Artesia News

Archive for February 2020

5 Ways to Trim Your Fixed Expenses

Paper with monthly expense list along with glasses and calculator

When trying to trim a monthly budget, most people don’t consider their fixed expenses. These recurring costs, which include mortgage payments, insurance premiums and subscription payments, are easy to budget and plan for since they generally remain constant throughout the year. While people tend to think there’s no way to lower fixed expenses, with a bit of effort and research, most of these costs can be reduced.

Here are five ways to trim your fixed expenses.

1. Consider a refinance

Mortgage payments take the biggest bite out of most monthly budgets. Fortunately, you can lower those payments by refinancing your mortgage to a lower interest rate. The refinance will cost you, but you can roll the closing costs and other fees into your refinance loan. Plus, the money you save each month should more than offset these costs. A refinance is an especially smart move to make in a falling-rates environment or if your credit has improved a lot since you originally opened your mortgage.

2. Lower your property taxes

Taxes may be inevitable, but they aren’t set in stone. You may be able to lower your property taxes by challenging your town’s assessment of your home. Each town will have its own guidelines to follow for this process, but ultimately you will agree to have your home reappraised in hopes of proving its value is less than the town’s assessment. This move can drastically lower your property tax bill; however, if you have made improvements to your home, it may be appraised at a higher value, which could raise your taxes.

3. Change your auto insurance policy

The Geico gecko and Progressive’s Flo, who love disrupting your favorite TV shows, actually have a point: You may be overpaying for your auto insurance policy.

If you’ve had the same policy for several years, speak to a company representative about lowering your monthly premiums. By highlighting your loyalty and having an excellent driving record, you may be able to get a lower quote. You can also consider increasing your deductible to net a lower monthly premium.

If your insurance company is not willing to work with you, it might be time to shop around for a provider that will. A few minutes on the phone can provide you with a significant monthly savings for a similar level of coverage. Once you have a lower quote in hand, you can choose to go back to your original provider and tell them you’re seriously considering a switch; they may change their mind about their previous lowest offer.

4. Consolidate your debts 

If you’re carrying a number of outstanding debts, your minimum monthly payments can be a serious drain on your budget. Plus, thanks to the high interest rates you’re likely saddled with, you might be feeling like that debt is going nowhere.

Lucky for you, there is a way out. If you have multiple credit cards open, each with an outstanding balance, you might want to consider a balance transfer. This entails opening a new, no-interest credit card, and transferring all of your debts to this account. The no-interest period generally lasts up to 18 months. Going forward, you will only have one debt payment to make each month. Plus, the no-interest feature means you can make a serious dent in paying down that debt without half of your payment going toward interest.

Another way to consolidate debt is to take out a personal loan at Artesia Credit Union. Our personal loans will allow you to pay off all of your credit card debt at once. With interest rates starting at just 9.00% APR*, you’ll only need to make a single, affordable monthly payment until your loan is paid off.

5. Cut out subscriptions you don’t need

Another fixed expense most people mindlessly pay each month are subscriptions. Take some time to review your monthly subscriptions and weed out those you don’t really need. Below, we’ve listed some of the most commonly underused monthly payments:

  • Gym membership. Are you really getting your money’s worth out of your gym membership? It may be cheaper to just pay for the classes you attend instead of a full membership. Or, if you have a favorite workout machine at the gym, consider purchasing it to use at home for a one-time cost that lets you to drop your gym membership.
  • Cable. Why are you still paying for cable when you can stream your shows for less through services like Netflix and Hulu? If you don’t want to cut out cable entirely, consider downgrading to a cheaper plan that drops some of the premium channels you don’t watch much.
  • Apps. How many apps are you signed up for? You may not even remember signing up for an upgraded version of an app you rarely use. A quick perusal of your monthly checking account statement or credit card bill can help you determine how much these subscriptions are costing you. Drop the apps you’re not using for more wiggle room in your monthly budget.

Your fixed monthly expenses are actually not as “fixed” as you may have thought. By taking a careful look at some of these costs, you can free up more of your monthly income for the things that really matter.

*APR refers to Annual Percentage Rate

4 Incredible Facts in Honor of Black History Month

It’s Black History Month; so let’s celebrate! In honor of Black History Month, Artesia Credit Union is proud to share four little-known facts about African American history, along with a list of fun ways to commemorate black history and culture.

1. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. improvised the most historic part of his “I Have a Dream” speech.

On Aug. 28, 1963, more than 250,000 Americans stood spellbound at the Lincoln Memorial, as King delivered his iconic address.

While much of his speech went down in the annals of history, perhaps the most famous lines are those in which King describes his dream of a tolerant, respectful society. Incredibly, those words were likely ad-libbed on the spot.

Dr. King and a group of advisors spent hours polishing the planned speech, and the original version was a lot more political than inspirational. In fact, it did not make any reference to dreams.

Onstage, singer Mahalia Jackson allegedly whispered to King, “Tell ‘em about the dream, Martin.”

After intoning, “We are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream,” Dr. King’s talk became more of a sermon.

He continued with the now-famous lines:

“Even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream …”

Dr. King’s talk is now considered one of the most successful speeches ever in American history.

2. Rosa Parks was not the first black woman to stage a sit-in

Before Rosa Parks was on the scene, there was Claudette Colvin.

In March of 1955, the 15-year-old schoolgirl remained rooted to her spot, refusing to move to the back of the bus. This was nine whole months before Rosa Parks’ famous stand. The young girl had been studying the history of black leaders, like Harriet Tubman, in school. Those lessons had triggered many heated discussions about the present-day Jim Crow laws. When the bus driver demanded that Claudette move to the rear of the bus, she refused.

The teenager said, “It felt like Sojourner Truth was on one side pushing me down, and Harriet Tubman was on the other side of me pushing me down. I couldn’t get up.”

3. The Quakers were the first to protest against slavery

The Quakers were famously known as “The Society of Friends.” Four of these men from Germantown, Pa. wrote the first protest against slavery in 1688.

Drawing inspiration from the Golden Rule, the peace-loving men wrote, “Pray, what thing in the world can be done worse towards us, then if men should rob or steal us away, and sell us for slaves to strange countries, separating husband from their wife and children …”

This rare document was rediscovered in 2005 and is now part of the Haverford College Special Collections.

4. One in four cowboys was black

It might not be the picture you’ll get from watching western movies or TV shows, but at least 25% of cowboys were black.

After the Civil War ended, the old Wild West attracted lots of newly freed slaves seeking freedom and paid work. While they did find a demand for their skills and lots of freedom to live as they pleased, the blacks – and all cowboys – had to contend with many physical dangers while sleeping under the stars and “riding them horses,” such as inclement weather, reckless outlaws and rattlesnakes.

Celebrate!

There are so many ways to celebrate Black History Month! Here are just a few ideas to help get you started:

  • Read the poem, I, Too, Sing America by Langston Hughes.
  • Bake sweet potato biscuits, a traditional African American-inspired soul food.
  • Jazz up a dull day by tuning into some blues music.
  • Play the ancient African game of Mancala. You can make a board at home using an empty egg carton with the lid cut off, and some beans for game pieces.
  • Look up James Karales’s photos of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery civil rights marches.
  • Read On Beauty by contemporary author Zadie Smith.
  • View Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series.
  • Read the poem, A Pledge to Rescue Our Youth by Maya Angelou.

Step 2 of 12 Toward A Debt-Free Life: Don’t Dig Yourself Deeper

When you’ve dug yourself deep into a pit, the only way to get out is to stop digging. This month, focus on not racking up more debt. Stop using your credit cards. Skip your weekly trips that usually have you buying too many non-essentials.

Instead, start brown-bagging your work lunch and brewing your own coffee. Get into the habit of spending only on essentials so you can make real progress toward paying down that debt.

Don’t forget to make the minimum payments on every line of credit and loan you have open. Neglecting your debt will only pull you deeper into the pit.