Four "To-Do's" To Winterize Your Finances

Although we hesitate to say it out loud, it appears that summer is actually coming to an end.  Fall is here, and instead of continuing to live in a world of denial wishing for flip flops and beach days, you will have a much more relaxing winter if you follow these four financial* “to-do’s” this fall:

1. Prepare your vehicles or summer toys for winter – take care of the engines that will either get a lot of use this winter (new tires, tune up, ect.) and get the engines you won’t use until next summer winterized early.  Don’t wait until last minute when you may be forced to paying a little more for a rush or have fewer options.
2. Make your holiday shopping list now! I know this sounds a little crazy, but budgeting for the holiday season now will allow for less of a monthly burden than starting December 24^th.  Scope out the sales while you have plenty of time to hunt for the best prices.  You will also feel mentally more relaxed approaching the holidays with a plan. 
3. Clean out your summer closet – Make room for your warmer clothes by cleaning out the summer items that you won’t wear again.  Take them to a consignment shop to make a few bucks or donate them.  Not only will you have a better idea of what you actually need (vs. want) for your winter wardrobe, but you will also have room in your closet for the new items you find on sale (because you obviously will be bargain hunting for those new items, right?!).
4. Take a look at your flex spending account – don’t wait until the last two weeks of December when you have to use it or lose it.  Plan now what you can use, whether it’s a new pair of glasses for your kid that just started school or that dentist visit you’ve been putting off. 

What other ways are you preparing your finances for the colder months?  Let us know on Twitter @honorcu using #askhonorcu!

Listen to Honor's Kaylee chat with 97.5 Y-Country's Wild Bill about their fall finance tips!

*Source - http://www.mydollarplan.com/15-must-do-fall-finance-tips/

Four Ways To Keep With Your Finances & Still Be A Football Super Fan!

We know you have been waiting for this season for a long time, and football is finally back.  Obviously keeping up with your favorite team or your fantasy league should take first priority, so here are three ways that you can keep up with your finances without missing a second of the big game.

1. Mobile App -  If you haven’t downloaded Honor’s mobile app from the app store yet, you need to do it now.  Watch the game, keep tabs on all of your accounts, transfer funds, and so much more all while still not moving from your seat (either at the game or on the couch).
2. Mobile Deposit Capture – Why waste precious minutes that could be spent tailgating to run to the credit union and deposit your check when you can do it from your phone using Remote Deposit Capture?!  Take advantage of this FREE convenient tool and don’t miss a second of your tailgating experience or the big game.
3. Auto Pay – You are already stressed out enough about how your fantasy league is doing, let us worry about paying your bills on time. Enroll in auto pay through online bill pay and check this off your list.  You can trust that your bills will all be paid on time so you can focus on the important things, like the status of your team’s starting QB.
4. Benefits Checking – You’re at the big game and you need a little more cash to get just one more hot dog, and the concession only takes cash.  We’ve all been there.  If you have benefits checking, you can withdraw cash from the ATM at the stadium without worrying about that pesky ATM fee if you meet a few simple requirements.  You can find out more about benefits checking and the requirements on honor’s website.

Now back to football, which team are you rooting for this year?  Let us know on twitter @honorcu using #askhonorcu!

Listen to Honor's Scott and 97.5 Y-Country's Wild Bill talk about their football favorites and financial tips for football season in last week's Mason Jar Monday episode! 

Three Tips For Back To School Savings

Are your kids back in school this month?  If so, you might be still in the middle of making sure they are ready for another successful school year.  Did you know parents will spend almost $670 to get ONE CHILD ready for the school year, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey*?!  Here are three tips to help you spend less and still set your student off on the right foot for a great school year:

1. Clean out that closet!  Before you spend a dime at the store on new clothes for your growing child, make sure you know exactly what they have that still fits.  Have them try on everything and the things that don’t fit take to a clothing resale store or donate to charity.
2. Make a list and prioritize it.  Make the list and highlight the things that are “must-haves,” like the list of school supplies from the school.  From there, given what your pre-determined budget is you can better spend the remaining on the items that your child wants but doesn’t necessarily need.
3. Clip those coupons!  Paying attention to when and where the items on your shopping list are on sale can save you big time!  Pay extra attention to the coupons and ads that any other time of the year you may look right past for extra pennies that you can keep in your mason jar!
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What other ways do you save on back to school shopping?  Let us know on twitter @honorcu using #askhonorcu

Listen to 97.5 Y-Country's Wild Bill and Honor's Scott talk about their tips for back to school savings!

*Source - http://www.bankrate.com/finance/personal-finance/6-tips-for-frugal-back-to-school-savings-1.aspx

Three Ways to Show Your Youngster the Importance of Saving

Preparing to get back into the school year routine is a great opportunity to get your youngster into other great routines too.  Kids are never too young to start saving, but often it’s easier said than done.  Here are three ways you can get your kids excited about saving.

1.  Set goals with your child – whether you are giving $5/week for good chores completed or $1/week, showing your child how that amount can add up to something is important.  Give them a goal of a certain amount saved with an incentive.  You know your child the best, so set a goal that will speak to them. Maybe it’s ice cream or maybe it’s a new pair of shoes, whatever will get them excited!

2.  Get Visual – once you’ve set a goal, get a visual tracker that your child can easily understand.  Maybe it’s a giant thermometer that will let them see how close they get.  This will also help solidify the idea of small amounts all adding up to a larger amount over time.

3.  Student Credit Unions – if your child’s school has a student credit union, this can be a great way to get them to continue thinking about saving when they’re not at home, too.  Honor has 13 student credit unions in local elementary and middle schools right now that make saving fun and exciting for kids of all ages.

What other ways do you get your child excited about saving?  Let us know on twitter @honorcu using #askhonorcu 

Listen to the Mason Jar Monday about fun ways to get your kids excited about saving money from 97.5 Y-Country below!