Money Skills for the Whole Family
At the Alpaugh Family Economics Center, our mission is to provide children and their parents with the lessons and resources to make better, more informed financial decisions. These free, interactive tools are made for families to explore side by side, at home or in the classroom.
Lessons range from building a first budget and seeing why saving early matters to weighing the big decisions families face, like whether travel sports are worth the cost, how online gambling targets teens, and what it really takes to earn a living as an influencer. They draw on guidance from the SEC, the CFPB and the U.S. Department of Labor, along with the research-backed content used in our financial wellness workshops.
- Building a family budget
- Emergency savings
- Short- & long-term goals
- The power of compound interest
- Payday loan pitfalls
- Financing a car
- Credit scores explained
- Teaching kids about money
- The real cost of travel sports
- Teens, gambling & the odds
- Can you make a living as an influencer?
Explore the lessons
Work through them in order, or jump to the topic your family needs right now.
- 01
Budgeting
Know where your money goes with the 50/30/20 rule, find spending leaks, and set a savings target.
Start lesson → - 02
Emergency Fund
Build a cushion so life's surprises don't turn into debt.
Start lesson → - 03
Payday Loans
See why fast cash can become one of the most expensive ways to borrow.
Start lesson → - 04
Credit Scores
Learn what a credit score is, what shapes it, and why it matters.
Start lesson → - 05
Compounding
Use the Rule of 72 and a calculator to see why time is the most powerful ingredient in saving.
Start lesson → - 06
Car Loans
Understand what financing a car really costs before you sign.
Start lesson →
- 07
Travel Baseball New
Add up what travel ball really costs, check the odds of a scholarship or the majors, and decide if it's an investment or a purchase.
Start lesson → - 08
Teens and Online Gambling New
See how gambling reaches teens through phones and games, why the house always wins, and what families can do.
Start lesson → - 09
Becoming an Influencer New
Weigh the odds of making a living as a creator, calculate a real creator paycheck, and build skills that pay off either way.
Start lesson →
About the Alpaugh Family Economics Center
For more than 50 years, the Economics Center at the University of Cincinnati has advanced economic and financial education. Through SmartPath, it offers free, award-winning, standards-aligned resources for students, parents and educators in Ohio and beyond.
Ready to dig in?
Start with your budget. Knowing where your money goes is the first step in any financial plan.
Go to Budgeting →Facing a big choice?
Try our newest lessons on the true cost of travel sports, the real odds behind online gambling, and what it takes to make a living as an influencer.
See the new lessons →