Halloween at Hawthorne

Happy Halloween...be safe out there trick or treaters! Here are pictures of our staff all decked out. "Velma" won the costume contest! In the first picture (left to right) is our Accounting Dept as Scooby and the Gang. Our Member Service Center and Lending as Alvin and the Chippettes
and our VP of Marketing as the Wicked Witch of the West.

Protect your identity from theft..free shredding next Saturday

Our last free shredding event takes place next Saturday, Nov 7 10 am to noon at our Bolingbrook branch. Bring up to 2 boxes of paper for shredding. To the right is a chart showing what to keep and what to shred.

We're collecting food for the local food bank in exchange for free shredding. See you there!

Operation Support Our Troops-Illinois...collection going well!!

We have the most generous members and staff at Hawthorne. Check out the loot we've collected over the past few weeks. These items will be given to the group Operation Support Our Troops-Illinois. They'll be assembling Christmas stockings to send to the troops for the holidays. The items are from the OSOT-IL's "Top Ten" list of desired items in the field. We have lists in our branches, but you can see the list here.

OnYourWay iPod Touch Winner

Today I had the pleasure of meeting Elizabeth Frederick, a member of Hawthorne and a nursing student at College of Dupage. Elizabeth won an 8GB iPod Touch today just by joining our new site, OnYourWay. It's a place where you can read articles, watch videos and get your finance questions answered. She also started using our new account, Cash Back Checking!

You don't have to be a member of Hawthorne to sign up with OnYourWay and you're still eligible to win. You earn points that increase your chances by applying for services, commenting on a topic or submitting a video of your own. Check it out!

What does the way you organize your money say about you?

Today, I found an interesting article that discusses how our underlying beliefs about money can be determined simply by the way we handle our money. The experts say that if we keep our money, receipts and change organized that it “speaks volumes about our money personality”.

This made me wonder if my disorganized wallet requires a little bit more attention!

So how do you know what your beliefs are? Think about how you keep your wallet. Click here to read more.

Chilly? Put on a sweater, sweetie!

Your grandma was right. If you're cold, put on a sweater before you adjust the thermostat. It's a low cost way to warm up and saves you money. As reported on The Daily Green, for every degree you lower the thermostat, you'll save between 1 and 3% of your heating bill. If you put on a light long-sleeved sweater, you'll add about 2 degrees in warmth, while a heavy sweater adds about 4 degrees. So cozy up and don't touch the thermostat.

I always try to make putting on a sweater a habit (slippers too). I also keep cozy blankets in the family room for watching TV. It's amazing how much warmer you can get with an extra layer or two.

Online banking saved the day!

I was almost overcharged by $500 this week. I hired a repair person to do some work in my home. I'd hired him before, so I had a level of trust with this person. Also, because I'd worked with him in the past I didn't request a quote ahead of time (big mistake). I assumed his fee would be the same as last time, maybe slightly higher for inflation.

His invoice was $500 higher, for the same service. I was in shock. I wrote him a check and went about my day, trying to figure out what went wrong. He had charged me $600 for a cleaning solution. I couldn't dispute it but it just didn't seem right. Certainly not asking for a quote in advance was a big mistake I'll never make again. I wasn't sure what to do.

That night I couldn't sleep. I got up and through online banking, put a stop payment on the check I wrote him. I figured it would give me a chance to find my old receipts, get other quotes and figure out why his invoice was so high. Also, I figured if he can show me proof that his cleaning solution cost $600/gallon, and he can show me documentation that a home my size required a full gallon of solution, then I would pay $800. I had every intention of paying him a fair price, and I contacted him in the morning to tell him his check would not clear to prevent further problems for him. I asked him to fax me a receipt for his cleaning solution and manufacturer's documentation that justified an entire gallon for my home.

Then, I dug out the old receipts. Sure enough, his last invoice for the same exact service, was only $300. He had over charged me by $500. In the days that followed, I never received the proof I requested to justify his charges. So I mailed him a letter and a new check for his services in the amount of the previous invoice plus 10% for inflation. I hope it ends there!

The lesson in this story: beware of scam artists. Times are tough and many people are in dire situations that cause them to take drastic measures - sometimes unethical. Be aware and cautious with your money at all times, but particularly these days. I was grateful for the technology of online banking that night, it saved the day!

Rise of the Frugal Consumer...is that good or bad?

This WSJ article "Retail and the Rise of the Frugal Consumer" by Paul Vigna, indicates that consumers have begun to spend within their means, finally. The economy is making consumers more frugal...a good thing albeit not good news for retailers. But how many consumers will return to their old habits when the economy gets better. And will it ever return to the boon it once was? Do we really want it to? Many of us developed bad spending habits that are hard to undo. What do you think?

More Appetizers; Jean's Mexi Melts

Our second place winner in the all-staff Cook Off was Jean's Mexi Melts, which should cost around $21 according to Peapod.com. Enjoy!

Jean's Mexi Melts
2 – 8oz Cream Cheese
1- Pkg Taco Seasoning
1- Small can sliced Black Olives ( can use green olives or both )
½ Small can Green Chiles ( oops! I accidentally used a whole can ) However if you like it extra hot, a full can or more works too!
¼ cup Shredded Mexican Cheese
1 pkg Flour Tortillas (larger ones work best / but smaller size can work too)
1- Jar of Salsa

Drain olives and chilles.
Mix all together. (Except the salsa)

Spread mixture on tortilla.
Roll / tuck ends in
Wrap each roll in plastic wrap
Refrigerate overnight

Slice and serve with your favorite salsa or guacamole / dipping sauce.

More Favorite Appetizers: Emily's Fiesta Dip

This one won first place in the staff Cook Off! Emily's Fiesta Taco Dip, I priced it at just under $18 according to PeaPod.com.

Emily's Fiesta Taco Dip
16 oz Sour Cream (I used the light Sour Cream, bet you couldn’t even tell)
4 oz chopped black olives
4 oz chopped green chilies
1 packet Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch Dip
2 cups Shredded Cheese (the taco flavored kind tastes best)

Mix it all up in a bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve with tortilla chips.

Staff's Favorite Appetizer - Buffalo Chicken Dip!

Yesterday our staff held a Cookoff where a bunch of us brought in appetizers and everyone tasted and voted for their favorite. Below is Todd's Buffalo Chicken Dip. It rocked. Perfect for a football game! I priced it out at about $25 to make this dish, but it's worth it!

Buffalo Chicken Dip
2 large chicken breasts
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup ranch dressing
approx 3/4 – 1 cup Frank’s red hot sauce (amount to taste)
Tostito corn chips, scoops
Shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions
1) cook chicken in glass bakeware covered with foil at 350 for 30 minutes.
2) once cooled, finely shred chicken using two forks. (Or you can chop up as well.)
3) mix together cream cheese, shredded chicken, red hot sauce and ranch dressing.
4) Spread mixture into 9 inch square or 9x13 glass bakeware or corningware pan.
5) Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until hot and slightly bubbling
6) Sprinkle cheese on top and bake another 5 mins.
7) Serve hot with Frito scoops

New staff photo. Say Cheese!

Say cheese! Took a lovely new staff photo this morning in the bright fall sunshine! I blinded our staff...they are such good sports! They'll be seeing stars all day after smiling into the sun. Or are they just that excited about working at Hawthorne? :-)

First Time Home Owners - Don't Miss the Deadline

Are you lucky enough to be a first time home buyer right now? What a great time to be in that position. First time homebuyers can get an $8,000 tax credit when they purchase a home this year. I wish that my husband and I could take advantage of the great benefits that are being offered to first time home buyers right now. (P.S. this also includes anyone who has not owned a home in the past 3 years!)

The big mistake right now would be sitting back and thinking that you have all the time in the world. Don’t forget that there is a deadline to be eligible for the tax credit and there is no guarantee that, that deadline will be extended! This deadline requires that you close on your new home by November 30, 2009, click here for details.

Check our rates and sign up for a Mortgage Rate Alert email. Finance today quickly and easily with our fast 10-minute online loan application.

TIP: Stay close to home for entertainment

SAVINGS TIP: Chances are, you've got opportunities for great entertainment every weekend close to home. At your local theater you'll find free parking and no drive to Chicago. The talent is great and tickets run just $15-25. I saw a production of Studs Terkel's "Working" this weekend at the Steel Beam Theatre in Saint Charles. The performers were very talented and the tickets were only $25. Check out the Steel Beam Theater. This intimate 80-seat theater attracts very talented performers. They have a wonderful Children's theater program where they perform children's stories, currently the Adventures of Pinocchio is running. Children's theater is a great way to introduce kids to live theater. Live theater is a different, richer experience than seeing a movie!

New Credit Scoring System Could Give us a Break!

Finally, something that may actually help us! Have you ever made a little financial blunder that you did not think were very important, but your credit score was negatively impacted by that little mistake? I know that I have.

A long time ago, before cell phones, we used to use phone cards. I had one just in case of emergency. Well, my girl friend's parents did not like her boyfriend and she used to use my calling card to call him. There was a small balance left on the card and it impacted my credit score for years. Not sure why I didn't just pay it off. Young and stupid I guess!

Now those little mistakes may be forgiven. With the new math of FICO 08 credit scoring, those with small blemishes on their credit reports should benefit. With the updated scoring method, the credit scores of those with small miss payments, under $100, will not decline. For more information, click here.