Like most people nowadays, I rely heavily on my debit or credit card to make my daily purchases. To help myself keep on track with my budget a little better, I decided that making my transactions with cash could help me monitor my recreational spending on a weekly basis. Though I have been better about how much I am spending on leisure items, I started to remember the reason why I don’t like to use cash… SPARE CHANGE. Not only does it make my wallet and purse heavy, but I never have a great use for it, and my pile never seems to get smaller, and I was determined to find a good use for all of those pennies and nickels. Though my credit union has a coin machine where I can exchange my spare change for cash or put in my account, I remembered what a friend had told me before, and I quickly had a new favorite use for spare change.

Now I usually shy away from the Coinstar machines at the grocery store because of the fee they charge to exchange your change, I have learned that they now have two services that I was previously unaware of. Users now have the option to forgo those fees by purchasing a gift card or giving to one of fourteen charities. Using Coinstar to get rid of all of that change can not only help you treat yourself, but treat others with ease.  With gift card options such as Amazon, Nike, and Southwest Airlines, I couldn’t wait to exchange my first batch of change, start my collection of gift cards in my wallet, and help my purse with one of its new years resolutions, to feel a little lighter.

Basha Gitnes

I am a self admitted ‘shopoholic’. I constantly hear, “Again, Basha?” from my loved ones around me, which always makes me think a little more about my purchases, but when I find a good deal, I have a hard time passing it up. It is important to me to not get myself into debt over this, so I thought I would share a few tips on how I indulge in my desire to spend, without breaking the bank and racking up the credit card bills.

Amazon Prime: Amazon has made themselves known to be the marketplace for whatever your heart desires, but seriously, the site really has just about everything on it at a price cheaper than you can get a most retail stores. Before I graduated from college, I decided to give Amazon Prime a try since they gave me a free six-month trial, and I haven’t turned back since. Aside from having access to their own Netflix type streaming service, what I appreciate the most is the free two-day shipping. Let me repeat that, FREE TWO-DAY SHIPPING! Though it does come at a price of $80 a year, or $40 for students, when you’re constantly losing or breaking your phone charger, needing a gift for a family member, or just treating yourself, this feature surely pays itself off.
Groupon and LivingSocial: Though I have heard horror stories about these deal sites, and how much they harm small businesses, I have recently bought into this whole Groupon and LivingSocial craze and have surprisingly been pleased. I have started out by purchasing a couple of corporate deals, one for the Body Shop, and the other for American Apparel. Products at both places don’t come cheap, so I knew I had to get them while they lasted, and ended up walking out of the Body Shop with over $50 worth of skincare products for $20 thanks to an additional inshore sale. Another great feature that I love about these sites is the ability to send gifts right there on your mobile app or on their website. Recently, one of my best friends bought a house in Florida, and with all of the holiday shipping going on, I knew I wanted to stay far away from the Post Office to make sure she had something to welcome her into her new home. Browsing through LivingSocial I stumbled upon a deal for a years magazine subscription for only $5! Not only would I avoid the crazy lines at the Post Office, but I could give a great gift that keeps on giving, well, at least until the end of 2014.
Email Alerts: While I will admit getting upwards of a hundred emails a week from various retail stores get a little obnoxious, I cant help but get excited when I open one of these emails and find a coupon hidden in there waiting for me. Who doesn’t appreciate a surprise 25% off of your purchase?

With the Holiday season in full force around us, I hope you all celebrate warm and with your families, and hopefully with money saving giving.

-Basha Gitnes

As a college student, budgeting became a huge part of my financial life, but since becoming employed, it seems I have left my money saving and monitoring back in Eugene. In the next coming months, I have a lot of saving that needs to be done, so the buckling down is starting now.

To help me track and monitor my budgeting and goal setting, I decided to give mint.com a try. Like I have mentioned before, I am a technology buff, so anything that is online and can be accessed from my laptop or cell phone is great. I downloaded the Mint iPhone application and got started, and I shortly realized I should have done it sooner. After my accounts were all synced, my transactions were auto-categorized into predefined categories and subcategories, exposing the truth of my spending habits. I was amazed at how much I was actually spending in each category, and quickly realized I should start working on eating at home a little bit more, or that I really don’t need that cute top I saw at Nordstrom. This also allowed me to better gauge my overall budget, and look for areas I can scale back on to free up some money, especially for my upcoming vacation to the Dominican Republic.

In order to get a better feel for this app, I thought I would share a few screen shots (not of my personal accounts).

With the start of the new month, I am going to use the application to set and monitor my new budget for November. I am hoping to report back with some more conservative spending habits, a little more fun money for my travels, and a little less Starbucks coffee in my system.

Basha Gitnes

It has now been three months since I began my journey with Financial Beginnings. In my three months of working with the fabulous Melody, Sarah, and our office squatter, Dave, I have found myself to be significantly more aware of my personal finances. Whether we are conversing about where we found a cheap spot for happy hour, tips on how to get through a vacation without breaking the bank, or my recent obsession with Amazon Prime (which I will save for a later post), these people have really gotten me to think hard about my spending and saving habits, and each in their own way empowered me to start making my own financial decisions. As a recent college graduate, I knew the time was coming, and I suppose that time is now.

To start my financial renovation, I plan on considered switching from a bank to a credit union. After chats with my co-workers, meeting some of our fantastic volunteers, and doing a bit of online reading I have complied a list of my own pros and cons that have helped me make my decision for the switch.

Pros:

• Perhaps the biggest pro in my book is the CO-OP ATM Network that includes almost 30,000 cash machines, and shared branching at 4,700 branches around the country.
• Also, credit unions tend to have less fees and lower interest rates for both loans and credit cards, two big hitters for a newly graduated young adult.
• Lastly, I have hear that the customer service, is superb.

Cons:

• Technology. I will admit I am a bit obsessed with technology, but more for the convenience of it all. I am a busy individual, and anything to help me keep my life in order and tone down the chaos is welcomed. I rely heavily on the online baking and iPhone App features that come along with my bank, and am a bit scared I will not find the same features when joining a credit union. Come on, who wouldn’t want to be able to take a picture of their check and deposit it right from their phone?!
• Another aspect I am worried about is what happens when I travel internationally. I can picture my worrisome self, sitting in the middle of London some day just had been mugged and at a loss of what to do next.
• With lower interest rates come less rewards, so it looks like gift cards or air miles are not in my future.

It turns out, at this point in my life, a credit union was the best option for me, and I am looking forward to making that switch!

I recently moved closer to work to avoid a two or more hour commute on some days. Typically, the major factors that come up when moving are time and costs. I rent, so the biggest costs are the deposits, all of which are refundable, pending I get the deposits back. I tend to do the majority of the moving myself and then round up a group of good friends on moving day for the big stuff. I then provide them with lots of food and drinks for their assistance and, of course, offer my moving assistance to them if they need it.

With this recent move, I decided to rent a trailer because I hired a Removal Company UK and moved across town and didn’t want to make multiple trips. I found this to be much more cost-effective than renting a moving truck, which can be pretty expensive.

When renting a trailer, you don’t have to pay mileage like you do with a moving truck, as long as you have a truck to haul it with. My friend has a truck, so she let me borrow it, and we were able to haul the trailer with it. However, it’s important to note that when involved in a truck crash, a legal expert like a California truck accident lawyer can greatly help navigate the complexities of such situations.”

If you’re considering a long-distance move, you might also want to explore options with long-distance moving companies. I am all moved in now and enjoying my new neighborhood and shorter commute.

Greetings! I am so thrilled to be writing this blog post as the newest addition to the Financial Beginnings team. I am Basha Gitnes, Financial Beginnings new Program Coordinator. A recent graduate from the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!) I earned my Bachelors of Science in Sociology and spent time interning with an organization similar to Financial Beginnings. Being a teacher had always been a dream of mine, but during my time in college I had come to realize that being in the classroom is not the only way I can instill valuable education in our youth. Focused on empowering our youth and teaching them how to take responsibility for their personal finances, I was immediately drawn to Financial Beginnings and their mission.

In addition to Financial Beginnings, I am currently a coach of the Milwaukie High School JV Dance Team. I have found it very rewarding to not only be a coach to these girls, but also a role model. I feel that it is very important that our youth are confident upon high school graduation, and I am honored to be a part of that through both Financial Beginnings and coaching.

Again, I am so excited to be a part of the Financial Beginnings family and reach the most students as possible!