A Place at the Table

Long, white tables were set up in rows. The light from the Cancun sun filled the room. Mothers and fathers, and the occasional young child, filed in and found a seat at the table. A calculator, notebook, and writing utensil waited at each spot. These tools were provided to encourage the tracking of monthly income and expenses.

Today, the parents became students.

Julie Mowery, Back2Back Cancun Co-Director, recently led a finance class for the Strong Family parents. Three different topics were covered, spanning basic financial principles for the families to use in their homes.

“One of the big questions we discussed was the difference between a want and a need,” explained Julie.

As the parents came to better understand how to answer this question, they moved on to budgets and planning for grocery shopping.

“I encouraged them to make a list before going to the grocery,” explained Julie. “If we go in with a set plan and budget for what we need, we will be less likely to overspend or purchase impulsively. This was a valuable lesson for everyone to learn.”

Julie met with the parents about a month after the classes to see how the planning and budgeting was going for their families.

“Many of them were excited to report they used a budget and shopping list to go to the store,” shared Julie. “They seemed excited to see tangible differences in their spending and are looking forward to future planning as they continue to implement what they learned.”

Each mom and dad is learning they have a place at the table and are worthy of investment. Back2Back Cancun is excited to build further into the those served, recognizing that strong parents help make stronger families.