Building Financial Resilience: A Practical Five-Week Money Course

Join this practical five-week course to build confidence with money, strengthen your financial resilience and take greater control of your everyday finances.

You do not need to be “good with money”, good at maths or have any previous financial knowledge. Led by certified Financial Educator Anna Orenstein-Cardona, the course offers a supportive, non-judgemental environment where you can ask questions, develop practical skills and make financial decisions with greater confidence.

Over five weeks, you will explore how your experiences and attitudes can shape the way you manage money, before moving on to practical topics including budgeting, spending, borrowing, debt, saving and investing.

The course will help you understand your current financial situation, identify realistic ways to strengthen it and develop an action plan for the future. You will also learn about credit, pensions, ISAs, common savings and investment options, and ways to protect yourself from financial scams.

• Recognise how your experiences and beliefs about money can influence your financial habits and decisions.
• Understand the key areas of income, expenses, tax, debt and savings, and identify practical ways to improve your finances.
• Create a realistic money plan based on your income, spending and priorities.
• Understand borrowing costs, credit and practical approaches to managing debt.
• Explain the main differences between saving and investing and recognise common savings, investment, pension and ISA options.
• Create a personal action plan to continue improving your financial wellbeing.

The course is presented in five 2-hour sessions and will take place in the Events Room on the first floor of North Kensington Library.

You can sign up for the whole course only. Please book only if you can attend all five sessions.

Monday 12 October, 5.30pm–7.30pm
Monday 19 October, 5.30pm–7.30pm
Monday 26 October, 5.30pm–7.30pm
Monday 2 November, 5.30pm–7.30pm
Monday 9 November, 5.30pm–7.30pm

Places on this course are funded by the Greater London Authority (GLA). There are only 10 free places, so we recommend booking early, but please check that you are eligible before booking.

Please note: your place is not confirmed until you have completed the enrolment form, which the tutor will send to you after you book.

• You must be a London resident aged 19+. Priority will be given to RBKC residents.
• You can attend one free GLA-funded course per academic year.

There is a £3 administrative booking fee, which is refundable on request, minus the Eventbrite fee.

Please email [email protected] if you have any questions about booking or would like to book without paying the booking fee.

We will begin by exploring how family, culture, community and past experiences can shape our beliefs and feelings about money. You will consider how these influences may affect your financial habits and confidence today and learn practical ways to develop a healthier relationship with money.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• Identify money messages and beliefs you have absorbed throughout your life.
• Recognise how your money mindset can influence your emotions, habits and financial decisions.
• Reframe limiting beliefs about money in a more positive and constructive way.
• Understand what financial wellbeing means and identify personal strengths that can help you build greater financial resilience.

This practical session introduces cash flow management through five key money areas: income, expenses, tax, debt and savings. You will explore how these work together, consider your spending priorities and identify realistic ways to take greater control of your everyday finances.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• Understand cash flow and why it matters.
• Recognise how income, expenses, tax, debt and savings work together.
• Reflect on your spending patterns and financial priorities.
• Create a realistic money plan suited to your circumstances.
• Choose a manageable action you can take to improve your finances.

Explore why we spend and how emotions, advertising, the brain’s reward system and fear of missing out can influence our choices. You will learn about the true cost of borrowing, credit reports and scores, different approaches to managing debt and reliable sources of support.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• Recognise some of the factors that influence spending decisions.
• Identify the potential benefits, costs and risks of borrowing.
• Understand how credit reports and scores work.
• Recognise common approaches to repaying debt, including the snowball and avalanche methods.
• Identify reliable sources of free guidance and support.

This session focuses on practical and achievable ways to build greater financial security. You will explore emergency funds, planning for irregular expenses, saving towards personal goals and organising savings according to different needs and timescales. You will also be introduced to common UK savings options, financial protection and fraud awareness.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• Understand the purpose of an emergency fund and choose an achievable starting target.
• Organise savings around different goals and timescales.
• Understand how interest and AER work and recognise common UK savings options.
• Set realistic financial goals that reflect your priorities.
• Spot common warning signs of financial fraud and scams.

In the final session, you will explore the difference between saving and investing and be introduced to risk, compound growth and diversification. You will also learn about workplace and personal pensions, the State Pension, ISAs and common investment options, helping you identify appropriate next steps for your financial future.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• Distinguish between saving and investing and understand when each may be appropriate.
• Understand investment risk and how returns can build over time.
• Recognise common types of investments, including shares, bonds and funds.
• Understand the basic roles of pensions and ISAs.
• Identify realistic next steps towards your longer-term financial goals.

Anna Orenstein-Cardona grew up in Puerto Rico in a loving, multicultural home where money was often tight. From humble beginnings, she earned a degree in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from MIT and spent more than two decades on the trading floors of Wall Street and the City of London, working closely with some of the world’s largest institutional investors.

Anna is now a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI), author and founder of Wear Your Money Crown®, a holistic financial education and coaching firm.

Through her work with individuals, students and organisations, she combines real-world financial expertise with behavioural science and a compassionate approach to make money easier to understand and manage.

“Anna breaks financial jargon down into bite-sized pieces. She makes it easy to learn and is so down to earth and approachable. Any question is answered in a calm and kind way.”
— Lorraine Field, Artist and Creator

“I feel excited rather than daunted by my financial picture. I have less of the ‘ignore and avoid’ attitude than I did before!”
— G. Aarons, Financial Education and Coaching Client

“I was nervous about my finances, but I am now excited to apply the knowledge you’ve shared in my everyday life!”
— H. Murrell, University Student

“I learned not only about my finances and budgets, but more importantly about myself and how I approach money. Financial knowledge gave me the confidence to take a much more hands-on approach to my finances and to do it at my own pace.”
— Marisela Morales, Engineer and Mother

“I learned so much more than I expected from Anna. It is empowering to take charge of my finances, understand where I am now and what I can do to create a more secure future. I now have a growing emergency fund, a separate savings account and have contributed more to my pension. Thank you, Anna, for your teaching and encouragement!”
— Colleen Jones, Financial Education and Coaching Client

“Anna has helped spur a financial and emotional transformation for me, my partner and my family. I am so grateful to have such a brilliant, empathetic and experienced mentor in my life.”
— Dylan Weinberger, Financial Education and Coaching Client

Photo: © Anna Orenstein-Cardona, Wear Your Money Crown®

Event venue & nearby stays

North Kensington Library, 108 Ladbroke Grove, London, United Kingdom

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.

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