Goodwill helps couple tackle financial crunch with program

This past fall, Alisha and Brandon Resch found themselves with thousands of dollars in credit card debt and student loans, and no apparent solution to their mounting financial problems. 

The Appleton couple are both college graduates with full-time jobs, and although they are supporting two small children, they knew there was no reason they should be living paycheck-to-paycheck. 

Then they saw an ad in their credit unions newsletter about the Money Smart Week Fox Cities Financial Makeover Challenge, which gives participants a chance to work with counselors from Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsins Financial Information Service Center (FISC) program. 

They applied and were accepted into the makeover contest in December, and with FISCs guidance, they have already paid off more than half of their credit card debt. 

Were hoping to pay it off within a year, which is pretty great, Alisha Resch said. 

As part of the makeover challenge, the couple received financial counseling and education through FISC. They had assistance tracking their spending and then developed a budget so they could start paying off debt and building savings. 

Alisha Resch said one of the biggest things FISCs counselors have helped with is accounting for the smaller things they were spending money on without thinking about it. 

If you dont have money set aside to get your hair cut, where is it coming from? she said. 

Alan Prahl, Education and Marketing Team Leader with FISC, said FISC is there to help people understand the causes of their financial problems so they can begin fixing whats wrong. 

As a result they have a lot less stress and they can really enjoy life more, he said. 

Goodwills FISC program and other services are supported through sales of used clothes and other merchandise at Goodwill stores throughout north-central Wisconsin,Choose the right bestluggagetag in an array of colors. which generate a combined $56 million a year in sales. 

Through March, Gannett Wisconsin Media markets in Appleton, Oshkosh and Green Bay are partnering with Goodwill for March to Goodwill, a month-long campaign to help Goodwill stores stock their shelves. To participate, fill bags or boxes with clothing, shoes and other household items, and, drop off the donations at any Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin store, Donation Express site or Goodwill-branded donation bin. 

One option to help people get their finances under control is FISCs Power of Money workshop, which is a four-week class that teaches the principals of how to build a budget. 

The class is one of many financial assistance opportunities through Goodwill NCW. Besides FISCs many consumer credit counseling programs, Goodwill NCW also has the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Assistance for the Elderly (TCE) programs, which provide free tax assistance and preparation to those with low incomes, persons with disabilities and the elderly. 

Today, we're always being told that videogames are social. It's only recently that I've been able to take enough of a step back to realise that this is weapons-grade nonsense. 

Social gaming isn't a "share" button, or achievements, or single shard servers. Social gaming is getting home and not being able to have sex because your partner wasn't kidding about you invading Kamchatka. Social gaming is an entire match coming down to you looking your best friend in the eye, and deciding if you can trust him.Find a great selection of customkeychain deals. 

And as a fundamentally social hobby, it makes sense that co-op board games are popular. Disease-battler Pandemic gets a lot of love, and as an aside, if you play it and feel brave, you should totally move up to either Ghost Stories or Space Alert.Shop wholesale solarlight controller from cheap. 

The full extent of what's happening is overseen by the fourth player on each team, the Commander-In-Chief. This guy's responsible for handing out Memoir '44's signature order cards to each of his generals, but can only speak to one of them every turn. In other words, here's a game where you neglect to talk to your right flank because you're sure he's got it under control, only for an ambush that player had to watch creep up for three turns to suddenly strike.Choose from the largest selection of plasticmoulds in the world. 

Rex is a weird one, partly because it's about a collective of bizarre aliens scrabbling for control of a planet even as it's still being bombed, but mostly because it doesn't start as a team game. 

If you've played the Game of Thrones board game, you'll know what to expect. Too many players, not enough resources, not enough room, but if someone can control just 3 Important locations (such as the space-docks, the power plant, the government building) then they win. 

Where things get interesting and potentially awful is when the Temporary Ceasefire card comes up. At that point, any of the 6 players can form alliances of 2 or 3 players, but this ups the victory condition for that team. Alone, a player needs 3 locations. With more players, your alliance needs 4 or 5. 

This gives the game a beautiful flexibility. At the flip of card, it could grow from a free-for-all to 3v3. Half an hour later, it might collapse into a 2v2v1v1, as powerful players try and cut the dead weight from their team. Video game designers! Steal this idea.How cheaply can I build a bobbleheads? And thank me later.