💰 Money Monday – February 10, 2025

Small Wins = Big Wins (Eventually... Just Like Laundry)

You ever stare at a laundry pile and think, Where did all these clothes come from? Financial success is kind of like that—except way better, and with fewer missing socks. Tiny money moves add up, and before you know it, you’ve got a pile of savings instead of a pile of unmatched socks.

So, let’s talk about the power of small financial wins—because, spoiler alert, they really do add up!

🎓 College Students: The “Little Bit” Budgeting Plan

You don’t have to cut out everything fun—just make tiny adjustments:

• Skip one overpriced latte a week ☕ → Boom, that’s $20/month saved.

• Sell last semester’s textbooks instead of hoarding them like trophies 📚 → Free money!

• Apply for just ONE scholarship this week 🎓 → Even if you win one, that’s $500-$5,000 you didn’t have before!

• Here’s some great hacks for staying organized in college. 

🔹 Scholarship Hack: Have you checked your matches on Imagine Scholarships lately? It’s like free money hunting, but easier than finding a parking spot on campus.

🏫 High School Students: Future You Will Thank You

Want to impress Future You? Do something today that makes life easier down the road.

• Save $5 a week → That’s $260 a year (and probably enough for a concert ticket).

• Check out scholarships EARLY → Some start in 9th grade. That’s like finding extra fries at the bottom of the bag! Imagine Scholarships is your go to resource. 

• Resist the “I need this now” mindset → Do you really need that new hoodie, or will the 14 you already own be just fine?

• Do you have a pet? Here’s a list of scholarships for animal lovers. 

🔹 Challenge of the Week: Apply for ONE scholarship or start a small savings habit. The one in this newsletter is a great place to start. 

👨‍👩‍👧 Parents: Teaching Money (Without the Lecture Face)

Telling kids to save money usually goes in one ear and out the other—so let’s make it more fun:

• Start a “round-up” jar 💰 → Every time they find loose change, it goes in the jar. Watch it grow!

• Turn shopping into a math game 🛒 → Give them a $20 budget at the grocery store and let them plan a meal. (Spoiler: They’ll finally understand why you say “We have food at home”).

• Talk about “Wants vs. Needs” → Because yes, your teen wants those $200 sneakers, but needs gas money.

• Take the Cash for College Course that gives you proven and creative ways to pay for college. 

• I think you’ll enjoy this blog post about 80s music and how it relates to the college admissions process. 

🔹 Resource of the Week: FAFSA Tips & Deadlines – Because free money is the best money.

🍎 Educators: Making Money Talk Fun (Yes, Really!)

We know talking about money isn’t as thrilling as prom drama, but a little creativity goes a long way!

• “Would You Rather” Money Edition → Would you rather have $1,000 now or $5,000 in five years? (Great way to introduce compound interest).

• “What’s the Scholarship of the Week?” → Post this week’s scholarship on the board and challenge students to apply.

• Classroom “Savings Challenge” → Have students track their spending for a week—big eye-opener!

🔹 Need resources? Check out Imagine Scholarships. It makes scholarship hunting easy, like autocorrect fixing your typos (most of the time).

We have 2 financial literacy courses for students that are digital workbooks allowing students to work through real life financial problems and learn financial literacy at the same time. It’s fun and engaging. You can find them here: Financially Fit and Career Ready / The Currency Conundrum 

✏️ Scholarship of the Week

SPJ 2025 High School Essay Contest

Topic: What is the biggest challenge journalists face today, and how might they overcome it?

Deadline: February 19, 2025

The SPJ Foundation of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Journalism Education Association want to increase high school students’ knowledge and understanding of the importance of independent media to our lives. National winners of this essay contest receive scholarship awards.

Award recognition

First Place: $1,000 scholarship
Second Place: $500 scholarship
Third Place: $300 scholarship

🎉 Fun Fact of the Week

If you save just $2.75 a day (about the cost of a vending machine snack), you’ll have over $1,000 in a year. That’s enough for a spring break trip—or like, one college textbook.

📌 Quote of the Week

"You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great." – Zig Ziglar

💰 Take Action This Week!
📌 Skip one unnecessary purchase. Apply for one scholarship. Start a tiny savings habit. Small wins today = big wins later!

Have a fantastic week, and may your money multiply faster than laundry piles!

If you haven’t already checked it out, there are some great things happening on our blog that I don’t want you to miss. 

Until next time,
The Money Monday Team

P.S. If you’re ready to find more scholarships, streamline your college application process, and make smarter financial decisions, check out Imagine Scholarships. It’s a game-changer, and we’re here to support you every step of the way! We also have courses and other resources waiting for you here. Reply to this message or email [email protected] if you have questions about signing up your group. As the leading platform for scholarships, college, career, and life readiness, we connect you to scholarships you can actually get with expert guidance to make your educational journey simple and easy.

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