I was invited two Fridays in a row by SHAPE, Eden Prairie (MN), a not-for-profit organisation providing free English lessons to migrants, to facilitate a 30 minute workshop on money management. I chose basic topics such as controlling spending, a challenge in the USA where consumers are constantly prompted to buy and there is such a huge offer of products, and budgeting. In another pilot workshop last June, I also introduced topics such as credit cards and debts. (further reading: how the content varies between the Hong Kong version and the US one on our website).
The two main challenges were to keep the language simple, especially for the beginners’ group, and to integrate the variety of the participants’ backgrounds: some come from countries where banking services are very limited or only accessible to few people. Coping with a new language, new customs and new financial habits are definitely daily challenges for migrants.