Personal Financial Health Resources
Dear Friends,
When my team met in February for our strategic planning session we had no idea the world would change as quickly as it has in recent weeks. With all the changes comes uncertainty and at VetSupport, we want to make sure we support you and your teams through the challenges that face us all.
With that in mind, we are pressing on with our strategic goals and bringing you a monthly Veterinary Wellness themed newsletter, packed with resources to share with your team members. Our first newsletter topic is certainly a timely one: Personal Financial Health.
We hope you will find value in our advice and educational resources to share with your teams who may be struggling financially. We hope our monthly Staff-Meeting-in-a-Box brings you a consistent, valuable format each month while saving you time. If there’s anything else you think might be helpful, please let us know—we’re here for you!
Brenda Tassava Medina, Founder of VetSupport
Staff Meeting in a Box
Need staff meeting ideas? Welcome to our Staff Meeting in a Box! Each month, we provide a full staff meeting worth of materials on a particular topic, taking all of the planning off of your shoulders!
This month’s topic is personal finances. By clicking on the link below, you will be directed to our online platform, where you will have access to a 20 minute video, created by Brenda Tassava Medina, as well as several downloadable resources for your staff!
Wellness Tip of the Month
When paying off debt, pay off bad debt (ex. credit cards) first. These tend to have much higher interest rates. While other debt may be higher payments, bad debts cost you more money over the long-term due to the APRs. Pick a bad-debt and pay a little extra (event $25) each month.
Employee Handbook Tip of the Month
As an additional benefit, do one of the following: 1. Allow employees to have a small amount of each check ($10-$25) deducted and added to their employee account. OR 2. Provide a small monthly stipend to an employees account ($25-$50). Both of these ideas will aide employees financially when they need care for their pets, and do not impede on any IRS discount standards. Ensure you have an employee signature on all paycheck deductions, and that it does not drop the employee down below minimum wage in any pay period.
After the initial three sections, there are twelve monthly sections that include: Income tracker, Savings tracker, Bill tracker, and Spending Tracker pages. When used regularly, this budget book can really help a person better manage their monthly finances as well as work towards savings goals and paying down their debts. If you are the type of person who likes a monthly written calendar book, then this is a great system you should consider.
Vet Med After Hours Podcast
Episode 20: “Easing Financial Anxiety – Part One”
Recipe: Vegan Burritos
Ingredients:
- 2 cans of black beans
- 1 can of corn
- 1 jalapeno
- 1 red onion
- 1 bunch of cilantro
- 1 package of flour tortillas
- 2 green bell peppers
- 1 small container of pre-made pico de gillo
- 1 small bag of baby spinach
Step 1: Dice 1/2 of the red onion and cut the other half into slices and set aside. Dice jalapeno (keeping seeds if you like more heat!). Rough chop the cilantro. Slice the bell peppers.
Step 2: Heat oil in a skillet and cook the sliced red onion and the bell pepper. Sautee onions and peppers until soft. Add the beans into a separate pot until heated through.
Step 3: Drain the can of corn and add to a bowl. Add the chopped onion, cilantro and jalapeno to make a corn “salsa”. Mix well.
Step 4: Heat up tortillas in the microwave between paper towels or on the wiped out skillet.
Build your burrito!