now and am taking my first violin/fiddle lesson next week!) Also, as mentioned in my tiny monthly update profile, I have been enjoying sporting socks with Teva sandals thoroughly. (You get shunned for that sort of behavior back in the Midwest!)

Accomplishments at MHYC so far:
-Formed an advisory council for this office; consisting of community members who will meet once a month to help us brainstorm marketing, recruitment and fundraising.
-Obtained Jimmy John’s for our crew on Make a Difference Day (Oct. 22)
-Designed a MHYC postcard for the Combined Federal Campaign and had 2500 printed.
-Designed flyers and a magnet for the Combined Federal Campaign, as well. To be printed and distributed soon!

So after about a month and a half, I’m feeling pretty good about everything. If you know of anything I’m doing wrong or could be doing differently though, please don’t hesitate to contact me! Though I feel confident, I’m certainly still new! But it’s a pleasure to be here and I look forward to the rest of my year with MHYC.

Contact:
Kate Prestine
katep@mhyc.net
719-630-7421

Kate Prestine, 2011-2012 VISTA for MHYC Colorado Springs

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Service Project: The Urban Farm

Last Friday, all the MHYC CMs headed to The Urban Farm for an All-CORPS SERVICE PROJECT. Our new Energy and Water CMS joined the Summer of Service Crews and some staff to spend the morning working at The Urban Farm. The sky was blue, the sun was out and so were everyone’s smiles. It looked like a great day to get out into the community and do some positive work!

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AmeriCorps State Conference Highlights

VISTAs Teressa Alexander, Sylvia Sedrak and Erin Sinnot during Project Drum

Last month MHYC VISTAs and ACLCs attended the AmeriCorps State Conference in beautiful Estes Park. The full day and a half of workshops and fun evening activities gave AmeriCorps members a great chance to learn from one another and make new friends.

Workshops included:

Dealing with Service Stress

Teambuilding Facilitation

Living Green

Working in a Non-Profit

Grant Writing

And MUCH more!

After much learning and note taking members relaxed in the evening with some karaoke and roller skating.

-Sylvia Sedrak, MHYC VISTA

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