|
HIGH COUNTRY BANK ENCOURAGES CUSTOMERS TO CREATE A BUDGET
In celebration of Money Smart Week (April 23 - 30th), it is very important for High Country Bank to support their communities through education. We want to encourage families to develop a budget and stick to it. Rainy-day funds, savings for college, or just making your rent payment can all be made easier with a budget. High Country Bank supports its customer's efforts to budget and save by offering expert guidance.
"A financial goal can be very motivating," said Gail Granzella, High Country Bank's Executive Vice-President. "Whether you are saving for a family vacation, a down payment for a house or a new pair of shoes, if you stick to a plan, you're likely to achieve your goal."
Putting together a household budget requires time and effort. High Country Bank offers the following steps to create a budget:
- Be a Spending Sleuth. Track every penny you spend for a month. Keep receipts and write everything down. This will be an eye-opening experience and will help you see where you can cut back.
- Count Your Money. Determine the total amount of money coming in. Include only your take home pay (your salary minus taxes and deductions). Your income may also include tips, child support, investment income, etc.
- Itemize, Categorize, Organize. Review the records and receipts you've been collecting over the last month. Categorize your spending using a budget sheet.
- Goal Setting: Set a realistic financial goal and develop your budget to achieve that goal. Subtract your monthly expenses from your monthly income. Find ways to cut spending and set limits on things like entertainment expenses.
- Save, Save, Save. Make one of your financial goals to save a certain dollar amount each month. Start an emergency fund if you don't already have one. You never know when you may need it.
- Stick to it. Keep track of your spending every month. Update your budget as expenses or incomes change. Once you achieve your financial goal, set another.
- High Country Bank encourages consumers to inquire about our Save as You Spend Savings account. With this account you can save your money every time you use a debit card. Each time you make a purchase with your debit card it automatically rounds the purchase up to the nearest dollar and transfers the change into a savings account. This type of savings can be a line item on a budget sheet allocated for something that a consumer might not need to rely on for their financial viability, but possibly for something fun!
|
 High Country Bank is proud to announce its April Charities of the Month, HRRMC Home Health and Hospice (Salida), Living Waters Hospice (Buena Vista), and Festival in the Park (Canon City). March's charities included Neighbor to Neighbor in BV and Salida, and Fremont County Crimestoppers in Canon.
High Country Bank has been selecting a charity of the month for over 20 years. All notary fees for the given month are donated to this charity, along with a $100.00 donation to that organization. There are also donation jars next to each teller window, which allow the public to make a donation to the organization as well.
We are thrilled about our new partnership with Salida Soup and we are pleased to make donations to Sage Generation, Boys and Girls Club Casino Night, and the Career Building Academy. We are grateful to have the opportunity to engage our neighbors and work with them in "Building Futures Together." Visit us at www.highcountrybank.net Member FDIC. |
