FFS 232
Budgeting & Household Financial Planning
Faith-Based Financial Stewardship CertificateFaith-Based Financial Stewardship Certificate24 contact hours8 sessionsCost: No tuition. All materials are provided.
Certificate Enrollment
This course is part of the Faith-Based Financial Stewardship. One payment of $997 covers all 4 courses in the certificate.
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” — Luke 14:28
This course goes beyond the starter budget in BTO 103 and teaches you to run a household. You will build a money plan for your first 90 days home, master zero-based budgeting, use cash envelopes or digital alternatives, plan around irregular and gig income, and work through the real costs of housing, food, transportation, and a phone. You will set up sinking funds and emergency savings, bank without needless fees, protect your household from fraud and identity theft, understand basic insurance, plan for children and family, and hold a monthly budget meeting. You finish with a 12-month household spending plan. Every activity can be done on paper.
Syllabus
Course Syllabus
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Course | FFS 232 · Budgeting & Household Financial Planning |
| Program | Bridge to Opportunity · Faith-Based Financial Stewardship Certificate |
| Contact Hours | 24 hours · 8 weekly sessions of 3 hours |
| Format | Online to start; in-person once facility clearance is granted |
| Prerequisites | BTO 101–105 Foundations Core; FFS 231 recommended first. |
| Cost | No tuition. All materials are provided. |
| Instructor | ________________________ |
| Meeting Time | ________________________ |
Course Description
This course goes beyond the starter budget in BTO 103 and teaches you to run a household. You will build a money plan for your first 90 days home, master zero-based budgeting, use cash envelopes or digital alternatives, plan around irregular and gig income, and work through the real costs of housing, food, transportation, and a phone. You will set up sinking funds and emergency savings, bank without needless fees, protect your household from fraud and identity theft, understand basic insurance, plan for children and family, and hold a monthly budget meeting. You finish with a 12-month household spending plan. Every activity can be done on paper.
Faith Integration
Jesus said a wise builder sits down first and counts the cost (Luke 14:28). A household budget is that kind of counting. In this course we plan carefully, live within what God provides, prepare for seasons ahead like the ant and like Joseph, protect what has been entrusted to us, and make giving a planned part of every month. Planning is not a lack of faith; it is faithfulness with what is in our hands.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Build a first-90-days money plan that covers identification documents, bank account access, benefits applications, and a bridge budget.
- Create and balance a zero-based monthly budget, sorting needs, wants, and obligations with confidence.
- Run a cash envelope system or a digital alternative and budget for irregular or gig income.
- Plan realistically for housing, food, transportation, and phone costs, including re-entry housing options and move-in costs.
- Set up sinking funds and an emergency savings plan, and bank without overdrafts or needless fees.
- Recognize common frauds, protect against identity theft, and explain basic insurance terms.
- Plan for children and family, set short- and long-term goals, and lead a monthly budget meeting.
- Produce a 12-month household spending plan with a first-90-days plan, savings goals, and a monthly review checklist.
Course Materials
- This student workbook
- Calculator (provided, if allowed)
- Paper budget forms, envelope labels, and a check register (provided)
- Pen and pencil with eraser
- Sample (fictional) bills and statements provided in class. Never bring real account numbers or personal financial documents to class.
Weekly Schedule
| Week | Module | Assignment Due |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Your First 90 Days Home: A Money Plan | My First-90-Days Money Plan (Draft) |
| 2 | Every Dollar a Job: Zero-Based Budgeting | My Household Zero-Based Budget |
| 3 | Envelopes, Cash Systems, and Irregular Income | My Cash and Income Plan |
| 4 | Housing, Food, Transportation, and Phone | My Housing and Living Costs Plan |
| 5 | Sinking Funds, Emergency Savings, and Smarter Banking | My Savings and Banking Plan |
| 6 | Protecting Your Household: Fraud, Identity Theft, and Insurance | My Household Protection Plan |
| 7 | Family, Goals, and the Monthly Budget Meeting | Goals and Monthly Meeting Plan |
| 8 | Your 12-Month Household Spending Plan | Final Project Submission |
How You Will Be Graded
| Component | Weight | What It Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance & Participation | 15% | Being present, prepared, and engaged in discussion and group work (Participation Rubric) |
| Reflection Journal | 15% | Eight weekly entries connecting the lesson to your life and faith (Journal Rubric) |
| Module Assignments | 25% | Eight weekly assignments (Module Assignment Rubric) |
| Module Quizzes | 10% | Eight short quizzes, each given at the start of the next session (Module 8's is given with the final exam) |
| Final Exam | 10% | Given in the last session; covers all eight modules |
| Final Project | 25% | A practical project that brings the whole course together (Final Project Rubric) |
To pass this course: earn 70% or higher overall and attend at least 80% of sessions.
Classroom Covenant
- We begin and end each session in prayer. Participation in prayer is always welcome, never required.
- What is shared in class stays in class. We protect one another's stories.
- We speak with respect, listen without interrupting, and disagree with grace.
- We come prepared, do our own work, and ask for help when we need it.
- We follow all facility rules. Safety and security come first.
- We believe the best about one another and about what God can do.
Support & Accommodations
If reading, writing, vision, hearing, or any other need makes a part of this course harder, tell your instructor privately. Materials can be read aloud, enlarged, or completed orally. Missed sessions can be made up using the module pages. If you are transferred or released, your completed work stays on record and you can finish online.
Welcome
Welcome
Welcome to the second course of the Faith-Based Financial Stewardship Certificate. This companion walks beside you with a weekly reading, five devotions for the days between sessions, and a Quick Guide of budgeting tools to keep in your folder after release. You never need to write real account numbers or personal financial details in this book.
How to Use This Companion
- Read the weekly reading after each class session. It takes about 10 minutes.
- Reflect on the questions. These are for you; you do not have to turn them in.
- Meet with God through the five daily devotions between sessions.
- Keep the Quick Guide at the end to carry home after release.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.— Psalm 119:105 (KJV)
Course Modules
- 1.Your First 90 Days Home: A Money Plan
- 2.Every Dollar a Job: Zero-Based Budgeting
- 3.Envelopes, Cash Systems, and Irregular Income
- 4.Housing, Food, Transportation, and Phone
- 5.Sinking Funds, Emergency Savings, and Smarter Banking
- 6.Protecting Your Household: Fraud, Identity Theft, and Insurance
- 7.Family, Goals, and the Monthly Budget Meeting
- 8.Your 12-Month Household Spending Plan
Final Project, Rubrics & Final Exam
Course Materials
Materials for this course are coming soon.