Tag Archives: budget

Budget-Friendly Fun For Kids

Finding activities for you to do with your kids, or have them do on their own, can be a challenge. It’s great to get them active and not just sitting on the couch, but at this point, you’re out of ideas. We have crafted the perfect list of kid-friendly things to do while also making sure it won’t break the bank!

Movie Marathon

If it’s chilly outside and the kids are looking to wind down, a movie marathon isn’t a bad idea! Make a theme of it, so you can make themed snacks to go with the movies you decide to watch.

Hands-On at Home Depot

Home Depot offers kids workshops which are perfect if you’re looking to entertain them. Home Depot says, “Kids workshops provide a lively environment mixing skill-building, creativity, and safety for future DIYers.” Find one near you.

Rockin’ Roller Skating

Roller skating is a cheap activity you can do indoors or out! Find a rink close to you to take your kids and their friends to.

DIY Arts & Crafts

There are thousands of articles online that offer fun DIY craft ideas for kids of any age. For example, here are some great Fall crafts you can make for cheap!

Scavenger Hunt

Throw a scavenger hunt and have the kids searching around the house all day long for your hidden goodies. Buying dollar prizes to hide here and there will keep them engaged and ready to search for more!

Money Lessons

When at home with your kiddos, you have the perfect chance to teach them about money. Talk about saving to start and get them their own piggy bank to begin the process.

Make Your Own Fun

Playdough, goop, shaving cream counter art and so on are all fun, messy items that kids can create and play with for hours. Keep them in the kitchen while you’re doing dishes or cooking by plopping them down to create their own playdough with this recipe.

Board Games

Teaching your child how to play chess or checkers is a great way to spend time with them without spending money. There are plenty of other board games you can play too, but chess is a great game that teaches thinking ahead and skill – so try it out!

Showtime

Puppet show, magic show, fashion show – you name it! Let your children entertain you or just themselves while hosting their own show.

Obstacle Course

Set up an obstacle course around the house for your kids to burn off energy. The floor is lava, so they have to climb all the chairs and items you put in place to make it across the room!

We hope your kiddos enjoy a few of these activities – we know your bank account appreciates it! Feel free to open a savings account with us to place some of that extra cash, or open one for your child so they can start saving too.

Habits of People Who Live Debt-Free

If you’re an adult living in America, chances are you’re living with debt. According to Pew Charitable Trusts, roughly 80% of American adults are in financial debt. You can see how it happens, between student loan payments, mortgage payments, car payments and credit card use, it’s easy to get yourself into debt and it can be tough to climb out.

But, how can you help yourself live debt-free? It is possible, and Milledgeville Bank has some tips that you can use. Some are tips that you can right away, while others will require a dedicated approach over an extended period of time.

Create a Plan for the Future

It’s easier to implement money saving strategies when you have a goal in mind. Whether you’re looking to save for a purchase or to pay down debt, you need to set a budget to follow every month, and then stick to it. It’s also crucial for you to closely monitor your finances by checking your statements and reviewing your account balances so you can note any abnormalities from the budget you’ve set.

Trim the Fat

The best way to make sure you can keep yourself out of debt is to limit your spending. This is easier said than done. Whether it’s limiting your credit card use to emergencies or saying no to a friend who wants to go out for a night on the town, cutting back on spending is the best way to keep yourself out of debt. If you choose to live on less than you make, you’ll save long-term.

Cash is Your Friend

While your credit and debit card make it incredibly easy to make purchases, carrying cash can actually help you spend less in the long run. If you limit yourself to carrying cash, you know exactly how much money you have (or don’t have). This allows you to be more careful with your money and more diligent about your purchase decisions.

Living debt-free takes hard work and dedication. But, just like anything that requires patience, the payoff once you’ve reached your goal is worth all the work. Let Milledgeville Bank help you develop the habits to live debt-free so you can live with less stress.

3 Sure Fire Ways to Save on Travel

savetravel

Still planning that next family vacation, or you and your sweetheart’s upcoming getaway? Milledgeville State Bank is here to help you save as much as possible! We know the internet is flooded with travel savings hacks and hints, however, these three strategies have proven their value time and time again!

Before we jump into these smart savings strategies, we want to offer some affordable inspiration for your next getaway! For example, did you know there are various destinations where your dollar can go farther or other getaways which are less expensive during the holidays? Vacations like these aren’t always the easiest to find, but they’re well worth looking for! Once you know where you want to go, it’s time to implement these supportive saving systems.

Costco Travel – Save MONEY when booking. In our searches for an affordable and fulfilling vacation, we stumbled across this great article detailing the incredible savings offered through Costco Travel. After looking into many of these packages and adventures, we found the savings were almost too good to be true. While you do need to purchase a membership, the savings from your vacation alone far outweigh the expense of the annual cost. (Not to mention the countless savings you can find in store or online too! )
TSA Precheck – Save TIME when traveling. After you’ve saved your money during the booking process, you’ll want to enjoy every minute of your hard earned vacation, even those few minutes (or hours!) at the airport. Instead of waiting in security lines for what seems like an eternity, enjoy a quick and speedy process through the Transportation Security Administration’s Precheck program! After doing one extensive background check and identification, you and those traveling with you, can enjoy the ease of transit for the next 5 years for only $85.00 dollars. If you could miss one flight due to security lines, this membership would pay for itself in saved ticketing fees alone.
FLIO Airport App – Save your SANITY in transit. Sometimes when you’re traveling you end up in an airport you may not have traveled through, but fear not! Before you start searching for you next departure gate, or walking to find the best bite to eat, open up this all encompassing airport app. Filled with airport layouts, restaurant ratings, and flight tracking capabilities, you can manage all your in-route activities with this one helpful hack.

We hope you and your fellow travelers enjoy these tips as much as we do! If you need to setup a designated savings account for your next adventure, Milledgeville State Bank has the perfect solution! Stop by your nearest location, and start saving today!

The 10 Best Things to Buy at the Farmers Market

Saving Money

One of the things we enjoy most during produce season is the delicious and money-saving weekend Farmer’s Market. Just about every community has their own local growers, and no matter where you are there’s sure to be some delicious baked goods as well. This season, our team at Milledgeville State Bank would like to share our favorite finds which brighten up our kitchen and keep a few extra dollars in our pockets.

The first thing you’ll want to do before shopping at any Farmers Market is to find a good reusable tote, (or wagon if you plan on purchasing a lot,) along with a predetermined amount of cash to help budget how much you spend with the various vendors. Once at the market, it’s a good idea to do a quick lap around to see what items are being offered from each vendor. Then, you can go through and decide which produce you want to buy and where.

Here are the top 10 items we look for while shopping at our local Farmers Market:

Honey: Did you know honey is one of the very limited products of nature that does not spoil? It’s eternal shelf life not only gives you an endless amount of time to use it, but it’s delicious too! Find a local honey provider who can ensure you’re getting the best product your area can offer, and add it as a sweetener to numerous recipes.
Heirloom Tomatoes: These delicious beauties aren’t commonly found in your home improvement stores while out shopping for plants or seeds. When you find them at the market, they may be a bit pricier than the traditional varieties, however, their complexities and flavors will make your dishes come to life!
Cucumbers: Did you know that it is cheaper to make your own pickles compared to buying them at the store? Grab up four or five decent sized cukes, an onion, and some dill the next time you’re at the Farmer’s Market, and give it a try!
Hot and Sweet Peppers: When these guys are in season, we love trying as many varieties as we can! Not only are they cheaper than their grocery store counterparts, but they taste significantly hotter and sweeter as well!
Onions: Have you ever seen a green onion with a bulb bigger than a quarter? You’ll enjoy these and other delicious delicacies, which give you a better bang for your buck! Be sure to take a look at all the varieties of onions available, as you may just find a new favorite. So long as they’re stored in a dry cool place, you can keep fresh onions for several months!
Rhubarb: There’s something about this especially sour vegetable. Sweet and crunchy, it offers a fun twist to many fruit dishes, but grocery stores rarely seem to carry it. Be sure to stock up this season, as this delicious vegetable can be frozen or canned easily.
Lettuce: Cut and go varieties will be seen year round at Farmer’s Markets. With many varieties available, now is an affordable time to taste and tweak your favorite salad recipes.
Berries: You name it! Strawberries, blueberries, huckleberries, whatever delicious morsels you can find are at your nearby Farmers Market are well worth the cost. These tasty treats are some of the region’s favorite sweet staples and are perfect for snacking.
Baked Bread & Jams: Be sure to sample home baked treats throughout the season, and enjoy the different flavors the market has to offer. Great products, such as buttermilk bread, offer mouth-watering twists on a many timeless classics.
Flowers: Compared to your area grocery store or box brand, these Farmers Market flowers are sure to stop you in your tracks. Not only do they last longer, because they’re picked locally, but they tend to cost less, and offer a more regional variety.

We wish you luck on your next Farmers Market outing, just be sure to stick to that budget, and enjoy all the tastes and smells the market offers. Happy shopping!

It’s the Most ‘Spenderful’ Time of the Year

It is difficult to control spending during the season of giving. You don’t need to break your budget to give nice gifts to your loved ones.

Are you looking forward to the holidays? Do you want the table filled of delicious food, beautiful storefronts and time with loved ones? It can be easy to get caught up in the festivities and ignore the major spending that takes place every year at this time. That is, until the major January spending aftereffect hits. If you are trying to skip the major expenses this holiday season, try some of these tips to prepare your finances now and prevent overspending later.

1. Track your spending – Know where your money is going. You may be surprised to see places that you are spending more than you ever thought.

2. Wants vs. Needs – Differentiate between what is necessary and what is not. It is also important to recognize the difference between people. Your wants may be another’s needs and vice versa.

3. Spend Wisely – It may seem obvious but try to get the most that you can for the least amount of money.

4. Have a goal – Tell yourself something like “I will only spend X dollars this week on wants”. This will challenge you to prioritize your wants and maybe find places where spending is not necessary.

5. Reward yourself – If you are motivated by the knowledge that you will have more money in your wallet around the holidays, that is your reward. If you miss something that you gave up to cut back on costs, reward yourself every once in a while. It will keep you motivated to stick with your plan.

Don’t stress over your finances during the holiday season. November is a good time to push for saving as much as you will spend to prevent spending first and paying later. Try our Christmas Club savings account that allows you to save all year long. Interest is compounded every month and credited to the account at the end of the 50^th week deadline, just in time for Christmas! Contact Milledgeville State Bank at (805) 225-7171 or stop in today!

Create a Budget Today in 5 Easy Steps

Make your own budget by following these 5 easy steps
“A budget is telling your money where to go, instead of wondering where it went.”
A quote by Dave Ramsey suggests creating a budget can be helpful in controlling your finances before you end up in trouble. The best way to avoid a pile of debt is to be proactive. By knowing where your money is coming from and going to, you will have an idea of what is available and where changes need to be made.
Milledgeville State Bank encourages you to be financially responsible and create a budget to better manage your finances. Here we have provided 5 steps for creating a budget we hope you can incorporate into your life this month and in months to come. Milledgeville State Bank is here to provide you with financial assistance from loans, IRAs, savings accounts, credit cards, and more. Visit our site and contact us today!

The first step to creating a budget is to gather all documents containing financial information. This includes bank statements, bills, and any documentation of income or payments. The more you can find the better.
Record all sources of income. This may be from a full time job, part time job, or selling items on ebay. Wherever your money is coming from, write it down and how much you take in.
Write down all expenses, from bills, gas, food, entertainment, memberships, and anything else that costs money. You may quickly discover where all your money is going without even realizing it.
Break the expenses into fixed and variable categories. Fixed expenses cannot change and are necessary to live, while variable expenses can adjust to help make ends meet.
Total monthly income and expenses and find the difference between both of them. If income in greater then expenses, you are doing well and can start to save or pay off debt. However, if expenses are more than income, you may want to make some adjustments to live more comfortably. This is where your variable expenses may have to change.

Milledgeville State Bank understands life is busy, however, we encourage you to take time and create a budget to organize your finances. You may find peace of mind knowing where your money is coming from and going too without having to worry about falling into trouble. Contact Milledgeville State Bank or stop by today for financial services to meet your needs.