Four Cornerstones Resource List

Class 1: Budgeting to create savings

Budgeting resources:

  • Dollar Stretcher: Articles on how to minimize expenses, save money and more!
  • Minimizing expenses:
  • Gas Buddy: use this app to find the best deals on gas near you:
  • Use a shopping list when buying groceries or buying multiple items at big stores. To save by cooking at home, use free meal planning apps that generate shopping lists from your chosen recipes including:
  • Mealime ( Yummly ( FoodPrint ( Pepperplate ( or Spoonacular (
  • 50/30/20 Budget Calculator:
  • Free expense tracking tools and apps:
  • A Notebook: Keep a spending notebook to easily track your expenses. After a month of tracking every dollar you spend, you can see where your money is going and use that to create a realistic budget.
  • Dollarbird (Android, iOS): Manually add past or future income and expenses to a calendar that calculates the impact on your balance.
  • Fudget (Android, iOS): Good for short-term tracking of expenses and income, Fudget makes it easy to track income and expenses.
  • IQBoxy (Android, iOS): IQBoxy is handy tracking app that can scan photos of your receipts and upload the data into your tracking. You can also enter them manually or through dictation.
  • If you have a bank account:
  • PocketGuard (Android, iOS) (Free): The app automatically connects to your bank accounts and sorts your purchases, payments, and uses previous spending patterns to estimate what you can afford to spend.
  • Free budgeting tools and apps:
  • Envelopes: Once you've figured out goal budget categories and amounts, you can use physical envelopes for each category and fill them with the appropriate amount of cash. Use this method to help you turn your unconscious spending into conscious budgeting!
  • Excel or Google Sheets spreadsheets: Free if you have access to a computer with Microsoft Excel, or access to a Gmail/Google Drive account to use Google Sheets. Excel and Google Sheets provide free budget templates available online and for smartphones.
  • Goodbudget (Android, iOS): This app is an envelope-style budgeting tool, and an easy way to start budgeting and online or via smartphone. Use digital envelopes as budget categories, and set saving and spending goals. Expenses and income must be entered manually, but can use it on your phone without using data.
  • If you have a bank account:
  • Mint (Android, iOS): Accessible online and via smartphone: enter banking, credit and investment accounts and Mint begins automatically tracking your money. Customize your budget and use the goal setting tools.
  • Level Money (Android, iOS): Level Money connects to your bank accounts and estimates your income and spending automatically. Enter your budgeting goals, and the app lets you know what you can spend each month, week and day.
  • Mvelopes (Android, iOS): Create an account and link up to four online banking accounts to their profile. Then create a custom budget based on spending and saving goals. The app automatically includes transactions from your linked accounts, or manually input cash transactions.
  • Increase your income through new passive income sources:
  • InboxDollars: Take surveys, surf the web or shop online and earn cash!
  • Swag Bucks: Earn gift cards by watching videos, taking surveys and more.
  • Drive with Uber ( Lyft ( and make money in your free time.
  • Get paid to do odd jobs with TaskRabbit:
  • Rent out unused space with Airbnb:
  • Create your own Youtube channel:
  • Sell your vintage or handmade goods on Etsy:
  • Sell your photography or videos on Shutter Stock: or iStock:
  • Open an internet bank savings account with a high yield or interest rate (Compare savings rates at
  • Spend your free time as a pet-sitter or dog walker on Rover:
  • Deliver food on Postmates in your free time:

Savings resources:

  • WINcentive Savings Accounts in Minnesota:
  • Enter to win cash prize drawings every month with every $25 you add to your Minnesota Credit Union savings account!
  • America Saves: Make a savings pledge and get tips on how to achieve your goals.
  • MN College Savings Plan (state-run 529 plan):
  • Savings apps:
  • If you have a debit or credit card:
  • Qapital (Free): Make your own rules to trigger automatic saving—deposit money into a savings account every time you swipe or round up to the next dollar on purchases. Set goals and track your progress with friends or family. Note: Although the account is free, it will not earn interest like a traditional savings account (although it is FDIC insured), and withdrawals take 2 business days.
  • If you have a bank account:
  • Acorns: ($1 per month) Acorns rounds up your purchases in a connected bank account to the nearest dollar and automatically deposits it into an investment account. Each Acorns portfolio is made up of exchange-traded funds, with options that range from conservative to aggressive. You’ll pay $1 a month if your balance is under $5,000; for anything above that, you’ll pay a fee of 0.25% of your account balance. Note: Because your money is being invested, it can take 5-7 business days to withdraw money as the shares in your account have to be sold first.
  • Digit: (Free 100 day trial, then $2.99 per month) Get a separate, FDIC insured savings account, and the app calculates what you can save based upon your income and spending patterns. The amounts can vary between $5 and $50 and are taken out every 2-3 days, so it is important to set up a minimum balance that will stop Digit from over drafting your account. Note: This account is FDIC insured, and withdrawals take one business day.

Asset building and debt reduction

Asset building resources:

  • Homeownership:
  • Minnesota Homeownership Center: Learn about homebuyer assistance programs and community organizations
  • PRG Inc.: Sign up for homebuyer counseling, foreclosure counseling, and free homebuyer classes with offer code: EMERGE
  • Mortgage Calculator: Learn the true cost of homeownership.
  • CFPB resources, checklists and worksheets: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/owning-a-home/
  • Retirement
  • Retirement Investment Calculator: See what your current investments could amount to in monthly income at retirement.
  • Roth IRA Calculator:
  • The Motley Fool Retirement Planning Guide:
  • Higher Education/Student loans:
  • College ScoreCard: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/ Learn about the cost and statistics of any college
  • Mapping your future: College preparation and career exploration.
  • Student loan repayment estimator: https://studentloans.gov/myDirectLoan/repaymentEstimator.action Learn how much your monthly payments will be for the loans you take out.
  • Paying for College: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/paying-for-college/repay-student-debt/ Learn what different payment options you have for repaying your student loans.
  • Student Loan Forgiveness programs: www.ed.gov
  • National Student Loan Data System: www.nslds.ed.gov Your federal student loan login page, access your account and current balances.
  • Investing
  • Yahoo Finance Stock Screener: Use this to learn about stock performance.
  • An investing curriculum by Rutgers University: www.investing.rutgers.edu
  • An investing guide by FINRA investors:
  • Risk and investment products matching game: https://netfiles.umn.edu/users/maox0025/Risk%20and%20Investment%20Products%207.28.13/story.html
  • Investment risk tolerance quiz: http://njaes.rutgers.edu/money/riskquiz/

Debt reduction resources:

  • National Foundation for Credit Counseling (and debt management):
  • Unbury.me: Debt calculator—compare paying off your debts with the avalanche and snowball methods
  • Credit Card Debt Repayment Calculator:

Credit building and consumer reports

Credit building:

  • Annual Credit Report:
  • View your Experian, Equifax and Tranunion credit reports for free once a year
  • Free Experian FICO 8 Score and Credit Report:
  • Free Experian credit report and FICO 8 Score—beware of credit product offers and other costly features
  • Credit Karma:
  • Free Equifax and Transunion Vantage Score 3.0-- beware of credit product offers, that is how they make their money
  • Credit Sesame:
  • Free Transunion Vantage Score-- beware of credit product offers, that is how they make their money
  • Auto Loan Calculator:
  • Based upon your credit score, see what loans, monthly payments and interest rates you could receive

Consumer reports:

  • CheckSystems Report: order your free report on your banking history and any past debts by completing and mailing in or faxing the form available here:
  • C.L.U.E.S. Report: View a history of your claims to see what insurance agents see when assessing risk and car insurance costs:
  • A-PLUS car insurance report: Or call 800-627-3487.
  • Car Insurance Information Exchange report Or call 800-683-8553.

Consumer protection and financial institutions

Financial Institutions:

  • Nerdwallet:
  • Compare checking and savings account rates and fees
  • Find a Credit Union near you:
  • Find a surcharge-free Credit Union ATM near you:

Consumer protection:

  • Identitytheft.gov: www.identitytheft.gov Use this site to make an action plan after experiencing identity theft.
  • File a consumer complaint about predatory businesses, scams, fraud, or identity theft. www.ftc.gov/complaint
  • 4 Different methods for creating a secure password:
  • Password security checker tool:
  • Tips and resources for staying safe online:
  • General online safety tips:
  • Register your number on the Do Not Call Registry: https://www.donotcall.gov/ or call 1-888-382-1222
  • Opt out of pre-approved credit offers in the mail:
  • IRS Debt Collection—if you’re being contacted about tax debt, make sure it is not a scam : or IRS Publication 4518 https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4518.pdf