Look out 2010!

December is just about over and its time to start thinking about my new year's resolution, that is aside from my constant resolution to start putting away my laundry... For 2009, I wanted to keep my credit card in check, using it only for emergencies and when I really needed it. While I won't start 2010 without a balance, I have a new plan. For 2010, I'm going to create (and stick to!) a budget. I've made up a spreadsheet for myself so I can track my expenses every month in regards to how much I will put into savings, how much I will need for bills/rent/utilities/gas, estimated budget for food, and miscellaneous expenses. I already have a separate savings account for the weddings I will be in/attending this year and I will probably open one for this year's big vacation too (Greece maybe?...). I've got big plans for you, 2010! With my trusty budget in hand, this will be the best year yet.

Anyone else have good intentions for the new year?

Christmas Gifts Tip 2

Buying gifts for everyone you know can be a huge expense, not to mention stressful! My second gifting tip for this season may help with the expense part. Instead of buying gifts, maybe make some gifts. It's not as hard as it sounds. You can make photo albums (scrapbooks) of things you have done throughout the year for grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles. What they really want to see is you and you can add your own special touches to personalize it. Remember to keep it simple though, I've heard people can get a little crazy at the scrapbooking section of Michaels and all those little items add up quick. If you knit or crochet, you can make scarves, hats, mittens, or anything that fits into your skill level. Trust me, a home-made toasty scarf is always appreciated. These are just 3 suggestions, but if you have different talents and ideas, go for it! And if you make it a theme gift for a lot of people, you can buy the materials in bulk and significantly lower your cost for a very thoughtful gift.

Christmas shopping!

Thanksgiving is over and I'll bet some of you have already started decorating for Christmas. Have you started your shopping? Remember to make that list, it saves you money on last minute decisions and you can compare prices! And that is my first holiday shopping tip: Compare prices. Already I almost paid more than I needed to on a cookbook from Williams Sonoma that I'm pretty sure one of my friends will love. I had clicked it into my shopping cart and had my credit card at the ready when a voice in my ear reminded me to check Amazon first. Thank you voice, I saved $5 on this gift and I get free shipping! Together that's a savings of over $10. If I can save like that on all of my purchases, maybe I'll be able to save enough money for a little ski weekend...

Don't Scare Your Wallet this Halloween!

This Saturday is Halloween! This year I have it easy since I only have to wear a masquerade mask to a theme party. Easy costume! If you don't have your costume all picked out yet, not to worry you dont have to go shopping and spead lots of money if you are creative! Take a look in your closet to see what you have that would only need a few themed accessories to complete your look (like a pirate's patch or a witch's hat). Making your own costume with things you have around the house can be really fun and easier than you think! Google "homemade Halloween costumes" and see what comes up. Or, you can trade with your friends. It changes things up and the costume is new to you.

Happy Halloween!

I know it's early but...

the time has come to talk about holiday shopping. Wait! Don't stop reading! I know we're all disgusted by the Christmas decorations set out in stores way before we even have our Halloween costumes picked yet, but hear me out. If you don't plan ahead, you won't be able to afford all the presents you want to buy, you'll find yourself bargain-shopping at the mall on Christmas eve instead of enjoying yourself, and/or (probably yes) you'll have a massive amount of credit card debt waiting for you in January. So be proactive and get a game plan going now if you don't already have one. Here are some great ways to save money so you can enjoy yourself more and get your credit card to stop smoking.

Start cutting back on small unnecessary expenses and put them into a Secondary Savings account. You can open one with just $5. Then you add to it ($5 deposit instead of Starbucks, watch a streaming movie on Netflix, deposit $15, etc) and when you're ready, just take the money out and pay for your purchases in cash.

I have a big extended family. So to save money and some stress in trying to find the perfect gift for everyone, we have a gift exchange every year. Everyone buys one gift (and yes there's a price limit) and then we put all the wrapped presents in a pile and everyone gets one. It's more fun to shop and more fun to open.

With friends, sometimes it can be hard to give presents to everyone. With some of my closest friends we have a "date" instead of giving presents. Last year my best friend and I went to see Wicked together. We "gave" it to each other as a gift, but it didn't necessarily have to be bought until a few weeks later.

And my last piece of advice is to start buying your presents early! Spread them out a little bit, that way it won't hurt as much to buy them all at once. Make a list and buy one present every paycheck and you'll get a bunch done before the holiday season gets into full swing!

Breaking Up with Banks All Over the Place...

Since we've started our Break Up With My Bank campaign ,I have heard some very interesting stories about why people who are breaking up with their banks and joining credit unions. One story I heard was from a friend who was traveling abroad and was not informed about extra fees she would incur by using international ATMs. Because her bank did not inform her of the fees it caused her to overdraw her account! She was venting her frustration to someone else when they pointed out that she doesn't shop at large chain stores, she supports local merchants, and buys local organic food. Why would she put all of her money into one of the largest banks in the country? So, that’s when she decided she was going to break up with her bank and join her local credit union because… it's local, community oriented, and cooperatively owned.
I love that she applied her life style to her relationship with her financial institution. Another great reason to join a credit union!
What have been some of your reasons for breaking up with your bank and joining a credit union?

Overdraft Fees = Unnecessary

Have any of you ever written a check? Like a real one where you use a pen and write in the amount and who you are paying it to? I probably write one check per month...my rent check. And if I could do it online I would. With all the electronic bill payments, Automatic payments, Debit Cards and Credit Cards, I never actually write anything down. But your check book comes with a very useful tool, a check register. In this handy little booklet you write the balance in your account and then subtract every transaction from the balance and add every deposit. This way, you always know how much is in your account at any given time.

"Why is this important?"

When you use your debit card, the funds do not immediately leave your account. Let's say you have $100 in your account. Tuesday, you go to the movies and spend $25, then go to In-n-Out and spend $20, then you need to put gas in your car so you put $35 in there. On Thursday, you need to get some cash out of the ATM, so you check your balance and it says $45. Cool, you figure you get paid on Saturday and take out $40. What you haven't figured in is that the $25 from the movie theater hasn't cleared your account yet. And on Friday when it comes in it overdraws your account to bring your balance to -$20. And your bank charges you a $27 Overdraft Fee. So, now you are -$47.

These fees add up. And you can get charged for every transaction that you don't have the money to cover. A $5 cup of coffee could potentially cost you $32!

Keep track of the money you spend, how much is in your account, and when transactions clear from your account to avoid paying these fees. Check your account online by using online banking and you can see when the money leaves your account.

Just a friendly tip from your Credit Union!

Check out breakupwithmybank.com

We just launched a new website with information about LA Financial and reasons why people should "break up with their bank" and start a new relationship with LA Financial. Check it out!

May iPod winners!

Congratulations to our iPod winners for the month of May:

Jacqueline and Luis

We randomly draw 2 lucky winners a month. It's not too late to be entered into June's random drawing for an iPod shuffle! Ways you can enter:

• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Comment on our Facebook page
• Comment on any Go Green blog entry (be sure to email green@lafinancial.org so we can contact you)
• Take our Vitamin G quiz
• Or you can write a blog entry by emailing it to green@lafinancial.org.

Earth Day

Hi everyone!
Earth Day is just 2 days away and I'm sure we could all be more environmentally friendly. But sometimes it seems like we have to spend more money to be greener. (buying expensive hybrid cars, installing expensive solar panels, or replacing all our appliances.) Well, here are a few easy to do things we can do to help the environment and save money.

• Take reusable shopping bags to the grocery store (They're easier to carry, plus you can enter a drawing for a $25 gift card at Trader Joe's!)
• Use reusable containers instead of plastic baggies (Saves you money too!)
• Use a reusable water bottle with tap water instead of buying it. (Los Angeles won a gold medal in a tap water taste testing in 2008.)
• Get electronic statements and bills. (Less postage and less paper! Think of all the time saved not shredding documents!)
  

Happy Earth Day everyone! And remember these easy little tips to help save the environment and save you money!

Grand Opening

April 6th- April 10th LA Financial is celebrating the Grand Opening of our Operation HOPE La Brea Branch in Los Angeles. This new branch will offer traditional banking services PLUS financial literacy & home-buying programs, credit counseling and case management services (thru Operaiton HOPE.)

Stop by during the celebration to get one free spin on our "Wheel of Prizes"*.

Prizes include: Clipper tickets, umbreallas, rally monkeys, reuable grocery bags, gift bags and more! AND, receive a FREE gift bag for opening a new product.

*Must be 18 years of older to participate. Limit one free gift bag per member.


Don't miss a surpirse guest appearance by Zach Randolph, LA Clipper player - Thursday, April 9th from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Location:
Los Angeles (La Brea Branch)
Hope Banking Center
3717 S La Brea Ave, Suite 104
Los Angeles CA 90016

Save Some Cash and Save Some Trees.

How many paper statements do you receive in the mail each month? How many bills do you pay by sending in a check? There are fewer and fewer reasons to do either of these things. Receiving estatements and paying your bills electronically is easier, faster, cheaper and safer. Green Accounts offer Free billpay, which saves you money on stamps, envelopes, gas in your car, and time that could be spent on more exciting endeavors! Plus, you don't have to worry about sneaky dumpster divers or mail thieves trying to steal your identity.

But this isn't only about saving some extra change! The same benefits that save you money are also good for the environment. By not using stamps, envelopes, gas in your car, etc, you are also eliminating that waste. Saving yourself some cash saves trees from destruction, extra garbage in landfills, and pollution in the air.

Check out the video and see for yourself. Remember both eStatements and Online BillPay is free. It's good for you and good for the planet.

All You Need is Love this Valentine's Day...

Valentine's Day is coming up on Saturday, have you made plans for your honey? Or maybe you're just going to hang out with your friends and have a good time. Either way, there is no reason to empty your wallets to show how much you care. I've put together a little list of cheap or even FREE things to do around L.A. this Valentine's Day.

1. Take a picnic to a local beach or park. An oldie, but a goodie. Have a sweet picnic out in the open. Or if you want to go at night, you can find a baech that has fire pits (like Huntington Beach) and roast marshmallows by the fire!
   
2. Hiking in the local mountains. There are some lovely hiking trails around L.A. to explore. What could be more romantic than natural scenery? Visit localhikes.com for ideas.
3. Make Dinner at home and rent a movie. You don't even have to rent the movie, check out your local library. And dinner doesn't have to mean expensive ingredients, remember it's about the thought and the presentation.
4. Day at the Getty Museum. Admission to the Getty is free all day and there's a free tram from the parking lot. Parking is $10, but you can also take the Metro Rapid Line 761 and it stops right there on Sepulveda.
5. Griffith Park Observatory. There is free admission to the observatory and the grounds. You can ride bikes, hike, or take a shuttle up there. There is an LADOT route ($0.25) that connects the observatory to the Red Line. And if you want to see one of the shows, it's only $7.00 for ages 13+ or $5.00 with your student ID.
6. Aquarium of the Pacific. The aquarium in Long Beach is right next to Shore Line village and the Queen Mary. On February 14th, the aquarium is extending it's hours to 9:00pm and after 5:00pm everyone gets in for kid's price ($11.95). You can also take the Metro Blue Line out there and walk the 0.8 mile to entrance.
   
7. Hollywood Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Go down to Hollywood and check out the stars. You can go down during the day and grab lunch or just sight-see and be tourists. If you don't want to drive, you can take the Red Line.

Hope everyone has a lovely Valentine's Day with whomever you spend it with!

Did you say, FREE Checking?...

It has come to my attention that I actually know people who pay for their checking accounts. I'm not talking about fancy-dancy checking accounts that earn interest and give you rewards. I'm talking about basic, everyday, deposit-money-and-magically-your-Debit-card-works-when-pay-for-your-Chipotle-burrito Checking accounts.
I'm here to tell you that basic checking accounts are supposed to be free. Yes, FREE. If you are paying $5.95 a month for basic checking services, then you are selling yourself short. If you are paying these outrageous fees, I suggest you do some research. Most of the time, these fees can be waived if you have direct deposit, you have some sort of electronic transfer each month, or you maintain a specified balance.
Look at your statement and see if you're paying a monthly fee. Yes, those letters you get in the mail at the beginning of every month? Open them. Read them. If you see a monthly service charge, call and see if you can change that. (This information is obviously for your non-Green Account friends, because we all know that a Free Checking account from LA Financial has no monthly fee. Ever. That's why we rock.)

$5.95 doesn't sound like much, but that turns into $71.40 per year. I could ski at Big Bear for the day and still have money for lunch. What could you use it for?

Thoughts on my Credit Card...

So many things came up in 2008 that made me realize how much I value my credit card:

• Car Emergency - My car broke down thankfully in a town where I was able to get it fixed.
• Wisdom Teeth Removed - Ouch to my teeth and Ouch to my credit card!
• Season Pass to a Ski Resort - Yes, I didn't need it, but I hope to save money in the long run.
• So many good sales, so many new clothes!
• New laptop computer - I bought it refurbished, so I saved quite a bit of money.
  
• A few more car repairs.
  
• And of course, holiday shopping!

So, you can see that I do not want to cancel my credit card, I have needed it on more than one occasion. But now I have started 2009 with a balance, and I'm sure that I'm not the only one. So, in the spirit of the new year I have some new rules for my credit card:

1. Pay more than the minimum amount due on each bill. This way I can pay off my credit card faster. I plan to pay a set amount every time I get paid so that I don't really miss it out of my paycheck.
   
2. Stop using my credit card for every day purchases. My credit card should only be used for emergency and big ticket items that I don't want to pay in cash. No more spur of the moment shopping with plastic money!
3. Save for the big ticket items! I'm more of a spur of the moment shopper, so I opened a Secondary Savings account specifically for large purchases that might come up. (Like a laptop, or a ski pass, or holiday shopping...)
   
4. Continue to carry my credit card for emergencies. When my car broke down, I was in a small town and was about 2 1/2 hours from home. It's nice to know that if I need the money, I have access to it.

My credit card is a valuable tool, but like anything I just need to use it more responsibly. If I stick to my plan, maybe I'll start 2010 without a balance on my credit card.

Happy New Year!!