The Bottom Line
Small business is important to Central Oregon, and to Mid Oregon. Find tips and resources for business, and information about Mid Oregon’s commercial services and business members.
Trim Spending To Reduce Stress
Five Resolutions to Trim Spending and Reduce Stress
As we move through the holiday season, most of us wish we would have saved more money during the year. With the new year approaching, now is the perfect time to make a resolution to save more money, and trim spending to reduce stress.
Here are five tips that will help you trim spending, beef up savings, and reduce stress.
1. Pay it off.
Pay off your credit cards to save money. Let’s say you have a $2,000 balance at 18% interest. If your minimum payment is 2% of the balance due each month, it will take you 19 years to pay it off and you’ll incur $3,862 in interest. But if you increase your monthly payments to 8% of the balance due–much more than the minimum–you’ll reduce the payback time from 19 years to three years and nine months, and your interest costs now are only $433. You’ve just “saved” $3,429.
2. Conserve.
Small changes mean big savings on your utility bill:
* Properly insulate all ducts.
* Use programmable thermostats. Turn your thermostat back 10% to 15% for 8 hours each day during the winter to save as much as 10% a year on your energy bill.
* Use ceiling fans to reduce both cooling and heating bills.
3. So what’s a buck?
Grab a calculator. Add up what you spend on so-called “little things” that end up being budget-busters:
* If you spend $1.00 a day on soda, that adds up to $365 a year.
* If you spend $2.75 a day on coffee, that’s $1,003.75 a year.
* If you spend $6 every weekday on fast food, that’s $1,560 a year.
* If you spend $6.20 a day on cigarettes, that’s $2,263 a year.
4. Tune it up.
Regular automobile maintenance–including low-cost oil changes, filter changes, and tire rotation–can save big bucks by preventing costly repairs. Keep your engine tuned and your tires inflated to their proper pressure. On the road, stay within speed limits– gas mileage decreases when you drive faster than 60 MPH. Avoid “jackrabbit” starts, unnecessary idling, remove excess weight from the trunk, and combine errands.
5. Transfer it.
Pay yourself first–set up automatic transfers to your share or money market account. Have your paycheck automatically deposited to your credit union account. Consider using direct bill payment from your share draft account for recurring payments like household bills, insurance premiums, automatic investment and savings plans, mortgage payments, auto loan payments, and charitable donations. Set up a Savers Club Account. Participate in your employer’s tax-advantaged retirement plan.
It all adds up! You can trim spending to reduce stress. For savings options, visit Mid Oregon Credit Union or your financial institution. Visit midoregon.com for our savings products. There are options for long, medium, and short term savings goals. We would love to discuss your objectives and help you reach them!
Shop with Confidence During the Holiday Season
Five Ways to Shop with Confidence During the Holiday Season
Whether you brave the mall, shop local, or get caught up in the online shopping frenzy this holiday season, you’re in good company. The National Retail Association reports that 164 million Americans will shop Thanksgiving week, including on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and on Small Business Saturday and Sunday. In fact, the average consumer is expected to spend $967 this year. Here are five ways you can shop with confidence during this holiday season.
Spend Wisely
How much are you shelling out to spread holiday cheer? Do you want to find that perfect gift, without spending yourself silly? Here are some simple guidelines:
- Make a list of people you want to buy gifts for, and stick to it.
- Set a budget limit. As they say, “It’s the thought that counts.”
- Use the best credit card. As a not-for-profit cooperative owned by our members, we can offer lower interest rates on credit cards than many other financial services providers.
Protect Your Credit and Debit Cards
As a smart consumer, you can shop with confidence this holiday season.
- If you are a Mid Oregon member, use CardNav to protect your debit card use. Report any suspicious activity to us right away.
- Keep a list of all credit card account numbers in a safe place (Not your wallet!), so you can report it immediately if they are lost or stolen.
- At the cash register, protect your PIN by blocking the keypad from the view of cashiers or other customers.
- Some non-metal keypads have heat sensors that are active for several minutes after you enter your PIN, and infrared cameras on smartphones can be used to obtain your PIN. We suggest resting your fingers on other keys as you enter your PIN.
- Do not use public wireless networks for online purchases.
- Shop on sites with https:// in the URL, and be sure that an icon with a lock appears to the left. The “s” stands for “secure” and indicates communication with that site is encrypted.
- Type the merchant’s address directly into your browser; avoid links.
- Use complicated passwords with at least eight characters. Include numbers, special characters, and upper and lower-case numbers.
- Keep the antivirus and security software updated on your computers and mobile devices.
- We recommend that you don’t store your payment information on shopping sites or shopping apps.
Shop Safely
Don’t let the Grinch steal the season. When you go shopping, park in well-lit areas. Then walk to and from the stores with your head up and be watchful. Thugs look for people who are not paying attention. Keep your keys in your hand so you can hit the panic alarm if you need to. Unfortunately, tis the season for pickpockets, too. So keep wallets in zipped purses and front pockets.
Compare Online Deals
Online shopping is a wonderful timesaver! We know a lot of sites will claim to have great deals, particularly on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. They may not have the lowest price. If you find something you like, do a little comparison shopping by using sites such as Google Shopping or Pricewatch.com.
Give Yourself a Gift
Invest in “you” this holiday season. Open a new savings account, take financial education classes, or look for low interest loans to help you achieve your financial dreams this coming year. Come see us or visit us online for possibilities.
Six Local Organizations You Can Help
Mid Oregon Holiday Dough Fund Helping Six Local Organizations
You can make a real difference in our Central Oregon communities by supporting local charities with Mid Oregon Credit Union’s Holiday Dough Fund. Financial contributions will help provide food, clothing and shelter for individuals and families as well as toys for kids. The generosity of each of our contributions multiplied together will make a significant impact on these organizations you can help.
In 2016, Mid Oregon members contributed over $1,400 to organizations locally. Our branches each chose an agency in their own community, and are doing so again.
From now until December 13, 2017, we will be collecting cash donations. All contributions will stay in the community in which they are collected and 100% of the donations will be given to the following organizations (Click on the names to read more details):
Bend Family Kitchen, to serve anyone who needs a nutritious meal in a safe and caring environment
La Pine Christmas Basket Association, providing food during the Christmas holiday for people in the South Deschutes County area
Redmond Jericho Road, providing shelter, food and clothing to those in need within the Redmond area
Madras – Jefferson County Food Bank, supplying food to families and individuals
Prineville – Crook County Holiday Partnership providing holiday support to seniors, children and families in need in Crook County
Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank – giving food vouchers and toys for families and kids, and pet food
Giving back to the community is a core value of Mid Oregon Credit Union and aligns with our credit union philosophy of “people helping people”. To make donations call 541-382-1795 or go to www.midoregon.com for a branch location near you.
Organization Details
Bend Family Kitchen:
Guided by the belief that nobody should be hungry, the Family Kitchen serves three dinners and four lunches each week. We are averaging 4,600 meals per month and have over 300 volunteers involved in our efforts. Our mission is “To serve anyone who needs a nutritious meal in a safe and caring environment”. Our patrons are treated with respect and are asked nothing but to leave with a full stomach.
Facebook Page | Website
La Pine Christmas Basket Association:
We are a purpose driven organization dedicated to feed those in need during the Christmas season. Distribution day is December 23, 2017. We serve over 650 families that are in need. The La Pine Christmas Basket Association has been in existence since 1990 and is a community based, non-profit organization.
Jericho Road
The mission of Jericho Road is to provide tangible support to the homeless and those in need within the Redmond, Oregon area. This includes providing emergency financial housing assistance and mentoring to homeless families as well as providing meals for those in need within our community.
Jefferson County Food Bank
We serve many households each week and average over 65 per week on an annual basis. However with winter here and seasonal work coming to an end in our community participating households increase dramatically. We absolutely depend on the generosity of groups and individuals who donate food, monies, and time to support our efforts to feed the needy. Your gifts enable us to purchase those foods that otherwise, our clients might have to do without in these trying economic times.
Crook County Holiday Partnership
Providing holiday support to seniors, children and families in need in Crook County. Each year, families with children, senior and disabled citizens in Crook County access holiday support through food boxes and gifts. This number has been growing over the last few years with nearly 2800 eligible applications distributed this year. Last year, 941 Crook County children received holiday gifts of clothing and toys. This is a true testimony to how Crook County citizens step up when their neighbors are in need.
Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank
Sisters Kiwanis runs a program called The Spirit of Christmas Foodshare and Gifts. Food, gifts and pet food are available to low-income families, seniors and singles through a coordination of organizations, churches and agencies in the community. In 2015, they provided vouchers to 169 families comprising 512 people. The total amount of the vouchers was $16,500. The fire department toy drive brightened the Christmas of approximately 160 Sisters kids.