Get smarter about banking with tips from the financial services industry.

1. Just because you deposited a check today doesn’t mean you can start living it up tomorrow. It takes us three days on average to post the money to your account. (And why should we hurry? If you bounce a check, we collect around $30.)

2. Yes, we know the line is long and only one teller window is open, but no, the guy in the cubicle can’t come over to help out.He may not be allowed to do a teller’s job.

Continue Reading »

Check out these simple ways to cash in big.

Visit Link >

The Lord has commanded us to work and to provide for the needs of ourselves and our families (see Genesis 3:17-19, 1 Timothy 5:8; D&C 42:42; 56:17). Suitable employment also gives us opportunities to improve our talents and develop the divine attributes within us.

		Find Jobs and Other Opportunities Find job leads, employers, education programs, business development programs, financial aid for education, and community support resources.
		Tips to Get You Hired! Discover how to network, make power and “Me in 30 Second” statements. Find out about the Career Workshop and all the other services that Employment Resource Services has to offer.
		Post Jobs or Other Opportunities Register with us to post jobs, education programs, business development programs, or other opportunities.
		Employment Specialists and ERS Staff Find information, tools and resources to help you in your calling. Register or sign in to the Employment Resource Services database.

By: JENNIFER STIMPSON, This Old House magazine

Homeowners Augie and Emmeline Harrigan of Milford, CT, were able to re-do their entire kitchen for $6,000. Here are a few of their tips for getting the best deal.

Eliminate shipping costs: Search regional online classifieds like Craigslist and eBay’s new Kijiji site for large items that you can pick up yourself to save on postal charges, says Emmeline. For instance, it can cost as much as $200 to deliver a range bought from an out-of-state seller versus the cost of gas if you buy locally.

Use coupons and rebates: Clip coupons in the Sunday paper. And sign up for e-mail blasts from stores you frequently shop at, says Augie. “Just be selective, because before you know it, your inbox will be full of newsletters touting sales.” Some websites, including FatWallet and GottaDeal.com, also broadcast discounts via e-mail alerts that you can subscribe to.

Compare prices: Shopping.com and BizRate chart online retailers’ prices so you never pay too much. The sites also provide reference for used goods. “When we find an item on Craigslist, we look up the retail price first to make sure it’s a fair deal,” says Emmeline.

Automate the auction: “I’ve never been much for watching and waiting,” says Emmeline, who is impatient with the bidding process on eBay. Instead, have eBay send text alerts to your cell phone when you’ve been outbid, so you can log back in to the site and up the ante.

Sign up for credit card points: Make big purchases with your credit card to earn reward points that can be redeemed for appliances and gift cards from a wide array of stores. Just be sure to pay off the balance before the interest kicks in. “Child-care payments earn us 24,000 Amex points a year, which translates into a $250 Home Depot gift card,” says Augie.

See a slide show of Augie and Emmeline’s High-Style, Low-Budget Kitchen Redo and learn more about kitchen renovation savings.

Plant a vegetable garden.

Store food and water.

Avoid debt.

Build up savings.

Sound like a plan for these tough economic times?

It’s actually the longtime teaching of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“For many years the church has taught the principle of provident living and self-reliance,” said Bruce Priday, president of the Lenexa Stake and church spokesman for the Kansas City, Mo., area.

Continue Reading »

Beth A. Wright, “Our Community Garden,” Ensign, Jun 2009, 38–39

I had always wanted a garden, but with no yard I didn’t think it would be possible.

My first real taste of gardening came at a young age, as I helped my grandparents with their gardens. I loved roaming outside and enjoyed what we planted. I knew that someday I would want a garden of my own.

In time I married and began a family. I heard prophets and apostles counsel members to plant gardens, and I longed to do so. However, we lived in a small townhouse complex and had no room for a garden. I continued to learn about plants and to admire other people’s gardens, usually with a wistful sigh in my heart.

About this time, our young family faced some serious financial strain. Neighboring families were facing similar difficulties, although for varying reasons. But in the midst of our struggles, the Lord provided a great opportunity for us to combat the challenges.

Continue Reading »

Kay Przybille, “Stretching Your Dollars,” Ensign, Jun 2009, 36–37

We can stretch our dollars by eating home-cooked meals, looking for bargains, and establishing a budget.

As a wife who was blessed to be able to stay home with our children, I felt it was my responsibility to make my husband’s paycheck go as far as possible. In order to have the Spirit to guide us in making wise financial decisions, we always paid our tithing. In addition, we set aside money each paycheck so we could pay cash for emergencies, thus avoiding the extra cost of interest.

Here are some other ideas that have helped our family financially.

Continue Reading »

“Power Tools for Family Finances,” Ensign, Jun 2009, 34–35

Use them to demolish debt and build a strong financial future.

The First Presidency has counseled: “Pay off debt as quickly as you can, and free yourselves from this bondage” (All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Finances, 2). But how do you do that when your financial house is shaky and you seem to spend all your time and energy just trying to hold it together?

Here’s how one couple might tackle the challenge using some simple but powerful tools available to everyone. “Ruth” and “Elliot” are a composite of many real couples who have used these tools successfully. They have a mortgage balance of $223,345, credit card and retail store debt totaling $8,456, and an $11,465 car loan. They currently spend $25,836 per year on debt payments. Paying off their debts at the current rate will take 25 years. Tired of the strain of juggling bills and feeling no control over their situation, they turn to their bishop, who suggests they visit www.providentliving.org.

Continue Reading »

Allie Schulte, “Focus on Family Finances,” Ensign, Jun 2009, 28–33

Either we control our finances or they control us. Here’s how to get the upper hand.

Jason and Alanea Hanna faced many financial questions when Jason lost his job. Should they relocate and find another job? Should they try to find a job where they were currently living? After considering several options, they asked the most important question of all: “What would the Lord have us do?”

“We studied talks by prophets and apostles on topics like debt, budgeting, and saving to try and figure out what the Lord wanted us to do,” Alanea explains. “We knew that the Lord’s plan was the best plan and that we would be blessed if we followed it.”

After prayer and contemplation, Jason and Alanea both decided to return to college and finish their bachelor’s degrees. They took out minimal student loans to pay for their education, and both worked full-time to provide for their other expenses. They coordinated their work schedules to ensure that one of them was home with their children. They budgeted carefully, spending their money on the essentials and eliminating fast food, cable TV, and new clothes. Jason even rode his bike to school and work to limit the costs of gasoline and car insurance.

Now Jason works as an engineer. Alanea also completed her degree and is currently fulfilling her responsibilities as a full-time mother of five children. They still live within their means, budget carefully, pay tithing, and live according to the financial counsel of Church leaders. “We’re grateful for the trial and the experience,” Alanea says. “It ended up being a great blessing in our lives and taught us that the Lord will always bless us if we are obedient.”

Continue Reading »

I recently learned of a good way to purchase text books for school. A friend of mine who is at business school heard about how you can buy the international versions of text books for a lot less than the U.S. domestic version. He said that it’s often a lot cheaper even if you include shipping fees.

Continue Reading »