Wednesday, July 30, 2014

7 Steps to Back to School Shopping


Back to school shopping is not something I enjoy, and I don’t know many parents that do enjoy it.  Typically it involves overspending and a few arguments about why we “need” to spend $2.50 on a folder with kittens on it instead of $0.19 on a purple folder.  Can you tell I have a daughter?  And we aren’t even touching on the wardrobe part of back-to-school shopping….that is a whole other experience for later.

Here are some tips to help make it a more enjoyable and less expensive experience.  I swear this is not a paid Target ad; it’s just where I shop a lot.  There are other stores mentioned too, but I’d like to hear from you too, because there are SO many great resources out there to help make this back-to-school shopping thing easier!  What tips do you have?  Do you have a favorite shopping or organization app that you use and can’t live without?  Do you have a go-to website for scoring deals?  Please post a comment and share what you use!

1.     Get your kids’ school supply list, and go right to the school website to make sure it’s accurate.  There are some sites out there that claim to have school supply lists for all or most schools, but comparing the lists on some of those sites to the lists on the school site, they aren’t the same and you will end up buying things you don’t need.  Here are some links you may find helpful: 
a.       Green Bay School District
c.       DePere School District
f.        Oconto School District

2.     Check your supplies at home to see what you have.  If you’re like me, every year during back to school shopping there are a few supplies that you get extra of, in case you need more ½ way through the year.  I mean, I would rather buy 4 boxes of crayons in August for $0.25 each than buy 1 in August for a quarter, and then have to buy another box in January and pay $2.99 for it.  If you don’t remember to take stock before you go shopping each year though, you end up with a TON of extra supplies!

3.     Next, make a list of what you still need, and be specific so that you get the right things!  Everyone has their preference for paper vs. electronic lists, so use what you’re comfortable with.  If you like electronic, try Evernote (I love it and use it all the time for notes on just about everything…the wine I had and LOVED at dinner, where I parked at the airport (that can be REALLY hard to remember a week or two later!), things I actually need from Target (otherwise I will just stroll through the store putting all kinds of cute things that I do NOT need in my cart), books I want to read, the list of lists I keep in Evernote goes on and onJ  Another one I’ve heard good things about is Ziplist.  Check them out and see if either looks good to you!

4.     Budget and set limits.  It may not be fun, but it is essential.  Know what you want to spend, whether you come up with that number per child, or per item that you have to buy, don’t get sucked in to upgrading every supply and spending a fortune.

5.     Find coupons and use apps to save money.  If you get the newspaper, check the ads for coupons, check the mail for special fliers (they seem to be in my mailbox every other day now), and go online to the website of the store you are going to and print off coupons.  While you are at store websites, you can also typically put in your email address to receive special offers right in your inbox. 

Make some notes of what store has the best deals for the supplies you need.  Or just grab ads from other stores and shop at Staples, where they have a 110% price match guarantee.  If you show them the identical item for less somewhere else when you are purchasing the item, they will match the lower advertised price PLUS give you an additional 10% off.  If you show them the item for less after you already purchased it, they will simply refund the difference to you.

I personally don’t use a ton of apps, but one that I really like is Cartwheel for Target.  You browse through Cartwheels deals and put the things that interest you into your cart.  When you are checking out, you have them scan your barcode from the app, and presto!  It’s like magic – all those discounts come right off!

Now you are ready to shop!  (Don’t forget to take your notes and coupons!)

6.     You are now entering the store….STICK TO YOUR LIST!  I know, it’s HARD!  I have problems sticking to my list too, and then if you have your kids along it’s even harder because they ask for EVERYTHING, and they ask REPEATEDLY, and sometimes they just wear you down and you give in.  Be prepared.  You have your list.  Explain to the kiddos before you enter the store that you are there to buy what is on the list and only what is on the list.  Or you can give them 1 bonus item, or give them each a couple “bonus bucks” they can spend on whatever fun supply they want for school that isn’t on the list, or maybe they want to upgrade and get the “fancy” folders instead of the plain ones.  Well, then they can use their “bonus bucks” to get the fancy folders.

7.     Don’t be afraid to shop around.  You do not have to buy all your supplies in one trip or at one store; in fact you will probably pay more if you buy everything at one store.  If you took notes while perusing the newspaper or looking online for coupons, then you already know what to buy where.  Pick up the great deals at one store, then head to the next store to pick up the things they have the best prices on. 

If you didn’t check ads or check prices online, have no fear!  There are apps for that too.  Check out NowDiscount, Store It, Buy Via, Redlaser, or Shop Savvy.

P.S. Horizon CCU has a Tools 4 Schools campaign now until August 29th, where we collect school supplies for Nicolet Elementary and Martin Elementary Schools.  We are also taking monetary donations to buy some of the supplies they need.  The donations will be given to the schools and handed out to the children who do not have the supplies they need to do their school work.
 
Pat Josephson, HCCU’s President, will take a pie in the face if Tools 4 Schools raises $500 or more in cash donations!  Interested in helping see that happen???  Drop your supplies or cash donations at either branch or contact us.

We also saw (right after launching our Tools 4 Schools campaign) that Shopko is partnering with the Salvation Army for their annual Tools for Schools campaign (I guess the name is catchy!), which collects school supplies which are then distributed by the Salvation Army.  Collection boxes for supplies are in Shopko stores until August 8th.


P.P.S. Did you know that some stores give a portion of sales back to area schools?  Office Depot and Target (if you have their RedCard) both do this, and there may be others too.  You may need to choose your school online before you shop, so check out the links above. 


P.P.P.S. Have you heard of Yoobi?  This amazing company makes school supplies (which are adorable), PLUS for every Yoobi item that you purchase, one Yoobi item will be donated to a classroom in need right here in the U.S.!   Their best sellers are available online  and are also sold exclusively at Target.

Post by: Cari J

Monday, July 28, 2014

Are you still getting your account statement in the mail?

It all starts with a few papers next to the computer. Then it leads to a small pile on the corner of the desk. Before you know it there are stacks upon stacks all over the office! What are these papers that are cluttering your desk and office space?  Probably your account statements!

Now it’s time to look back at those statements and find a check you deposited two years ago in the month of December…. Let the hunt begin!

After a wild goose hunt for that stupid deposit, you decide to consolidate some of the mess and just toss the old statements that you no longer need. Next thing you know, someone is rummaging through your trash cans on the curb and your account numbers are stolen!

When it seems like things can’t get much worse, don’t worry, your credit union has some answers! Why not sign up for E-Statements? This would eliminate that mess in the office AND prevent those sneaky garbage hunters from getting your information! Think signing up is too much work? Of course not! Simply visit our website and sign into Online Banking! From there it’s as simple as clicking the E-Statements tab and choosing to enroll.  Or if you'd rather, you can give us a call or stop in and we can do it for you!

Forget about that messy office and stolen account numbers, sign up for E-Statements now!

Post by: Emily P

Friday, July 25, 2014

Save Money at the ATM!

We know you want to do some traveling this summer, and we don't want you to feel tied down by your credit union.  We've all been there...we know how frustrating it can be when you're away from home and you need to take money out of an ATM, but you know you'll be charged a fee for taking your own money.  Sometimes, financial institutions charge their customers a fee ON TOP of the ATM's fee!  So, that $20 you needed really cost you $25 in the end!  Outrageous, right?

We completely agree!  For starters, Horizon Community Credit Union will never charge you a fee for using someone else's ATM.  And we can even help you avoid being charged by the ATM itself!  HCCU is a member of several nationwide fee-free ATM networks, which allow you to withdraw money at non-HCCU ATMs without having to pay that pesky fee. You read right. You can use your ATM or debit card at participating terminals without paying a fee. Simply visit this website http://www.atmallianceone.org/AllianceOne/ for more information and for a listing of a fee-free ATM near you.

Post by: Katie B


Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Benefits of Online Bill Pay

People today are paying every bill imaginable online: mortgages, loans, rent, credit cards, utilities, & any other bill that you can think of. So the big question is why should you pay your bills online?

  • First of all, you will save money for postage, late fees, and also it will save you time. Converting your paper to online payments is a sure way to prevent losing a bill or even forgetting to pay.  Did I mention that online bill pay through HCCU is a FREE service?
  • Another great perk to online bill pay is that you can set up monthly payments and you won’t have to pay anymore late fees. There are no paper bills to leave on the counter until you suddenly remember that they are past their due date. You can either choose to manually enter your payments each month, or set up for automatic withdrawal from your account. With automatic withdrawal, you can set up your payments in advance of their due date so your bill will always be paid on time.
  • Online bill pay is also safer. Passwords and security keys are required to access your accounts and all your information is encrypted. Your personal information is much more susceptible to stealing if it's on paper. By eliminating paper bills and check writing, you also reduce your impact on the environment.
It takes just a few steps to get enrolled. Here are the steps that will get you on your way…
  1. First, you need a checking account with HCCU.  If you have one, GREAT!  If you don't, it's super easy to open one right away by making a visit to one of our branches.
  2. Go to our website www.horizonccu.com & click on Bill Pay at the top on the page. 
  3. Next click Enroll.
  4. Fill out all of the information that is required and you will be on your way. If you have any questions, we are just a call away (920)433-0122 & we would be happy to walk you through the steps. 
So don’t waste another second and make sure to enroll for Online Bill Pay today!

Post by: Beth B.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Just Say NO to Payday Lenders!

I’m sure you've seen or heard the commercials for payday or title loans that give you cash in 30 minutes or less, but hopefully you haven’t (and won’t) sign up for one of those loans. Want to know why? Keep reading.

Have you read the fine print??????? Do you know that many of those places charge over 300%APR for a loan? OMG…300%....no, that’s not a typo, there shouldn’t be a decimal in there, three hundred, not kidding (unfortunately). Let that sink in for a minute.

So what does 300% APR mean exactly? Well, if you go there and get a loan for about $1000, and pay it back over 6 months, you will pay back roughly double what you borrowed. That’s right, they give you $1,000 and you pay them back about $2,000. If you can pay it back on time exactly as agreed upon. As if that isn’t bad enough, if you can’t pay it back on time (which is what often happens), they can automatically withdraw what you owe from your account. What typically happens when they try to do that? You overdraw your account and are charged a fee. Then they try to withdraw the money again, and you probably still don’t have it or you would have sent it to them, so you overdraw your account again and are charged another fee. Wait, this happens one more time, because they can try to take the money 3 times for each payment, so there’s another fee. Now you still owe your payment, plus you wasted all that money on 3 NSF fees, and the payday loan place probably has some sort of late fee or NSF fee too. Do you see how this can start to snowball quickly and put you deeper and deeper into debt with no good way out? It happens too often, and we don’t want it to happen to you!

To give you something to compare to, that same loan here would come with a rate of between 3% and 16% (rates are determined by a number of factors including your credit score and history, amount of unsecured debt, and past bankruptcy). Even using our highest rate of 16%, if you borrowed $1,000, you would pay us back roughly $1,050. That’s quite different from the example above where you borrow $1,000 and pay back $2,000. What would you do with the $950 you saved? You can probably think of lots of things, that’s a lot of money!

So JUST SAY NO to Payday Lenders (or anyone else charging a ridiculously high interest rate for that matter). Call us, tell us your situation and let us try to help. Whether it’s a loan here, at a dealership, a bank, or another credit union, know what you are agreeing to before you sign anything.

Here are some questions you should ask every time you apply for financing anywhere:
· Is there an application fee?
· What is my interest rate?
· What is the repayment period?
· What is my monthly payment and can that amount change? If it can change find out what would cause it to change, how often it can change, and how much it can go up.
· Is there a penalty for prepayment?
· How much will I pay in interest over the life of the loan?
· What happens if I default?

Post by: Cari J

Thursday, July 17, 2014

The Advantage of Being 50+

YAY! You’ve hit the big FIVE – O so flaunt it! You’re looking good and you deserve a break! So what can we offer you? A FEE FREE CHECKING ACCOUNT! Yes! FEE FREE! That means NO minimum balance required! Already have a fee free checking account with us? Guess what, you can now get checks at no charge too! That’s right! FREE! We know you are looking good but we want you to feel good too! Stop in the credit union and any Member Service Representative can give you more information and get you closer to a fee FREE checking!

Post by: Kelly V

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Don't Tax My Credit Union!

Credit unions today hold a tax exempt status because they are designed to be run as a not for profit organization. This helps CU members achieve financial success by giving back profits in the form of dividends, and also by offering lower interest rates and fees on loans. But even though credit unions are exempt from paying corporate income taxes, credit unions do still pay taxes like property taxes, sales taxes, and employment taxes.  In Washington there are proposed bills to change these items as a part of an overall tax reform.

Essentially, a tax is added to credit unions, which will trickle down to its members in the form of more fees, higher interest rates, and lower dividends to accommodate the additional expense to the credit unions.

There currently is a ‘Don’t Tax My Credit Union’ initiative taking place to educate current and future members of credit unions of this possible change. Members are also encouraged to write letters to their representatives about the effects of these bills. To learn more about this initiative we have a direct link on our website as well as Facebook for Don’t Tax My Credit Union, www.donttaxmycreditunion.org.

Post by: Lindsey L

Friday, July 11, 2014

Great Tips for Saving Money!

Here are a few simple little steps that you can make to improve your financial situation. They are all unbelievably simple and anyone can do them. These tips can save you a lot of money.

· Remember the Thirty Day Rule. Whenever you’re considering making an unnecessary purchase, wait thirty days and then ask yourself if you still want that item.

· Invite friends over instead of going out. Almost every activity at home is less expensive than going out.

· Take advantage of online banking with your credit union. This will help you keep much closer contact with your money and your balance and help you be in less danger of overdrafting.

· Don’t spend money just to de-stress. Instead of spending to de-stress, try some basic exercises or go for a walk, and see how you feel.

· Save your coupons. Using coupons can help reduce the cost of an item already on sale and sometimes you can end up paying barely anything for some things and sometimes actually get food for free.

· Read more. Reading is one of the cheapest hobbies around.

· Pack a lunch. Instead of going out to eat at work, you can make an enjoyable meal for your bag lunch and save cash too.

· Go for reliability and fuel efficiency when buying a car. A reliable and fuel efficient car will save you thousands over the long haul.

· Do holiday shopping right after the holidays. The discounts are fantastic and will save a bundle.

· Write a list before you go shopping. Don’t put anything in the cart that’s not on the list and you’ll save tons of money.

Post by: Beth B