Summer Money Saving Tips

Just because the temperatures are rising, doesn't mean your credit card balance needs to as well!  With kids being out of school and most of us itching to get out and do something, the temptation to spend money is greater than ever.  Don’t give in! Here are some ideas to enjoy summer, and save money at the same time!

•  Pack Your Lunch! If you know that you want to treat the family to a dinner out this weekend, set a goal of packing your lunch every day this week!  Not only is it healthier for you, but saving $5 a day for five days just paid for some of that family dinner!

• Enjoy Your OWN town, instead of vacationing! Do you know how much fun stuff goes on right in your own town for FREE? Check out local events, like art fairs, farmers markets, or the beach instead of paying for a hotel and travel to go somewhere else.  St. Joseph Today or Berrien County.com are both great resources to keep up with all of the local activities in our own Southwest Michigan area!

• Have fun at home! Enjoy the great weather and make memories in your own backyard!  Check pinterest or DIY websites for easy and low cost upgrades to turn your backyard into a summer hot spot!  A lot of these DIY projects are easy enough to get the kids involved too!  

What other ways are you saving money, but still having fun, this summer? Let us know by commenting on this post, or by following us on twitter @honorcu and using #askhonorcu! 

Listen to the full Mason Jar Monday episode as Honor's Scott and 97.5 Y-Country's Wild Bill talk about summer money saving tips, and unveil our HUGE contest announcement - Honor Wants To Deck You Out!! 

Click here for more details on how you can be a winner! 

Honor Wants To DECK You Out!

A few weeks ago, we talked about tips to build your own deck on a budget. Well, if picking up the hammer yourself isn't your forte, here is another option...enter to win a FREE deck from Honor Credit Union, R&L Sundecks, and 97.5 Y-Country!

We're switching it up this week with a HUGE contest announcement!  Honor wants to deck you out!  With help from our partners at R&L Sundecks and 97.5 Y-Country, we're giving one lucky winner a new deck (up to $2,500) AND new patio furniture (up to $600)!  

If you live within 30 miles of Honor's Saint Joseph branch, just visit one of the participating Honor branch locations and guess how many pennies are in the giant mason jar!  The top twenty closest guesses will become qualified to win the grand prize!  The winner will be randomly drawn from the qualifiers on stage at Summer Jam on August 2nd!!  You can enter your guess at the giant mason jars at Honor's Saint Joseph, Stevensville, Berrien Springs, Niles, Benton Harbor, Coloma, Dowagiac, and South Haven branches! 

Get more information, along with official rules and regulations, here!

Three Reasons You Should Be Using An Online Personal Finance Tool

Do you use an online personal finance tool?  Personal finance tools are tools that can make managing your money easier.  These convenient applications can make a big difference when it comes to managing the coins in your mason jar even more effectively!  There are many different options that you can use, but Honor’s version is called Money Desktop.  Here are three reasons that you should be taking advantage of one of these tools:    

1. Account Aggregation – We know that a lot of you have more than one financial institution or credit card, and that’s ok!  Keep track of all of your accounts on one website with account aggregation.  Whether it’s tracking your Kohl’s credit card, a retirement account, or a checking/savings account, you can view everything at one time on one screen with personal finance tools like Honor’s Money Desktop.   
2. Debt Payback Breakdowns – Did you know that the average number of credit cards per household is 3.5*? If this is you, did you also know that with an online personal finance tool you can track and look at different options to pay down all of your credit cards, loans, or other debt with just the click of a button?  For example, with Honor’s Money Desktop, an interactive tool with a graph for easy viewing will show you how to pay down debt based on “Fastest Payoff,” “Highest Interest First,” “Lowest Balance First,” or “Highest Balance First.”  And once you select one of those options it even projects when you will be out of debt based on the minimum payment!
3. Set Goals! – With an online personal finance tool, you can integrate your financial goals right in with all of your accounts.  You can set savings goals or debt payoff goals and keep track of your progress all in the same place.  No need to keep an excel spreadsheet that you may or may not remember to update each month, when you have an online personal finance tool to update it for you automatically!

If you want to learn more about Honor’s online personal finance tool, Money Desktop, visit our website!  Don’t forget to follow Honor Credit Union on twitter @honorcu and let us know using #askhonorcu!  

Listen to the Mason Jar Monday episode and hear Scott & Wild Bill's full conversation on Personal Finance Tools below! 

*Source - United States Trade & Development Agency

Tips To Save On Your Summer Deck Project

Do you have a summer project planned out?  Many of you probably do, and for some it may be that brand new deck to complete your backyard.  After all, it was a long winter, so you need somewhere to kick your feet up and relax outside!  Well, building that deck doesn't have to break the budget.  Here are three tips to get you started:

1. Make a plan!  There are some great free resources to help you plan for the perfect deck for your backyard, even down to the material list.  The “Deck Designer” tool on Lowe's website is a great and easy to use example of this, and there are many, many more available online.
2. Shop smarter! Once you know your materials, shop smarter!  Pay attention to sales and coupons.  If you have an idea of where you think you will purchase your supplies, sign up for that store’s email list so you’re the first to hear about coupons and sales! Compare stores and prices to get the best deal.  Lumber stores often offer a buy in bulk discount on material, so going prepared and getting everything you need the first time can literally pay off.
3. Measure twice, cut once!  This may sound like a no-brainer, but there is nothing worse than spending money on material only to ruin it and have to replace it.  Take your time when laying out your plan, and if you need help ask!  If you’re not particularly handy with a saw, it may be better to pay someone to help you or do the install than to attempt it and have to spend more money in replacement material. 

If you’ve done the planning and are ready to add your own deck but are wondering how to pay for it, consider an Honor Home Equity option!  A home equity loan might be the solution to your new backyard oasis!

What other summer projects are on your list this summer?  Follow Honor Credit Union on twitter @honorcu and let us know using #askhonorcu!

Tips To Spot The Best Deal At The Grocery Store

It’s cookout season!  As you prepare for your next family barbecue, a trip to the grocery store is most likely going to be needed.  Keep more coins in your Mason Jar with these tips on spotting the best deal at the grocery store!

• Look at more than just eye-level.  Shelf space and placement is a hot commodity in stores.  The eye-level items may not be the best priced, but rather the company that paid the most for that shelf space.  Look high and low on the shelf for other options of the same item.

• Take a second look at the generic brand.  Now there might be items that your family isn’t willing to go generic on, but many times the generic brand (like Meijer or Spartan) is just as tasty if not better for less than ½ the cost!

• Bulk is not always better.   Look at the price and total quantity of the per pound option vs the bulk before assuming the bulk is better.  Often times bulk is exactly the same cost per unit.  If your family really really loves that item and would have no issue eating it before it spoils, then bulk may be the way to go, but not always. There’s nothing worse than thinking you got a great deal, to end up throwing half of it away because it went bad in the back of the pantry.

• Read your coupons carefully.  Some coupons are the golden ticket and save you tons, and then some don’t end up saving you that much at all.  If a coupon requires you to buy 10 of the item to get the discount then you could run into the bulk isn’t always better issue.  Or sometimes a coupon on a brand name item still makes the item more expensive then the generic substitute!  

What other ways is your family being smart with their coins this summer?  Follow Honor Credit Union on twitter @honorcu and let us know using #askhonorcu!

Listen to Scott & Wild Bill talk about their tips for grocery shopping in this week's Mason Jar Monday!  

Comment on this post, or follow us on twitter @honorcu and use #askhonorcu to get involved! You can also comment with the topic you want to see discussed next week! It's your money, and we want to talk about things you care about!