Meet Claudia Lopez! In less than three months, she went from program participant to certified trainer.
On April 4, 2025, CasaKids Family Resource Center hosted a Mini Money & ME Program for staff. Guided by their belief that every child deserves a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment, CasaKids offers this program to help employees strengthen their own financial well-being.
Claudia shared that although she manages her household finances, she had been overlooking important parts of her budget. “I was budgeting for the big monthly expenses, like the mortgage, but I wasn’t taking into consideration other items like food and household supplies,” she explained. Living with her husband and two stepchildren, groceries are a significant expense, yet she hadn’t fully accounted for all the categories that affect their spending.
She had heard about the cash envelope system and even seen videos about it on TikTok, but she didn’t truly understand how to organize money into categories. “The way the Money & ME Program explained the cash envelope system helped me understand it,” she said. “I now understand what those TikTok videos were about.”
On July 24, 2025, CasaKids hosted a Train the Trainer session for staff. Claudia was already working on creating a budget and was excited to continue learning about money management by attending. Around this same time, her mother-in-law moved in, requiring the family to adjust their budget to include her income and expenses. Thanks to what she learned in the program, Claudia became more consistent with budgeting and planning for her household’s needs.
As CasaKids continues offering Money & ME into 2026, Claudia’s journey shows the lasting impact the program can have. What started as a learning opportunity in 2025 has grown into a leadership role, with Claudia now prepared to help others build the same confidence and skills she gained. She believes the program will not only help her family plan for the future, but support them in managing their finances for years to come — and she is excited to pass that knowledge on to others.
Sara Money, Director & Developer of the Money & ME Program.
Would you like to earn a FREE Money & ME Workbook & Kit? Write and share a story about your Money & ME program! You can focus on how you structure your program, a participant success story, the perspective from the trainer….your choice. Please share how Money & Me is helping people gain control over their money and their lives.
