Now that your holiday spending is winding down, does it feel like you’ve overspent once again? If so, this is a perfect time to get back on track and even prepare for a more affordable season next year. Let’s get started!

The holidays are here and we all know that they can cause some extra stress. Here are some tips that can help you during this season.
 

It may not be fall yet, but the holidays seem to start earlier and earlier every year. And the sooner they start, the sooner our wallets and bank accounts begin to suffer. However, just because the holiday season has become longer over the years, it doesn’t mean that our holiday budgets have to expand with it.
 
Follow these tips to prepare for future holidays and keep your holiday expenses under control.
 

Summer is our favorite season. Some people like winter for the snow activities, but summer is a season filled with sunshine, family time, and trying new things. If you haven’t done much this summer you shouldn’t worry.  You still have time! The warm weather won’t leave us too soon, so be sure to try out as many of these eight activities as you can. Some are free and some have a small cost, but something they all share is the amount of fun you’ll have while doing them.
 

Let me start off this post by asking you to think about your New Year’s resolution from last year. Go ahead, I’ll wait… I won’t ask you what it was, but what I would like to know is: did you keep that resolution? If not, try doing things a bit differently this New Year.

This Christmas, your kids’ lists may be filled with the latest toys and electronics. What happens when that new gift excitement ends?  You’re stuck with storing all that stuff, which will eventually get replaced next year with the current latest and greatest. There has to be another way, and there is! We’ve got some gift giving suggestions for the kids in your life that will withstand the test of time. 

The holidays are a special time for families, including the one at Greater Nevada. This holiday season we’re helping more people Live Greater by partnering with several local charitable community organizations. If you’re interested in helping us spread the cheer this December—read on!

CONSIDER THIS:  While the holidays can be a magical time for children, adults face a plethora of extra expenses. Gifts, food, decorations, the perfect outfit for that holiday party, or air fare to visit family—there’s no denying the holidays can put a dent in the wallet.
 

Traveling this Thanksgiving? Here are some fun facts that might surprise you when it comes to traveling for the upcoming holiday.

Valentine’s Day is celebrated by millions of people every year, inspiring nearly 6 million couples to get engaged and 58 million pounds of chocolate to be consumed.

Although some people feel that the holiday has become too commercial, it’s still a good excuse to do something special for your significant other. However, that doesn’t need to include spending on pricey gifts. Take a look at Valentine gift ideas that are both thoughtful and easy on the budget.

Each year, roughly 45% of Americans make a New Year’s resolution. The third most common resolution is to ‘spend less and save more.’ Saving more is always a great goal though few actually stick to it. Reaching your financial goals is quite an accomplishment, so don’t give up on it. To make your resolution stick this year, follow these steps:

Ahhhh, remember the days when your kids had goofy gapped smiles and just wanted their two front teeth for Christmas? Well, now that they’re teens with a full set of teeth, you may have no idea what to put in their holiday stocking.
 
Here’s a great idea! Why not give them more financial independence and purchasing power?
 

The holidays are a great time of year to host a party, though they can take a lot of work and money. You want to provide a variety of refreshments, a meal that will delight your guests, and space to accommodate everyone. Parties should be fun, so if you’re the host follow these tips to keep your party stress-free and on budget.

Black Friday has been a notable day in U.S. history since the 1950s. For a long time you could count on the day for blockbuster deals. However, with today’s increasing retail competition and online discount outlets, Black Friday deals seem to go on the entire holiday season. So how do you get the best deal possible? The Adobe Digital Index (ADI) just published their “Holiday 2015 Predictions”, which may provide some guidance. 

Roses, chocolates, jewelry and dinner all come to mind when planning a Valentine’s date. However they can also lead to money burning a hole in your pocket.  This year, the average American is predicted to spend $142.31 on Valentine’s Day, which is a bit much if you ask me.

You shouldn’t feel pressured to over spend. So how does one plan the perfect Valentine’s without breaking the bank?

Along with the wonderful sounds of sleigh bells and Christmas carols, every winter we can expect to hear the sneezing, coughing and fever producing sickness that is known as the flu. Running typically from October to April, flu season is by far my least favorite season of the year.

It’s been three years since my last flu episode (knock on wood), but I can still remember the 10 days of nausea and weakness that made me absolutely miserable.  Getting the flu is never fun and when you aren’t prepared for it, sometimes it can turn into a financial stress, too. With a 20% chance of getting the flu, it is important to find out the impact it can have on your wallet and what steps you can take to avoid it:

We all remember last holiday season when Target’s systems were breached, exposing millions of customers’ credit card data. Since then Home Depot, Kmart, and Neiman Marcus have all been added to the list of retailers who have been compromised. Over the past year, the world has become a lot scarier for shopping. Luckily, even though hackers have become a lot smarter so have retailers and financial institutions, so that shoppers can have a safer and more merry holiday. As the VP of E-Commerce and former Manager over the Risk Management Department, it is my job to keep our GNCU members and their information as safe as possible, whether it be online or in stores.
 
 ‘Tis the season to be jolly so in order to help keep the holidays bright, I’ve decided to answer questions that our members have been asking on how to best keep your money and information safe this shopping season and security improvements slated for 2015.

Between paying for all the food and drinks for a Thanksgiving feast, Christmas gifts for family and friends, and holiday trips, it’s hard to think about saving money over the next few months.  And as a recent transplant from Southern California, I also haven’t really thought much about what my heating bill will be like in northern Nevada. (I was more focused on the beautiful, snowy winter I’d enjoy!)

Luckily good old dad shared some advice with me and in turn, I would like to share it with you, since saving is never easy and we could all use a helpful tip once in a while.

Flash forward to tomorrow afternoon, your phone rings and great news, you’re invited to a Halloween party! But wait, you don’t have a costume, it’s the day before, and if you’re like me, spending $60+ dollars for a once-a-year outfit really isn’t fun...sigh. This happens to me just about every year on Halloween and I thus have two options to debate, sit on the couch trying to find anything other than an old horror movie to watch or go out with friends and probably have a good time.  I know you’re thinking that to enjoy Halloween you need to have some brilliant disguise but trust me, your friends won’t care as long as you go! So suck it up, take my advice and you will have a great time and an easy costume that won’t break the bank.
 

The new year has begun and it’s time to put our best intentions to the test. Sticking to your resolution is tough, only eight percent of people actually achieve their resolutions, so if you’ve failed in the past, you’re in good company. In an effort to help you (and me) achieve your (and my) resolutions, I looked for ways to combine two major resolutions; saving more money and being healthier. What I found—ten ways to save money by eating healthier. You’re welcome. 

‘Tis the season to be jolly! And a big part of the season is holiday shopping. If you're a crack-of-dawn-Black-Friday type, holiday shopping can be a lot of fun, buying gifts you know will bring joy to the ones you love. It can also be a hectic time, where you cut in line at black Friday, snatch the last Playstation 4 and try to make it out of Wal-Mart before an angry mob erupts. Either way the season won’t be as merry and bright if you are a victim of holiday fraud. So here are a few tips to keep your identity (and you!) safe and secure while holiday shopping.

It’s September 26 and you know what that means… 90 days till Christmas! In case that number isn’t scary enough, try this one: For many of us that means six paychecks until Christmas (Scarier? You’re welcome). But don’t panic. Even if you’re not one of those ultra-responsible people with Christmas Club accounts who started saving in January, you still don’t have to break the bank. There are tons of holiday money-saving tricks. Here are some ideas: