Starting Tuesday, March 20 in Brunswick and Wednesday, March 21 in Boothbay Harbor, New Ventures Maine will offer My Money Works, a free five-week class to help you gain the skills and confidence to stretch your money, pay your bills, reduce your debt, find money for savings, plan for retirement, and set personal financial goals.

The Brunswick class will be held on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., meeting for five sessions from March 20 through April 17. Classes take place in Orion Hall at the University College of Bath/Brunswick at 12 Sewall Street in Brunswick Landing.

The Boothbay Harbor session will be held on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., meeting for five sessions from March 21 through April 18. Classes take place at the St. Andrews Campus of LincolnHealth/MaineHealth, hosted in partnership with Boothbay Region Community Navigator.

The class is also available in an online format. Participants can access the class from their own computer to participate in five online sessions from April 2 through April 30 on Monday nights from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Pre-registration is required, and there is no fee for the classes. For more information or to register, contact Erica Quin-Easter at New Ventures Maine at 386-1664, email erica.quineaster@maine.edu, or register online at newventuresmaine.org.

My Money Works is open to individuals, couples, and people of all ages and incomes. Anyone who is interested in gaining greater control over your money is welcome.

Erica Quin-Easter, facilitator for the class, says, “If you struggle with making your money match your goals and dreams or if worrying about your finances keeps you awake at night, this class will help you get control and make a plan to move forward.”

Participants in recent classes say about My Money Works:

• I am much more of my spending. I also feel empowered to take control of my finances and no longer just focus on making ends meet.
• I am better equipped when it comes to budgeting and planning for expenses.
• The class motivated me to plan my future. I feel like I have the tools now to make a financial plan.
• Thanks to this training, I will be able to repair my credit and move forward to improving my financial health.
• I have been inspired to pay down and pay off my debts within two years, and to have six months of bills in savings by then.
• The group was a good blend of people at different stages of financial life. I liked the group experience – it’s good to know I’m not alone.

Successful completion of the My Money Works class meets one of the requirements for the Rainy Day Savings program, a matched-savings program that enables eligible individuals and families to double their savings with a matching grant of up to $300 for emergency expenses, as well as requirements for the Family Development Account program, a matched-savings program to save for business development, your college education, first-time home ownership, car purchase or repair, home repair, or emergency savings.

New Ventures Maine helps Maine people find success in their jobs, businesses and communities through tuition-free classes and workshops, on-site and online, and one-on-one coaching in four program areas: Build a Career, Start a Business, Manage your Money, Become a Leader. New Ventures Maine is administered by the University of Maine at Augusta and operates out of 10 offices statewide. For more information and to find classes around the state, see newventuresmaine.org or call 1-800-442-2092.