Make sure to get your credit score at least once a year!

We always hear about how important it is to run our credit report at least once a year, but it may be something that you put off because you think that it will take a lot of time. I know that is how I feel about it. With everything else going on I just keep putting it off, and it ends up at the bottom of my list of things to do, even though I know how important it is. It has probably been over a year and a half since I have done this, even though I know that I get one free report a year.

Well, last night I finally ran a credit report for myself and my husband and I think it took me less than 15 minutes to get both reports. Can you believe it? It made me feel pretty stupid that I put myself (my credit score, “the most important number”) at risk instead of taking care of something that is so easy to do.

You may be unsure about what credit reporting site is the best to use. You do need to be careful when selecting one because some credit reporting sites are not legitimate and they put your personal information at risk. Hawthorne recommends that our members go to annualcreditreport.com.

Click here for more information about credit reports & credit scores.

TIP: Reduce gas consumption part 1

TIP: You don't have to change your car to cut your gas bill. You can get better gas mileage just by changing your driving habits, according to The Daily Green. Here are two habits that save a lot . . .and can also reduce the frustration of your fellow drivers on the road!

Avoid jack-rabbit starts and stops. Steady driving increases your fuel efficiency about 66 cents a gallon!

Don't ride the brakes. Driving with one foot on the brake pedal and one foot on the gas pedal costs as much as 35% more gas. Plus, you'll have the added expense of wearing out your brake pads sooner. Drive with just one foot and save 70 cents per gallon.

This post is Part 1 of a series about improving gas mileage by changing your driving habits.

The scoop on those tax credits

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 included tax credits for homeowners who make energy efficient improvements to their homes. Today I found a website that has all the details about that credit and the tax credit for consumers who buy a hybrid or diesel vehicle.
Check out the Alliance to Save Energy for the details.

TIP: Sweat equity is saving me $3,530 in 2009

There are a lot of home repairs and maintenance that you can do yourself and save a lot of money with a little sweat equity. Here are a few things I do that are pretty easy and will save me a total of $3,530 by the end of the year:

Lawn care: DIY $980 annual savings - with my light electric mower (no oily engine, no starter, no stinky gasoline!) I mow my own lawn every week. It takes about an hour. I grab my iPod and get some sun and exercise and save the cost of hiring a neighborhood teenager at $35 a week. I save $140 a month and $980 from May-Nov (for leaves). I have a mulching mower that allows the shredded grass to decompose and feed the lawn. I also use my mower to shred the leaves in the fall. I shred about a third and rake the rest. Free mulch!

House cleaning: DIY $2400 annual savings - I hate to clean. But I also hate a dirty house. So I enlist the help of my daughter and in 2-3 hours on a Saturday morning we get it done and then spend the rest of the day relaxing. I save about $200 a month doing it myself as opposed to hiring a service to come every other week.

Clogged drain: DIY $150 savings per occurance - According to Yahoo, to hire a plumber for one hour would cast $50-$75 per hour plus a trip charge and materials. That's steep! I recently unclogged my bathroom drain using a home solution of vinegar, boiling water and baking soda. Pour a half cup of baking soda down the drain followed by a cup of white vinegar. If that doesn't do it, try again but pour a few cups of boiling water after the vinegar. After it's finished bubbling, use a plunger to force the clog out. It worked great and saved me about $100-150.

I really never realized how much money these few things were saving me until I added it up for this blog post! Makes me much happier to cut my own lawn and clean my own house! :-)

You can also save money on home repairs and projects by doing it yourself. The Home Depot offers free classes that shows you how.

TIP: 5 Delicious Meals for Under $10!

During these difficult financial times I often find myself trying to figure out how to cut cost on groceries and still cook nice dinners for my family. I cut coupons and we shop at Aldi, but I still have trouble figuring out how to prepare a delicious meal for less money and not get any complaints from my husband and son. Sometimes they can be very picky eaters.

Earlier this week on MSN I saw an article titled 5 Delicious Meals for Under $10. So last night I decided to take a look and was surprised to see that the site really has some great ideas. I think that I will give some of the recipes a try this weekend.

The name of the site is delish.com. I thought was a really cute name, because every time my 8 year old son Zach eats something that he likes, he puts his fingers together (like he is Italian) and says delish!

Click here for the exact link to the meals under $10 recipes or just go to delish.com. Good luck with your cooking and let me know if you find a dinner that is really good. I will do the same!

TIP: Great American and Key Lime Cove make great mini vacation

If a family vacation is out of financially out of reach for you this year, check out the waterpark resorts right here in Illinois. For the price of your room, you get admission to the waterpark. Usually you can use the waterpark from check-in time until the evening of the day you check out. No worries about the weather, either, most are indoors.


One of our accounting staff, Sarah K., visited Key Lime Cove in Gurnee with her family last fall. Here's what she had to say:

"My husband, son, and I went there last November for the grand opening and
had a lot of fun. The rooms were spacious, clean, and having a fridge in
the room is always a plus. One thing I suggest to anyone going there is to
bring light clothing, such as shorts, and short sleeved shirts as it is very
warm in there. While we were eating dinner, a man on stilts came through
the restaurant – that was pretty cool. They also had a live band while we
were eating dinner. It’s an indoor paradise….very well decorated and lots
to do with the arcade and water park. We are planning on going back later
in the year with some extended family."

Pair your Key Lime Cove stay with some discount tickets to Six Flags Great America and you've got a mini-vacation. Hawthorne is selling discounted tickets to Six Flags at a $24 savings off the gate price and $2.50 cheaper than the online ticket price. Key Lime Cove is running a special now through June - get the details.

TIP: Slow down and use 5% less gas

Gas prices typically go up in the summer, although they shouldn't go higher than $3 a gallon according to an article in The Bolingbrook Sun (remember last year when they topped $4?) The website fueleconomy.gov offers many tips on how to save money on gas, my favorite is slow down (one I struggle with!). We use 5% more gas with every 5 MPH that we drive. I also learned that fuel economy peaks at 35-55 MPH, so slowing down really does use less gas.

Here's where you can find the lowest gas prices in your town.

TIP: Save $24 per person on Six Flags tickets

TIP: You can save $24 per ticket on adult tickets to Six Flags Great America in Gurnee by stopping in at our Naperville or Bolingbrook branches. We're selling tickets for $32.50 - you'll pay $56.64 at the gate! Plus if you buy them from us in advance, you'll save time because you won't have to stand in line at the gate. (You can also buy and print adult tickets online at $34.99, the same as the price for kids, but our price saves you $2.50 per ticket.)

Make it a weekend and stay over at Key Lime Cove indoor waterpark. They're offering a special discount of buy one-night-get-one-free if you book before May 31.

TIP: Travel bargains to be had now

A recent CNN article listed 10 bargains to be had now, during the recession. Travel made the list, and I have evidence! I just returned from a vacation to Mexico with a girlfriend where my entire 4-day trip cost $560 at an all inclusive resort in Puerta Vallarta (I'm guessing after the swine flu it might be even cheaper). This particular Apple Vacation included food, drinks, airfare, hotel, transportation and taxes. And the resort was really beautiful, our room was very comfortable. The beach was awesome, and the food and service were great too. And neither of us caught the swine flu!

TIP: NCC theater is a great value

TIP: If there's a college nearby, check out their performances and sporting events. College events offer great talent at a great price. I saw "Romeo & Juliet" this weekend at North Central College's (NCC) Meiley-Swallow Hall. It was fantastic. The actors were wonderful, as was the direction and sets. Tickets were only $10. Parking in downtown Naperville is free. And I didn't have to drive to Chicago. NCC has several beautiful venues at the Wentz Fine Arts Center, which opened last fall.

This weekend, check out "HONK!" at NCC. (Tickets are $15 for adults.)

Summer Movie Time! Save Money at the Theatre!

Summer movies have officially arrived with the Wolverine movie last week. Today, Star Trek opens and coming soon are Angels & Demons, Terminator Salvation and the new Night at the Museum movie. I'm planning to see Star Trek today using a movie pass...I'll let you know what I think!

Will you be going to the theatre to see one or all of these? Do you cringe at the cost? $10+ for a movie, plus popcorn, candy and a drink.

Save some money! Little known is that you can get discount movie tickets that are good the FIRST day!! No waiting 2 weeks to see it with a pass.

Stop in at Hawthorne to pick up passes for your Summer movies!

$8 for Gold Passes (good the first day!)

or

$6.50 for Silver Passes (good after the 2nd weekend)

Join in the water cooler talk by seeing movies the first weekend without paying a huge price!!

$250K Deposit Insurance One Step Closer to Extension (S. 896)

Your deposits are federally insured to $250,000 per member account, effective through December 31, 2009. Yesterday the Senate approved a bill (S. 896) to extend this insurance level at least through 2013, when the amount would be reviewed and possibly adjusted. Next the bill goes to the House of Representatives. We should know within a few months if the bill becomes law. We believe it will pass the House.

Meanwhile, you should feel confident that your deposits are safe, and that we will keep you informed about the legislation via statements and on our website, here on our blog, on Twitter and by email. If we don't have your email address, send an email to memberservice@ehawthorne.org. If, on the off chance, the bill does not become law, we will contact all members whose deposits exceed the insured amount.

Luxury or Necessity?

Luxury or Necessity, required or desired, that is the question. With the country in a recession and many of us feeling the pinch we are probably asking ourselves this question a lot more than we used to. I know I am. Do I really need a new car? Or, do we really need to go on vacation or out to eat?

I recently ran across an interesting survey on MSN Money showing the change in the way American’s view some of the basic things that most of us take for, or used to take for granted. Click here to view the results of this survey. You might be surprised to see how our expectations are changing.

Walk to benefit homeless families in Naperville

According to DuPage County statistics, on any given night in DuPage County there are 129 families with children that have no place to call home. One group is working to help remedy that problem. Families Helping Families provides apartments and volunteer mentors to homeless families in DuPage County while they are working to reclaim their lives through education. Hawthorne Credit Union helps out by offering the families Financial Literacy Training - a series of classes on budgeting, balancing a checkbook, establishing and using credit. We also help out with printing and mailing services for the organization's fund raising efforts.

One special element of the Families Helping Families organization is that they operate on zero dollars. They have NO administrative expenses. So that means that every dollar that is donated is a dollar that helps the homeless!

Vicky Joseph, founder of Families Helping Families, says that a $30 donation pays for one day's rent and utilities for a family.

Join us on Sunday May 17 at the Naperville Riverwalk Pavilion at noon, when a team of Hawthorne staff will walk to raise money for Families Helping Families. The walk begins at 1 PM. For more information and a registration form, click here. I posted some photos of our staff from a previous walk!

TIP: One member saved $1,360/mo with mortgage refinancing

Here's a story with a happy ending! We helped one of our members refinance his mortgage into a 30 year fixed FHA mortgage at 5.5% and reduced his expenses by $1,360 per month! He paid off $65,000 in debt with a cash out. What would you do with an extra $1,360 per month?

Summer will be a lot more fun for this family!

Check your mortgage rate and contact us. If we can lower your rate by 1-2% you could save a bundle. Check rates and apply online with our easy online mortgage application - it takes about 10 minutes to complete.

TIP: Skip stamps, save $100 and the environment too

TIP: With postage going up to 44 cents a week from today, now's a great time to "stamp out bill paying by mail". Eliminate postage with Billpayer, and you can save about $100 per year. Plus paying your bills online is gentler to the earth! Here's what you'll save the earth by paying just 5 bills per month electronically:

1.9 pounds of paper
18 gallons of wastewater from discharging into lakes, streams and rivers
2.4 gallons of gasoline
74 pounds of greenhouse gases
1 tree
10 square feet of forest preserved from deforestation

Check out these facts and learn more at PayItGreen.org.

TIP: Ways to Boost your Emergency Fund

Have you noticed that more than ever you are hearing about the necessity of having an emergency fund? What, an emergency fund? Many of us during these difficult times have found it challenging to have the daily funds to pay all of our bills, let alone an emergency fund.

We all hope that an emergency will never come. We hope that we will always have a job and that we will stay healthy, but eventually reality could rear its ugly head and that emergency fund would come in handy.

With any luck most of us have at least had a chance to get started on creating our emergency fund (even if it is just a small amount of money), the question now is how to take steps to increase that fund.

Everyone seems to be giving tips on this subject lately. Anytime you search the internet or watch the news you are bound to see or hear someone stressing the importance of creating this safety net.

Click here for some great tips from the blog Consumerism Commentary that I have used to help my family increase our emergency fund. I have not been able to implement all of these tips, but some of them have really helped us. Good luck!