Time Management

Can’t seem to finish anything on time? You start something but get completed distracted and forget about it? Not reaching your goals because of the first two questions?

Maybe it’s time to change the way you do complete your tasks or goals. Certainly, no one likes change, but I promise it will be for the better! Follow the simple tips below and that dreaded feeling you get when deadlines hit will wash away!

-          Create a chart or list of your things to do.

o   Organization is key! We tend to try to remember everything that needs to get done only to find that we forgot to do something at the end of the day.

-          Prioritize your tasks.

o   What’s important? What needs to be done immediately to get to step two?

o   The feeling of satisfaction after completing a task is what we are looking for. Consider even small tasks first, anything that will take 5 to 10 minutes to do. This will get you pumped for the bigger, dreadful tasks!

-          Be S.M.A.R.T.

o   S - Specific: It’s no math project but when setting goals, but be specific; know exactly what you want to complete.

For example, instead of saying “I’ll get the paperwork done”, say “I’ll get page one and two done.”

o   M – Measurable: Set a goal that you can complete in a reasonable time. So going off the example above we can add, “I’ll get page one and two done by noon tomorrow.” This helps you meet deadlines and avoid stalling until the last minute!

o   A – Achievable: Make sure your goals are not so far-fetched that it seems almost impossible to complete. Focus on what you can get done, work on that and get it off your check list!

o   R – Relevant: Your goals should be relevant to the task at hand. When planning, bundle tasks that relate to one another. This helps you move through the process quickly also it helps eliminate time wasters!

o   T – Time-Bound: Give yourself deadlines! Using the example above again, “I’ll get the paperwork done”. Great! But when? Make deadlines and make sure you are completing the tasks at the time you set.

Go ahead and give the pointer above a try! If this worked for you, do come back and let us know! If there’s something you do that you believe can help someone else, comment below!

Post by: Kelly V

Emergency Savings

What Is An Emergency Fund?

An emergency fund is money that you’ve saved up for the purpose of helping you maintain your normal life through the emergencies that life hands you.

When is it okay to use it?

• When you lose your job
• When an appliance breaks down
• Medical emergency 
• When a car needs repairs

When is it NOT okay to use it?

• Going on a shopping spree
• Buying a new TV
• Going on vacation
• Buying a new car

How to start up an Emergency Fund…

A common mistake made by many who plan to start an emergency fund is that they set their goal too high and often get discouraged when they realize that it will take longer than they expected to reach it.

Set your initial goal low!
Set a goal that you would be able to reach in just a few months rather than a few years. Take into consideration your financial situation and determine how much you can afford to put into your emergency fund each week. Anything is better than nothing at all; the important thing is to get started today!  

Where to save your emergency fund?
After you decide what amount you want to start off with, think about where you want to keep your money. Since it is an emergency fund it would be smart to keep it somewhere where you can get access to it easily. We can help! You can open up a savings account, money market account or short-term certificates here at Horizon Community Credit Union. Any of these accounts will give you easy access to your money, while earning you some interest!

How often should you deposit money into your emergency fund?
When deciding how much to start putting into your savings fund, try to make sure you are able to deposit that amount weekly. For example, $40 a week would get you to $500 in three months! It doesn’t have to be $40 a week though; it can be what you can afford and make sure it challenges you a bit, just not something impossible.

Don’t have the time to stop in every week?
Sometimes life gets a little busy and you may not find the time to be stopping by every week to deposit your weekly addition to your emergency fund. It happens to all of us! Something that Horizon Community Credit Union offers that you could find useful would be reoccurring transfers. When you open up an account you can set a reoccurring transfer to transfer your specific amount every week without you having to worry about stopping in! And when you reach your goal you can choose to stop the reoccurring transfer.  Or if you are feeling ambitious you could set a higher goal and continue putting money into your emergency fund!

How to keep track of your emergency fund?
You can use our online banking and keep track of how much your emergency fund is growing! It’s fast and easy and you can use it on your computer at home or on the go with your phone!

Saving money shouldn’t be as hard as it seems. With the help of the accounts and services Horizon Community Credit Union offers it is convenient, reliable and safe! 

Post by: Karla C.