VIDEO: Turn it Into Something

If you've got a change just hanging out in a jar, it might be time to turn it into something. If you've been collecting coins for a while, you might be surprised at how much money is actually in there. And that money could be lunch with your friends, adding to your emergency fund, paying down debt, or buying me kitschy things off Etsy. 

I once read a blog over at Get Rich Slowly about a man who turned his loose change into $723 in 7 months. He certainly had a systematic way of saving his change, but that figure floored me, and it inspired me to turn my coins into dollars. Turns out (as you'll see in the video), I only got $44, BUT STILL. That $44 has gone a long way for me. 

So do yourself a favor! Call your financial institution ahead of time and see how they'll take your change. Some will take it loose, some will take it rolled up. Also, NEVER go to CoinStar if you want the full amount of your money! 

Keep cool my babies!

Michelle

Switching Banks Made Easy

Even though Bank Transfer Day has long since come and gone, it's never too late to switch from a bank to a credit union. The most common thing people ask me when I talk about this with them is that they don't know where to start. So, to help you all out, I found a great blog over at Consumerism Commentary called Bank Switch Kit and Checklist that I think will be most helpful. 

Step 1. Open the new account. 

Typically, when you open a new account, you'll need to deposit some money into your new account. For example, I think my credit union checking account was $20 and my savings account was $5. Once it's opened, you'll get your new account's routing number and account number, so make you sure you hold onto that because it'll be necessary when the real transferring begins. 

Make a list of all the things your previous bank account had, such as debit cards, checks, deposit slips, etc., and make sure you get all of those for your new account. 

Step 2. Change direct deposit information. 

Do this as soon as you can, because it could take two pay periods for your checks to be rerouted to your new credit union account. Most employers will have forms available for you to fill out, but if not, Consumerism Commentary has a generic one that most employers should take--look out for that link below. 

Step 3. Adjust bill pay. 

If you're doing online banking, most likely you're set up with bill pay for your regular bills. Make a list of all of them and begin setting up bill pay with your new account. This will have to be done manually, so it might take some time, but it's definitely worth it. 

Step 4. Update any linked accounts. 

If you're linked to another account or have a PayPal account associated with your old account, you'll want to update those as well, just like updating bill pay. These are sometimes over looked because they are automatic or have been static for some time, so you want to make sure you don't forget any. 

Step 5. Wait and close your account. 

Don't close your account right away. Make sure everything goes over to your new account, especially with things like direct deposit and bill pay. Once everything is smooth and there are no other pending transactions with your old one--close it, baby! 

Closing your account is easy. Don't let the agent helping you try to pull you in with something more attractive to get you to stay. If you say you're heading over to a credit union because they offer better rates and services, they really don't have anything to argue with you about! 

At the end of the article on Consumerism Commentary, there's a checklist that you can print that has all these steps clearly laid out, making the transition even easier. 

For a guide to finding credit unions with the Young & Free checking account in your area, click here. 

Keep cool my babies!

Michelle 

Living Young & Free Show Episode 056: Cheap De-stressing, Conscious Spending & Gone Phishing

Lee in Alabama shares how to de-stress without spending money, Jenn from St. Louis looks at ways to be more conscious about your spending and Matt from Indiana covers the warning signs of phishing scams.

You can also download all of the episodes as a podcast from iTunes and you can watch all previous shows!

The Y&F New Mexico Team

Money Lessons from U.S. Presidents

Happy Presidents' Day, everyone! 

In honor of today's holiday, I found some quotes from some celebrated U.S. presidents about our favorite thing over here at Young & Free New Mexico: money. 

George Washington, 1796: “As a very important source of strength and security, cherish public credit. One method of preserving it is, to use it as sparingly as possible… but remembering also that timely disbursements to prepare for danger frequently prevent much greater disbursements to repel it…”

What good ol' George is saying here is that credit can be good when used wisely (cherished) and when it's used sparingly. Also, putting money into an emergency fund or spending more money on something that will last in the long run are healthy habits as well. 

Abraham Lincoln, 1864: “That some should be rich, shows that others may become rich, and hence is just encouragement to industry and enterprise. Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another; but let him labor diligently and build one for himself…”

Here, Honest Abe is talking about the good ol' American way of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps and working hard for your success. Just because there may be a division of wealth among people, instead of looking at that negatively, one can look at that as an advantage to strive for something greater. 

Thomas Jefferson, 1825: “Never spend your money before you have it,” and “Never buy what you do not want because it is cheap…”

Thomas Jefferson was saying this to a baby boy, who I am sure remembers that moment very clearly. But what he's saying rings true: spending money before you have it and spending money just because you're getting a deal are ways that mess up your finances, and, let's face it, financial management is made just a little easier when these two things are avoided. 

To read more about these quotes, check out the Kiplinger article here. 

And now, for my favorite president of all time (this has nothing to do with money--I just want to show him off), here's a clip of President Bartlet (played by Martin Sheen) from the TV series The West Wing. He is talking to his Deputy Chief of Staff, Josh Lyman, and this moment captures exactly why I love him so much and why I would vote for him for president if he were real: 

What are you doing for Presidents' Day? Do you know of any other money lessons from our 44 presidents? Let me know! 

Keep cool my babies!

Michelle 

You Can Do It!

As you may know, we've got just a little over three weeks until the deadline for the Southwest's Best Mini Film Fest.

Now, I am totally confident in the 18-25 year olds of New Mexico. You guys are awesome, and I hope you don't forget it!

Last night I was thinking just generally about entering contests. How many contests I've entered in my life, how many I've lost, how many I've won. I can think, of all the contests I've done (and I think I've done quite a few, considering I want to get some short stories published), I have only won two. The first time was when I was a senior in high school: I went with a team of friends and fellow English nerds to a state-wide competition called English Expo. My friend Tess and I wrote a dialogue piece (later turning it into sketch comedy), and we won first place in the Team Dialogue category. It doesn't sound like much, but I still have my medal, so that should tell you something. 

The second thing I've won is, well, this job. As you might remember (or in case you're recently joining us), I had to audition for this job, go through a series of rounds of interviews and "showing my stuff" and campaign as many votes as I could. The day I found out I got this job, I had convinced myself I didn't get it. So yeah, my surprise was pretty authentic. 

What I'm saying is, entering contests is hard. You're putting yourself on the line for everyone to see and judge, and you don't know how you're going to end up. No matter how many contests or competitions or auditions you do in your life, I don't think it gets any easier. It's nervewracking as all heck, and your self-esteem comes into question nearly every second--and everything you thought you knew about yourself or your art or whatever just poofs into thin air. 

But what I'm also saying is this: as many contests I've entered, and no matter the outcome, I've always been thankful I did it. I've always learned something, either about myself or about my work, and it's made me a better person in the end. I've never regretted participating in one, even if I did not win or get selected. 

So I hope you quiet your critical self and enter our contest. Even if you don't consider yourself a filmmaker, try it anyway! See what you learn! And if you are a filmmaker, please submit! This is a chance for you to get recognized and put your name on the map--after all, you gotta start somewhere!

If you have any questions about the Mini Film Fest, please don't hesitate to email me at youngfreenewmexico@gmail.com or ask me on Facebook or Twitter. 

And--action!

Michelle