6 Ways to Fight Inflation and Rising Costs with A Look Back At the 1960s As FirstBank celebrates 60 years of “banking for good,” we’re looking back at our inception date, 1963. In the same year, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, and President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. While the culture has changed drastically, rising costs and inflation have made 1963 feel worlds… Read More
Love Don’t Cost a Thing: Plan a Romantic Valentine’s Day Without Breaking the Bank Americans spend an estimated 117.4 billion dollars per year on dating, but that number is coming down as high inflation takes its toll on love. With the cost of food, cocktails, gas, and personal care services skyrocketing, around 40% of people on dating apps are changing their dating habits or pressing pause on their search… Read More
How to Host Thanksgiving on a Budget While many of us are looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with family and friends, this year’s holiday feast could be more expensive than ever. Experts predict that your Thanksgiving meal will cost 13.5% more than last year, with a staggering 73% increase in the price per pound of turkey. The price of butter is also up 32% compared to 2021. Despite… Read More
8 More Ways To Save Money on Groceries During Rising Inflation According to the most recent Consumer Price Index report, food prices have risen 11.4 percent from August 2021 to August 2022. In the same year, common food items have drastically increased including eggs, which went up by 39.8 percent, and butter, which rose by 24.6 percent. As the cost of groceries continues to rise, we’ve… Read More
How to Budget for the Big Day Weddings are beautiful celebrations of love, but they can cost a pretty penny. In 2021, the average wedding cost was $34,000, leaving some couples to wonder if it is possible to have their dream wedding without compromising their financial future. Fortunately, there are endless ways couples can get creative while planning their wedding to uncover… Read More
Save Big for the Holidays, and Beyond Savvy Sale Tips to Save Year-Round Every December, like clockwork, consumers are torn between their budgets and sentimentality. The pressure of the holidays and the sense of urgency that the end of the year brings can often lead to impulsive purchases, overspending and credit card debt. This holiday season, consumers are expected to spend an… Read More
Back-To-School Savings for Online Learning With summer almost over parents and students face the start of the new school year; well, kind of. The COVID-19 epidemic is driving school districts to look for alternatives to in-person learning, with some moving forward with online classes. This new format is sure to shake up your back-to-school shopping list, but it doesn’t have… Read More
Seven Smart Ways to Prepare for a New Baby According to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, the sweltering summer months host the highest birthrates, with August taking the lead for largest number of births. While we can only speculate about why so many babies are born this time of year (insert cheeky remarks about too many holiday drinks), we recognize this is… Read More
Five Unique Valentine’s Day Date Savers for $25 or Less With Valentine’s Day around the corner, love is in the air and bank accounts are on high alert. While over half of Americans celebrate the Hallmark holiday, the average person will spend $143.56 on gifts. That means U.S. consumers will spend a total of $19.6 billion on Feb. 14. Despite what the candy, floral and… Read More
Build Up Your Savings Fast by Following These 10 Ways to Reach $20K Are you suffering from the pressure of post-holiday spending? You’re not alone. Temptation to spend was at an all-time high last year. According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, holiday sales increased 5.1% to more than $850 billion in 2018. What’s more, USA Today reported that Americans were spending a whopping 90% of their income (NINETY PERCENT of… Read More