How to Have That Perfect Summer BBQ On A Budget The weather is warming up, the kids are getting out of class, and the pools are opening. It’s starting to look a lot like summer. That can only mean one thing: it’s officially grilling season. Unfortunately, as the barbeques grow in size and quantity, so too can the price tag. To help throw an amazing… Read More
Saving is in Style: 11 Costly Wedding Traditions to Ditch With the wedding season right around the corner, we can smell love in the air and also hear the cries of grooms and brides as they evaluate their wedding budget. Who wouldn’t shed a few tears when the average wedding is nearly $35,000 — more than half the median annual household income ($55,000)? And results in… Read More
What’s the Biggest Trend of 2018? Hint: It’s Not What You’re Wearing Something is growing in popularity amongst the nation’s largest generation (Millennials) and it isn’t sparkly boots, bold patterns or color blocking. It’s something far more widespread and even a little more obscure. What it is exactly? It’s SAVING. According to a recent study, an estimated 50 percent of them have $15,000+ socked away. What’s more,… Read More
Seven Cost-Saving Date Ideas to Create the Perfect Valentine’s Day What does love cost? For the average person, it’s about $137. That’s how much most people spend on Valentine’s Day, and that doesn’t even factor in costs for dates, activities or dining out. Among all U.S. consumers, we shell out a total of $18.2 billion on our loved ones. If these numbers leave you feeling… Read More
Seven Cost Cutting Resolutions to Kick Start Your 2018 Savings Plan The start of a new year is the perfect time to kick-start a savings plan for 2018. As you look ahead, consider your financial goals or dreams. Is this your year to get out of debt, buy a house, plan that once in a lifetime trip or just build up your rainy-day fund? Every dollar… Read More
Six Money Wasting Expenses and Solutions Does your bank account balance seem to decrease on its own? You’ve tried everything to save money, but are still living paycheck-to-paycheck? You may be among the millions of Americans, who are unknowingly throwing thousands of dollars out the window by paying full price for these money-draining-expenses. Here are six things that are “money-wasters,” but… Read More
Five Things That Happened To Us — And Our Bank Account — After Giving Up Meat and Dairy One FirstBank employee gets honest about what she and her husband experienced after cutting out meat and animal byproducts from their diet. Okay, before you start to envision a couple wearing hemp shoes and tie-dye shirts that say animals are friends not food, yelling “meat is murder!” outside some burger joint, stop, because that’s… Read More
Nine Secret Tricks To Save on Groceries According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American family spends over $4,000 a year on groceries and that’s only going to increase. And while FirstBank has been known to pay for groceries, we can’t always be there. So here are several easy ways to save at the store without compromising your health.… Read More
How Spring Cleaning Trash Can Turn Into Extra Cash Spring has sprung, and while there are many things to look forward to, house cleaning probably isn’t one of them. But what if we told you that decluttering your home could put some extra dough in your pockets? Yep, that’s right. Here are five ways to turn that junk stash into cash: Turn new or gently… Read More
4 Fun Ways to Teach Kids How to Save (and Spend) Money When it comes to teaching kids the value of money and the importance of saving, studies find it’s better to start those conversations early. Kids as young as three can learn basic saving and spending habits, so take this time as an opportunity to build a smart financial foundation. While there are many ways to teach… Read More