Savings

We see it all the time, commercials telling us we’re just not hip enough unless we wear the latest pair of jeans. Or a TV show featuring a mailman living in a $2,500-a-month apartment in some exciting city. It seems our lives are rather boring when compared to others, or at least the image of others. So what do we do? We try to live a life that we think adds excitement, a life that perhaps really isn’t our own. These are the times when we may get into trouble with our spending.

Everyone’s spending habits are different, some even unrealistic, but you should always strive to be a smart spender. What does that mean?

Shhhhhhhh. We‘ve got a secret. Well, actually Bankrate has the secret, and lucky for you, they don’t mind sharing. It seems they met up with a few talkative retail store store managers who were willing to divulge secrets from the savings vault regarding values within their stores. No names or places were uncovered, but there seems to be plenty of insider savings going on! Want in? We thought so.

When it comes to money, we don’t magically wake up one morning and have our brains filled with financial knowledge. It’s a learning curve, hopefully started early so we grow up understanding the importance of the monetary system and the responsibility associated with it.

While different children grow and mature at different rates, experts at parents.com have created a generic timeline for how and when you might tackle the subject of money with your child(ren).

You already know credit unions rock, right? They’re owned by their members, they’re not-for-profit, and they operate under a People Helping People mindset, just to name a few very awesome things. But did you know besides saving you money with great rates and assorted free services, you can save money on select services and purchases simply by being a member? Oh yeah, it’s true!

The savings are all through lovemycreditunion.org and their Invest in America program. For example, savings on your wireless plan...

Yes, ATMs are sure convenient. They seem to be on just about every corner, beckoning you to make a quick pit stop for some cash. Easy in, easy out. But beware. Under that shiny exterior of convenience, there may lurk a sinister byproduct.

If you have a Vantage checking account and use another bank or credit union’s ATM, you’ll likely be charged a fee by the institution for using their ATM. Basically, you’re paying for the convenience of using an ATM right then and there rather than going to your nearest Vantage ATM. But here’s a way to keep the convenience getting cash out where you are and save a bunch on those foreign ATM fees.

Gas prices…up. Food prices…up. Utility prices…up. The only thing going down these days is our discretionary spending. Budgets are taking a real beating. Who isn’t looking for ways to earn and/or save money? Well, Vantage is here to help with our new MyE-Rewards program, where the saving is easy, automatic and FREE!

The program
MyE-Rewards is available to all Vantage members who use a Vantage check card and manage their Vantage checking account using MyVantage online banking. You’ll receive targeted offers for cash back or percentage discounts based on purchases you make at places you already shop. There’s NO LIMIT to the amount you can earn; simply, the more you use your Vantage check card, the more offers you’ll receive and more opportunities you’ll have to earn money. It’s Click, Shop, Earn!

Back in November, we shared with you some products that were known to offer pretty good deals for consumers right around the holidays. Well, wouldn’t you know it, the post-holiday retail lull offers some nice deals, too, as merchants try to shake the retail hangover left over from all the holiday spending sprees. So because we’re all about saving, let’s once again take a look at some items that could help ease your budget.

Warm Clothing, Hot Deals 
Hey, it’s January in the Midwest…we still have a few months of cold weather to muddle through, right? And you need warm clothes, right? You’re in luck! By January, most people have competed their winter wardrobes. That means retailers are looking to shrink their inventory, which means deals on all those hats, coats, gloves, even flannel pajamas. Experts say you could see price cuts of 40%-70%. Bingo!

10:00 a.m. Here come the stomach growls, time for a mid-morning snack.

Today it’s a bag of chips and a diet soda. Total cost: $1.75. That won’t break the bank … but how about your budget? Have you ever thought about how all those easily forgettable little expenses can add up? Let’s take a look at just a few you may view as trivial at the time of purchase. You’ll soon see they add up to very real amounts over the course of a year.