Financial literacy book club starts in Havre

A new book club is offering people the chance to learn a bit about finances.

Montana State University Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent Jasmine Carbajal has partnered with Independence Bank in hosting a book club Saturdays at 2 p.m. at Havre-Hill County Library to educate people in the Havre community about financial literacy.

“This would be a good idea to do a book club where I can personally learn a little more about finances and then involve others that might need that too and then we can learn together,” Carbajal said.

The book chosen was “The Total Money Makeover” by Dave Ramsey with a follow-along workbook that was provided by a Montana Financial Education Coalition grant. Due to the amount received from the grant, Carbajal said, she was able to purchase 20 books and to provide an incentive.

Carbajal said the incentive is going to be $15 for every participant that will go toward a savings account or toward an account the participant might already have. With the partnership from Independence Bank, the bank is providing an added incentive on top of the $15 with another $10 for each participant.

The Total Money Makeover Club met Saturday and will meet two more times on Aug. 17 and Aug. 24. On Aug. 17, an Independence Bank representative will come to the book club and provide a presentation on the nature of saving accounts.

“It will be helpful because it will give us an expert that can answer questions for us who are going along and reading all these different concepts to have a better financial future,” Carbajal said.

One book club member who wished to be unnamed said that she really wished they had a program like this when she was younger.

“This is a great opportunity for all of us to be here, sitting here and going through it together,” Joe Malisani said. “It is nice being in book club and seeing different perspectives and taking other people’s point of view really into a count which really helps my budget and hopefully I provide some value to everyone else.”

“This is like home economics for adults. I really would have liked to learn this in high school,” Jordan Dugan said.

The next Total Money Makeover Book Club meeting is Saturday, Aug. 17. For more information, people contact Jasmine Carbajal at 400-2335 or via email at jasmine.carbajal@montana.edu.