Fall is a season many of us look forward to, enjoying the changing colors and getting back into some routines made easier with more regular school or work schedules.  Some such routines may involve healthy habits, such as eating more balanced meals or planned fitness activities.  One area that often gets overlooked in the busy-ness of the season is our finances, which touch so many dimensions of our lives and our overall wellness.  

According to a poll of U.S. adults by the National Endowment for Financial Education conducted in late 2025, 88% of adults were experiencing financial stress and nearly 38% felt that their current financial situation was “worse than expected”.  These statistics show that most of us do have room for improvement when it comes to how we handle our finances.  

The Ohio State University Extension Live Healthy Live Well Team provides a variety of tools for learning more about the various contributors, or dimensions, of wellness, including regular blog articles (https://u.osu.edu/livehealthyosu/  ), Facebook posts (https://www.facebook.com/livesmartohio) and a variety of educational sessions, including lunch and learn webinars in the spring and fall of each year.  Given the current challenges of inflation and high energy costs, the team chose to address the area of financial wellness in the upcoming fall series, beginning in September 2026.   

Join Ohio State University Extension Educators, as they explore “The Ripple Effect:  How financial choices shape your wellness” during a series of free webinars to be held Wednesdays in September from noon-12:30 pm.  Participants can register for one or all 5 sessions at https://go.osu.edu/lhlwwebinars .  Note that recordings will be sent to those who cannot attend “live”.   

Here is a list of the “Ripple Effect” series dates and weekly topics:  

September 2 - Making Cents of Wellness: Financial Health Across the 8 Dimensions of Wellness 

September 9 - Financial Baggage: How Biases and Debt Weigh You Down 

September 16 - More Than Dollars and Cents: The Emotional Side of Money 

September 23 - Spend Less, Live More: Improve Your Financial Well-Being  

September 30 - Building Money-Smart Youth: Everyday Lessons That Make a Difference

As we all get back into our fall routines, let’s make time for our financial “fitness” habits, which will contribute to our overall well-being this season and beyond.