Resolve to Declutter and Simplify in 2010

Does your New Year Resolution include de-cluttering and simplifying your life? Here are some great tools that we offer to help you do just that when it comes to managing your finances.

eStatements - It's the fastest, easiest way to get your monthly statement. You get your statement 3-4 days earlier by skipping the snail mail and you save a tree too.

Billpayer - Really, if you haven't tried paying your bills online you don't know what you're missing. It streamlines your bill paying process and you'll have more time for other things. Really, just try it. I love it.

Email Notices - This is our new gadget we introduced in 2009. It's a great way to keep up with what's happening with your account. You set up the notices you want to receive, such as when your balance drops to a certain level, or a certain check clears, or when you recieve a deposit (my favorite kind!). If you have email on your phone, you get your notices on the go. This one makes me feel more in control of my money.

Resolve to spend 30 minutes setting up these three tools and you'll be on your way to decluttering and destressing your life! Happy New Year.

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.

TIP: Turn off your PC, save $90 per year

In one year, if you shut your computer off before bed each night, you’ll save an average of $90 worth of electricity, according to the Department of Energy and The Daily Green. Go one step further and turn off all the ancillary stuff too, like your printer, monitor, scanner, modem and fax machine, which use electricity even when you're not using them. But rather than having to power down all the gadgets attached to your PC, invest in a Smart Strip Power Strip. This power strip is smart enough to know when you power down the main appliance, it automatically turns off other items that you use with it. It works great with computer set ups and for entertainment centers. You can arrange to have the DVD player, stereo, etc turn off when your television set is turned off. I installed these earlier this year. It's hard to tell how much it's saving me, but it must be saving something because all those appliances were always running before and now they're not!

TIP: Reduce Gas Consumption part 2

TIP: With so many people planning road trip vacations this summer, we're offering some money saving tips for reducing your gas consumption this summer, according to The Daily Green. This is Part Two of our series on saving money by changing your driving habits. You can get better gas mileage just by changing your driving habits. Here are two things you can do to save on gas:

1) Don't put luggage on top of the car. When you pile the luggage on top of your car in your roof-top carrier, you increase the air resistance and thus the gas mileage by 21% in tests conducted by Edmunds.

2) Pack light. Your gas consumption increases for every additional 100 lbs of weight. So lighten up!

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.

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: Cut water use by 50-70%

The Daily Green suggests you can save on water with a low-flow showerhead and can reduce your water consumption by 50 to 70%. According to the article, the showerheads are easy to install and only cost around $8. The article also says that you won't give up much on water pressure. At $8 it sounds like an idea that's worth giving a try!

TIP: Save $63 per year with BillPayer

TIP: Switch from paper checks to BillPayer and save about $63 per year. Let's say you pay 10 bills each month, you'll be paying $4.40 per month when the price of first class postage goes up May 11. That means you could save $52.80 per year if you use free online BillPayer. (I can't imagine why you wouldn't use BillPayer, I can't imagine life before BillPayer. It takes me a fraction of the time to pay bills with BillPayer than it did in the days of writing checks.)

Plus if you figure in the cost of checks and you save more. If a box of 150 checks costs $10, then it costs about 6 cents per check. You'll go through about 1 box of checks each year just paying bills. Add $10 savings to your $52.80. (Just use your Visa Check Card and forget checks altogether!)

You're also saving paper, which is good for the environment. Add electronic statements and eBill to your bill paying routine and you're saving even more paper. The Daily Green suggests BillPay as a great way to save money, energy and paper.

All you need to sign up for BillPayer is a Hawthorne Checking Account and online banking. Then, just pay at least one bill per month and BillPayer is free.

What to shred, what to keep

Shred Day is coming up again this Saturday, April 4 from 10 am to noon at our Naperville branch. Shred Day is a convenient way to shred documents with personal information and protect yourself from identity theft. We sometimes get questions about what to shred and what to keep. Below is a chart to help you out:

Earth Hour is tomorrow: Sat 3/28 at 8:30 PM

Earth Hour is tomorrow at 8:30 pm - that's the hour when we're supposed to turn off/unplug as much electricity as possible and save the earth a little energy. Last year I realized how many "things" I had plugged in that were using electricity, that I rarely ever used. For example, my fax machine! Once I unplugged them, they never got plugged back in. Only the stuff I use regularly got plugged back in. If everybody eliminated a few "energy vampires" like these, think how much we'd save.

Give it a try for one hour tomorrow at 8:30 PM. Maybe you'll discover how much you love candlelight. Or how putting on an extra sweater or snuggling under a blanket is a fun alternative to turning up the heat. I'd like to hear your experience with Earth Hour - what did you find out?

Check out these photos of the city of Chicago during Earth Hour 2008.

Shred Day success!

Shred Day was a huge success this weekend - more than 100 people showed up - some were already members and some were future members (we hope!). The truck was nearly full of personal documents, keeping identity theives from getting their hands on all that info. Plus, all the paper gets recycled. Hawthorne shredded enough paper to save 101 trees in 2008 - can you believe it? That's like a small forest! Check out our Shred Day schedule! Our next Shred Day is Sat. 3/7 at Bolingbrook Branch http://tinyurl.com/aqq84a

Ways to save this summer

Well everybody is taking a hit by rising gas prices, so much so that we are starting to get tired of the complaining. However it is a reality that everyone lives with! Here are some ways to cut your energy bills this summer to compensate (maybe a little?) for rising gas prices....this is from FeedThePig.org, a consumer group that helps folks save money!


Summer Saving Tips

As the summer heats up, here are a few savings tips to help you enjoy some fun in the sun without worrying about your wallet!
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Summer Tip #1: To save on your air conditioning bill, turn off unnecessary lights during the day. Much of the energy used by incandescent bulbs is emitted as heat.

Summer Tip #2: To save 1-2 percent on your energy bill, unplug electronic devices and chargers when they aren't in use. Most new electronics use electricity even when switched off. Turn computers and printers off at the power strip.

Summer Tip #3: For a more energy efficient way to cook, use your microwave instead of your stove. Microwaves use two-thirds less energy than conventional stovetops.

Summer Tip #4: Consider replacing your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs. They use about 75 percent less energy and give off 75 percent less heat but produce the same amount of light as incandescent bulbs.

Summer Tip #5: Make some shade! Awnings, blinds and drapes keep sunlight from entering your home. Install them on windows, skylights, doors, and other places where the sun comes through. During the day, closing the blinds and drapes to filter the sun will keep the room's temperature from rising.

Summer Tip #6: Planting trees in strategic areas can reduce the energy a house uses for cooling by up to 25 percent. Deciduous trees (that lose their leaves) help block the sun during the summer and still allow the winter sun to warm your home. Also, planting trees and shrubs around your air conditioning unit can increase its efficiency by up to 10 percent. Just make sure to place them at least 18 inches away so they don’t block the vents.

Summer Tip #7: “Summerize” your home by adding insulation and sealing air leaks around the house. Add insulation to the attic or add to already existing insulation. Weather-stripping and sealing drafty doors and windows will keep your house comfortable year-round and potentially save you hundreds of dollars.

Summer Tip #8: On a hot, sunny day, dark-colored roofs can reach temperatures of up to 150º to 190º F, heating the living spaces below. Consider adding a reflective coating to a dark roof, or choosing a lighter color when it’s time to replace the roof.

Summer Tip #9: Have an extra refrigerator in the garage that you’re not using? Unplug or recycle that spare refrigerator if you don't really need it, and it could save you up to 10 percent or more on your energy bill.
Summer Tip #10: Thinking about buying a new refrigerator? Refrigerators with a top or bottom freezer design can save you an additional 2-3 percent on your energy bill compared to a side-by-side design.

Did you participate in Earth Hour?

Did you turn off your lights for Earth Hour? For one hour on Saturday, the World Wildlife Fund asked people around the world to reduce their electricity use. At home my husband and I unplugged and turned off everything we could, including my scanner in my home office, which I didn't even know was on. It really made me aware of how much incidental electricity I use every day. It was really easy to participate, too.

Cities around the world, including Chicago, participted and turned off the lights on major landmarks and tall buildings.

And it appears that it made a difference. I read on thedailygreen.com that local utility Comm Ed reported that Chicago saved an estimated 420 tons of carbon dioxide by turning off the lights.

Next year, I'm hoping to get the credit union involved in Earth Hour in some way. We are closed on Saturday evenings, so we are already powered down for the most part at that time. However, perhaps we can celebrate Earth Hour a little earlier on Saturday - before closing time? Of course, we have to consider security so we'll have to plan carefully, but there must be something we can do even if it's a small step. Let us know if you have any suggestions!

Meanwhile, it's great to see the conversation that the WWF started. Here's looking foward to next year.

Save Gas, Cut Carbon Emissions, Burn Calories

Here's a way you can do all three - it's simple too. This tip is from The Daily Green. Check it out.

"When you are picking up food, doing your banking or even filling a prescription,
park your vehicle and walk inside instead of using the drive-through. It will
cut down on unnecessary fuel use as well as carbon emissions.

Every time you use a drive-through, you burn about 18 cents worth of gas idling your car. According to Quick Service Restaurant Magazine, the average drive-through wait time once the order is taken is three minutes. Add the minute or two that it takes to place the order, and that means one billion car-minutes spent idling
each year in front of Burger King restaurants alone! Estimates for total fuel
costs for idling in front of every drive-through in America are in the hundreds
of millions of dollars.

Parking your car and getting out also allows an opportunity to stretch your legs. Given the obesity epidemic in this country, any chance to get your body moving is also nothing to scoff at. Getting out also gives you the chance to throw away garbage, so you will be less tempted to toss litter out your window later on."

Tree huggers & penny pinchers unite!

Whether you're a bona fide "tree hugger" like me or not, you probably like saving money (who doesn't?!) Well, penny pinchers and tree huggers have much more in common than we realize. That's because it turns out that many of the things that tree huggers promote to save the earth also save money.

The May issue of Body + Soul Magazine (my favorite read) included an article entitled, "Do Just One Thing". The author contends that if everyone does "just one thing" to save the planet, the impact would be enormous.

Maybe you already do many more than just one thing - kudos if you do. I searched this article for one more thing I could do. This year I'm going to start composting in my back yard - a new adventure! It'll save me money because I won't need to buy city lawn bags anymore.

The article listed 101 things you can do to save the planet, and many of them save money too! Here are five of the 101 things you can do to save the earth and pinch pennies too:

1) Turn off the lights - There's a myth that says that turning the light on and off uses more electricity than just leaving them on. Well, that myth was dispelled on one of my favorite shows, Discovery Channel's MythBusters. It really does save electricity to turn off lights when you leave the room, even if you're coming right back. Body + Soul Mag says two-thirds of all the electricity used in the residential sector of the US powers lights and appliances, which adds up to 1.9 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

2) Don't idle the car engine - Do you leave the car running when stopped by a train, picking up the kids at school, waiting outside the grocery store, etc? We all do it. But we could save gas and reduce the amount of CO2 we release into the atmosphere by turning off the car while we wait. David Laurie, a producer with Al Gore's documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, says 10% of the fuel we use is wasted on idling the car.

3) Pass on the paper towels - Once you use 'em, you throw 'em away. That's it! This tip has a bit of a cost at first, but will reduce your costs overall. Try reusable microfiber towels, which grip the dirt and dust even when wet. Then, just toss them in the washer and reuse them. (They're available at Target and Office Depot.)

4) Start gardening - Maybe this will save you money, maybe it won't. But even if it doesn't save you money, it's a really fun hobby and a great way to burn stress off and enjoy the outdoors. Body + Soul says "from the production of petroleum based fertilizers to the cross-country distribution of seasonal fruits and vegetables, the modern food system accounts for 10% of US energy consumption." There are 30 million acres of lawn in our country that isn't being used. A 6x6 square foot is all you need to plant some veggies. From my experience, tomatoes are the easiest and yield the greatest amount of harvest. Plus, you'll never want another grocery store tomato after you taste one that has been grown in your backyard!

5) Forgo the bottled water - Apparently, we've all had the wool pulled over our eyes. All bottled water is not as pristine as we think, in fact much of it is just plain old tap water - Aquafina is one brand mentioned in the article. They say that Aquafina comes from 16 different municipal water supplies including Detroit (ewe!) and Fresno. Last year, my husband installed a water filter on our kitchen sink, so now I usually just tote my own water in a travel bottle.

Find these and 96 other tips in Body + Soul Magazine's May issue.