If you want to be successful in life, there’s one thing it is very hard to do without: money. Making wise financial decisions may be a difficult task for some people, but with the help of the Economics and Personal Finance class at Fluvanna County High School, you can be off to a good start.

Beginning last school year, the Economics and Personal Finance class was started in hopes of getting students to be smarter with their money, both now and in the future. In the class, students learn the basics of the stock market and many financial terms, such as bullish and bearish markets, bonds, and different types of credit cards. Also, students play a stock market game where they buy and sell stocks with the goal of earning the most money. It’s a fun way to get students interested in the subject. “The game has taught me a lot about the stock market,” said senior Juan Salazar. Teacher Gary Greenwood doesn’t just want all of the students to participate in the game, which is available on marketwatch.com, but their parents as well, as it will be beneficial.

Finances may not seem like the most fascinating subject, but Greenwood says that it’s vital as students have to be careful with how they spend their money. “The class teaches students many different topics they will actually use in their lives no matter what field of work they choose to make as their career,” said Greenwood. For example, students learn how to balance a checkbook and fill out tax forms.

Personal finance can be a bit overwhelming to newcomers, but he hopes that the class will help students. For those that are just beginning to earn money, Greenwood offers some advice. “Get a job and save a paycheck once in a while no matter how small,” he said. Should money become tight, thanks to a potential firing or illness, the money that you have saved up for these paychecks can help until you get back on your feet.

To help students further, Greenwood has created his own website, called whathuhinvesting.com. “What Huh Investing is a site for those people who are just beginning to make money. Most investing websites out there are published for people who understand finances and are looking for investment advice. Unfortunately, those sites are explained in too many technical terms for the average person. My site is a simple and easy way to get the basics, and hopefully it’s fun,” said Greenwood. The site will help anyone register to play the stock market game available on MarketWatch. Additionally, Greenwood is encouraging students to submit articles to the site.

Though the class may help with finances, it isn’t a guarantee that you won’t have issues. Greenwood offers some more advice to help with that. “Just be smart with your money. Don’t make any impulse buys, because you might regret it later,” he said. With all of the help that Greenwood has given students, money shouldn’t be an issue.