Now at HCCU - Debit Card Round-Up

Are you like me and want to add to your savings without it feeling like an effort?  We have a new program that started this year called ‘Debit Card Round-Up’, and it does just what it sounds like – every time you use your debit card the total bill gets rounded to the next dollar and the difference is put in your designated savings account!  So, say you’re at a convenience store getting gas and soda – your bill totals $34.36; with the round-up we will pay the store $34.36, put $0.64 to your savings at the end of the day, and the total taken from your checking will be $35.00.   If you use your debit card often you could be adding significant amounts to your savings!  The round-up money is not ‘held’ for any length of time, so if you find you've used your debit card so much that you need the money in savings – simply transfer funds back to your checking account.  See?  Savings without effort!

If you have any questions just stop in to either Horizon Community Credit Union branch and talk to any of our Member Service Representatives.

Post by: Mary DeGroot

Coupon Craze

Need a new hobby that will save you money? Start couponing! It will be worth your time and effort! “I don’t have time for it” is probably what you’re thinking. I said the exact same thing. We’ve all seen, or at least heard, the show “Extreme Couponers” where people fill up their store carts and pay little to nothing for the entire transaction. How can you do that too? Read the tips below to start saving!

Tips for couponing:

· Purchase newspapers. Make sure to purchase 4 Sunday newspapers, this is where you are able to find most coupons. Since most coupons state “limit 4 like coupons per household per day”, a good rule is to purchase 4 newspapers, therefore, allowing you to buy maximum amount of products.

· Per Purchase vs. Per Transaction. When a coupon says “Limit 1 coupon per purchase”, per purchase means per item, NOT a transaction.
          Ex. If I buy 4 toothbrushes, I can use 4 coupons; one coupon per item.

· Stack/combine your coupons. Make sure to use manufacturer coupons and store coupons together. You are allowed to do this unless stated otherwise in the stores coupon policy. You cannot stack a manufacturer coupon with another manufacturer coupon, the same with store coupons.
          Ex. If I buy 4 toothbrushes, I can use 4 manufacturer coupons and 4 store coupons.

· Know the stores coupon policy. You always want to make sure you are up-to-date with updates done by the company.

· Don’t buy everything. Once you get a good deal, you don’t want to stop. However, a good rule is to buy only what you need. Otherwise, you will be spending more money than you need to.

Still don’t see where you can save? Read my shopping trip below for a better idea.

I went to a local store in town which had a sale: buy three (3) oral care products and receive a $5 gift card. I bought three (3) tubes of toothpaste, each for $3.99 bringing me to a total of $11.97 before taxes. I had three (3) manufacturer coupons for the toothpaste each for $2 and three (3) $1 store coupons that I also used for the products, bringing me down to a grand total of $2.97 before taxes. But remember, since I bought three oral care products, I also received a $5 gift card back. So really, I got three tubes of toothpaste for FREE and got back $2.03 as a credit. How awesome is that!

The math:
3 toothpastes @ $3.99 each = 3 x $3.99 = $11.97 (subtotal before coupons & taxes)
3 toothpaste manufacturer coupons @ $2 each = 3 x $2 = -$6.00
3 toothpaste store coupons @ $1 each = 3 x $1 = -$3.00
Total after coupons: $2.97 (subtotal before taxes)
Receive $5 gift card for purchase of 3 oral care products -$5.00
Final Price for 3 tubes of toothpaste: FREE with $2.03 credit

Couponing has now become an exciting hobby for me! Although it does take time to sort through coupons and deals, it will definitely be worth your time! Saving has never been so much fun!

Post by: Kelly V.

All about MONEY!

· On February 3, 1690, the Massachusetts Bay Colony, one of the Thirteen Original Colonies, issued the first paper money to cover military costs.

· In 1785, Congress adopted the dollar as the money unit of the United States.

· On January 23, 1901, the first credit union in North America, the Caisse Populaire de Lévis in Quebec, Canada, began operations with a 10-cent deposit.

· In 1909, Abraham Lincoln was the first American to be pictured on an American coin.

· In 1963, the motto “In God We Trust” first began to appear on U.S. paper currency.

· On September 2, 1969 Chemical Bank installed the first ATM in the U.S in Rockville Centre, New York.

· It costs more than a penny to make a penny. It costs roughly 2.5 cents.

· A quarter has 119 grooves on its circumference and a dime has one less.

· In Old English, the word “pygg” referred to a type of clay that people would use to make containers that held money. As language changed, “pygg” and “pig” started to sound similar, which is why we have banks that look like pigs.