This manual is designed to allow service providers at displaced homemaker centers to update and refresh their knowledge and information of consumer concepts and to initiate and implement some consumer education services designed to meet the needs of displaced homemakers. Material is divided into five parts. Part 1 focuses on financial management for the displaced homemaker and provides a self-check on financial practices and attitudes as well as a description of and forms for a seven-step approach to financial management. Part 2 addresses credit, including such topics as rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Equal Opportunity Act, and the Truth-in-Lending Act; billing errors; and installment credit contracts. Consumer complaints are discussed in part 3. Redress, complaint letters, sources of assistance, and the Small Claims Court are covered. Part 4 considers legal rights of displaced homemakers, including legal status as it is related to current marital status, legal rights in employment, social security rights, federal income tax returns, and other taxes. Part 5 deals with housing situations that displaced homemakers find themselves in, points out key resources, and suggests specific steps to help displaced homemakers meet housing needs. (YLB)