A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM THE
FAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES AGENT

THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN

This will be a good year to shop less, spend less, worry less and enjoy more. So, I hope you will relax your standards some so you can focus on those who are most important to you.   With this in mind, any of the following will be of interest to our readers.

➢   For a copy of the current Successful Family Fall Issue check the link below - It includes several money saving ideas. 

➢   Money Management is a concern in both good and bad economic times.  If you'd like to get your expenses under control for life, here are a few links that can help:

♥  By Popular Demand -- Get the Money Monkey Off Your Back. This series is offered periodically. If you'd like to be notified of the next series, you may send an email to Sandy Ruble to receive notice of the dates for the next series. Do you control your money or does it control you? Maybe it's time to get the Money Monkey off your back!

♥  NC Take Control - To help families deal with the economic downturn, North Carolina Cooperative Extension has developed this Web site with fact sheets on how to cope with personal and and financial crises.

♥  The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation recently issued tips to help consumers spend less, save more, protect against fraud and borrow wisely at any time, but especially during a difficult economy. You can find this great advice in the special edition of the FDIC Consumer News (the Winter 2008/2009 issue) entitled "Managing Your Money in Good Times and Bad."  The new publication can be read or printed at  www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/news/cnwin0809. To order up to two free paper copies, consumers can use the online form on that same Web page or call the Federal Citizen Information Center toll-free at 1-888-8-PUEBLO (1-888-878-3256) weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time and ask for Department 92.

➢    Click here to Check out a special website with lots of helpful information to "Help with Home Mortgages."  

➢    New Renters' Rights in Foreclosure

Renters must now be allowed to remain in their homes for the duration of their lease - even if the home is being foreclosed on. President Obama signed the "Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009" (S. 896) into law on May 20.

The new law provides renters with a minimum of 90 days notice before a tenant must vacate a property.  If a buyer plans to use the property as his primary home, or the tenant's lease is month to month, or there is no lease at all the tenant is entitled to at least 90 days notice.

If there is a lease, tenants will be allowed to stay for the duration of the lease before evictions can proceed.  If a state offers greater protections to renters, the new law allows the stronger protections to apply.  These new renters' rights also apply to Section 8 tenants.

These new tenant protections are effective immediately and expire Dec. 31, 2012.

For more information contact one of our coalition partners: the National Low Income Housing Coalition at www.nlihc.org
Source:  Consumer Action, http://www.consumer-action.org/alerts/articles/new_renters_rights_in_foreclosure/

➢   Stretching Your Food Dollars.  With fewer dollars available for buying food, families need to invest time into planning to shop, shopping and preparing meals. ISU Extension's Spend Smart. Eat Smart. website will help people build knowledge and skills to do just that: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsavings

➢   Water Calculator. Since saving water can equate to saving money for homeowners, here is a wonderful tool to use: http://www.nwf.org/water/watercalculator.cfm

LOOKING TOWARD A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR HOME AND FAMILIES IN GRANVILLE COUNTY

The Johnsie C. Cunningham Endowment for Family & Consumer Sciences Programs in Granville County
This fund honors the late Ms. Cunningham for her hard work and leadership in Extension during a career that spanned more than 2 decades. While skillfully directing the entire work of Extension in the county, which includes 4-H Youth Development and Agriculture, Ms. Cunningham’s passion was the area of Family & Consumer Sciences, formerly known as Home Economics. During her tenure many in Granville County and beyond were personally inspired by her to create traditions, make their house a home, manage home finances and to build healthy, strong bodies, families and communities. Through this endowment we seek to grow and expand Family & Consumer Sciences outreach to meet current and evolving challenges to include healthy living, workforce development, high school student retention to graduation and much more.
Be encouraged to give to the endowment in an amount that is appropriate for your family budget, but also expresses what Ms. Cunningham's passion, Family & Consumer Sciences, means to all of us.  A donation form is available for your convenience.  Please contact me if you have any questions.

Best wishes,

Joan Reid
joan_reid@ncsu.edu
Extension Agent
Family & Consumer Sciences