By Ash Idrisy
Over the past year, I’ve written about money not as an abstract math problem, but as a daily experience. I started with the essentials: budgeting and cash flow.
A household, like any organization, needs to know what’s coming in, what’s going out, and where the pressure points are. You can figure this out by creating a monthly budget, adding buffers for the unknown — and for inflation, and using tools like spreadsheets. The goal is not perfection. It is clarity. A budget isn’t meant to punish you for spending — it’s meant to give you information to make decisions with intention, especially as prices continue to rise.
The biggest line item in most household budgets is housing, so I want to point out some local resources that can offer help and guidance. The State College Community Land Trust is a nonprofit organization that helps income-qualified, first-time homebuyers achieve stable, affordable homeownership. They do this by separating the cost of the home from the cost of the land, allowing buyers to purchase a home at a significantly reduced price while the land trust retains ownership of the land. In addition to helping people buy homes, SCCLT supports homeowners through education, resources, and ongoing stewardship to promote long-term financial stability. Recently, they have partnered with local agencies to develop permanently affordable rentals as well.
Other local organizations that can help with permanent housing are the Centre County Land Trust, and the Centre County Housing Authority which connects residents with affordable rentals and assistance programs. Those facing immediate housing needs should contact The HOME Foundation or Housing Transitions.
Housing certainly deserves attention, but it isn’t the whole story. Over the past year I’ve also written about judiciously using tax refunds, trimming recurring costs, and planning ahead for predictable expenses like back-to-school shopping, birthdays, holidays, or seasonal spikes in energy costs.
Across these pieces, the theme has been simple: small choices compound. Buying kids’ games or clothes at a thrift store instead of new; purchasing refurbished iPhones or laptops; focusing on paying down high-interest debt; pausing for 24 hours before an impulse purchase; choosing between cable and streaming — and keeping one streaming service instead of five — all of these steps can quietly free up money for what matters most. Remember, saving works best when it’s tied to a purpose, and not an act of deprivation.
If you need help turning these small choices into action, several Centre County organizations offer support. Interfaith Human Services, Inc. provides financial education, budget counseling, and assistance with financial planning. Centre Helps offers short-term rent and utility assistance, and budget counseling. The Centre County Assistance Office can help residents apply for programs like LIHEAP to offset heating costs, which can offer grants of $200 to $1,000 based on income and household size. Centre County Community Action coordinates food and energy assistance, often in partnership with state programs.
Beyond budgeting, I’ve also shared hard lessons I gained from my experience investing. For instance, be sure to build an emergency fund that allows you to keep your money invested. Most resources recommend saving enough to cover three to six months of expenses. If you are interested in learning more about investing, the Centre Region Model Investment Club is a great local resource. CRMIC is part of BetterInvesting, which is a national non-profit organization with the mission to educate individuals and investment clubs to become successful lifelong investors. The club is open to the public and meets on the second Monday of each month from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the South Hills School of Business and Technology in State College. At each meeting new stocks and stocks in the club’s portfolio are reviewed for buy, sell, and hold decisions based on the stock monitor’s latest valuation. The club invests in stocks with monthly dues from club partners.
As I’ve said previously: invest with money you can afford to leave alone, diversify broadly, and give time a chance to work. You don’t need perfect timing. You just need time. I think this is true of personal finance more broadly. A strong financial system isn’t about a moment of brilliance where you make one decision and everything falls into place. It’s about habits, patience, and giving yourself enough stability to handle whatever comes tomorrow.
It has been my absolute joy to write this monthly column for the Gazette this past year. I’m stepping away to focus on a book, but I’ll continue posting at Pique Writing (substack.com/ashidrisy). Thank you for reading.
