Wealth Watchers: A Simple Program to Help you Spend Less and Save More

Client/Customer Feedback

McDonald’s USA implemented the Wealth Watchers program and provided their employees with cohesive tools and continued education. These efforts and the genuine enthusiasm of each employee made this program a complete success.

Screenshots of the McDonald’s website	Customized journal
Newsletter

Feedback from HR:

Kim Appleberg, Senior Director of Human Resources for McDonald‘s USA
“Wealth Watchers was launched throughout McDonald’s to address the financial education needs of its employees. The program is an enhancement to McDonald’s benefit packages and it addresses a crucial need for employees who are mostly young and starting out in their lives. If employees are able to manage their finances in a successful way, that often will translate into more presence at work, less worry about paying bills, about utilities being shut off. So we see greater productivity, greater stability, a greater retention rate at work. It benefits the employees and it benefits the company.”

Jason Alderman, Senior Director of Financial Education with Visa Inc.
“People are really paying attention to financial education more than ever. After an earthquake, people rush to make sure they are insured. In the same way, people are getting more focused on getting their financial house in order so they can prevent the next crisis.”

UIC College Prep / The LSV Campus of Noble Street Charter School
Dan Saken, 10th Grade Social Studies Teacher
(MoneySmart Week Initiative – Wealth Watchers International and Visa Inc.)
I wanted to send you a quick note of thanks again for the budget journals you donated to our class. Every sophomore kept track of their spending for an entire month and it was a great eye-opening experience for a number of them. I loved it when kids would tell me they would get weird looks from people when they would take their journals out of their pockets out in public, and some said their parents actually began giving an allowance just so they would have money to be responsible with. Many of them have even said that they will continue to keep their own budget journal outside of class, so it really was a wonderful tool to use in class. Thank you again. All the best.

Student Testimonials – Naperville Community Unit School District #203

“The experience of recording expenses was interesting because it helped me understand how important it is to spend your money carefully…I have a better idea of how to budget money and keep track of my finances for the future.”

“Seeing my spending habits in writing does make me re-think what I spend my money on because I can see how often I buy things that I don’t really need…and how much money I spend on food everyday, when I could be saving my money for more important things.”

Student Testimonials – Personal Money Management for Spending and Saving Course at Benedictine University

“Before taking this course, I considered myself a spender, now I feel like I have converted myself to a person who is smart and conscious about what I spend my money on. Just by posting in my Wealth Watchers journal, I cut my spending down from $100 a week to about $50 a week.”

“An important lesson I learned is to plan ahead and begin saving for any major expenses. I would always rely on my credit card for any major purchases. I had all my money in a CD so I didn’t have access to it. So I used my credit card to buy things and I ended up spending more to do that. Because the interest and fees on my credit card are higher than the interest earned on the money kept in the CDs. I decided to leave some money in a savings account instead of putting it all in a CD. Now when I need money I don’t have to use my credit card.”

Natalie, a sixty six year old grandmother, who attended a series of Wealth Watchers meetings.
“I was spending money on things I really didn’t need or have the money to buy. I was living beyond my means. I’d buy things for the house, clothes, and soon the credit card bills got out of control. Wealth Watchers enabled me to learn and understand where I was wasting money. Even something like buying coffee every day when I could take a cup with me from home made a difference. The little things add up. I became more comfortable. Living within my means makes life easier.”

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