EPEFCU

Take Control of Your Cooling Bills

In case you haven’t noticed, it’s hot. El Paso has seen a record setting number of triple digit days and summer has only just begun which can mean bad news for our bank accounts.  The scorching temperatures mean our coolers have to work overtime, sending our electric bills soaring. We want to help keep your summer cooling bills under control, so we’ve put together a list of ways to keep cool without switching on the AC.

Grow a green thumb. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, smart landscaping can reduce air-conditioning bills by 15 to 50 percent. Leaves absorb some of the heat and cool the air as they release water vapor. Deciduous trees are an especially good choice because their leaves drop in fall, letting sunlight through in the cold months. Planting shrubs, bushes, and vines next to your house creates dead air spaces that insulate your home in both winter and summer.

Hang up your apron. Avoid turning on heat generating appliances such as the oven during the hottest part of the day. Warm spaces will make your AC work overtime. Also, limit your use of the dishwasher and clothes dryer during until later in the evening if possible.

Program your thermostat. It’s recommended that you set your thermostat at 78 degrees while at home, and raise the temperature to 80 while away. While you might want to turn your AC off all together when leaving the house, it is less efficient to cool your entire house again once it has warmed up. 

Change your light bulbs. According to the U.S Department of Energy, fluorescent lamps use 25%-35% of the energy used by incandescent lamps to provide the same amount of light and the energy from an incandescent bulb produces more heat. Make certain to also limit the amount of sunlight coming into your home. Purchase sun block window treatments to help keep the warmth of the sun from streaming into your home. To boost your savings, consider investing in energy efficient windows.

Use fans. Fans are underrated but can do wonders to decrease the temperature in a room. Using very little electricity, a fan can bring down the temperature an additional four to six degrees. Or, make one for yourself. This low-cost craft can help keep you cool during a summer barbecue.

Stay fresh this season knowing your summer cooling costs are under control.

 

 

How do you stay cool during these scorching summer month? Let us know, we’d be honored to read your comments!

 

 

Cheap Ways to Eat Organic

Choosing organic foods is not only the trendy thing to do- it’s the healthy thing to do, but eating healthy can come with a pretty hefty price tag. According to the New York Times, organic food can be anywhere from 20 to 100 percent more expensive than non-organic food. A single dollar can buy you 1,200 calories of harmful, processed food or a meager 250 calories of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, or organic meat. So how are we expected to eat healthy when we can’t afford to buy the foods that are good for us?

Growing your own organic garden is the easiest and cheapest way to eat healthy. Not only will you be saving money by growing your own food, you’ll also be improving your health by limiting the amount of toxins and chemical filled foods you’re putting into your body. 

Don’t have a backyard? Make use of your rooftop, balcony, fire escape or windowsill. There is no excuse as to why you can’t eat healthier without dipping into your piggy bank.

Before you begin, make sure you have the right tools. You’ll need gardening gloves, a trowel, pruning shears, a watering can,  a shovel, a spading fork, a rake, and a wheelbarrow. If you’ll be growing your garden at an apartment using a windowsill or other type of container you’ll only need the first four items.

Decide what to grow. Pick up seeds of some of your favorite fruits and vegetables at your local grocery store or home improvement store such as Wal-Mart and Lowe’s, or visit your local organic nursery. If you’d rather have a head start on your crops, you can purchase starter plants.  Are you going to be growing your garden indoors? Remember to keep in mind that certain plants don’t do well indoors.

Read the instructions. If this is your first time trying your hand at gardening, remember to pay close attention to the directions on the seed packages and the information tag. Here you can find what kind of care the plant needs, such as how much sunlight is required or specific instructions on how to plant the seeds. Some plants can handle direct sunlight while others will need to spend the majority of the day in the shade.

Maintain your garden the natural way. Weed problem? Try spreading mulch to discourage them or simply pull them out yourself. Remember to pull out the entire weed by the root. If you’ve noticed pesticides in your garden, use organic alternatives when attempting to get rid of them. Ladybugs for example will kill spider mites and aphids without hurting you, your plant or your pet. For more tips on how to control pesticides, log onto the internet, there are plenty of websites that offer ways to control weeds and pests naturally.

You’ll be enjoying organic fruits and vegetables from your own garden in no time, without breaking the bank.

 

Starting your own garden? Share your tips and favorite crops with us!

Summer Writing is Back!

It’s hard to believe that another year is nearly halfway over. August is just around the corner and we’re gearing up for our next writing contest. At El Paso Employees FCU, we strive to be a community focused credit union, and are constantly looking for new ways to serve the residents of its community. With the rising cost of education, EPEFCU realizes the importance of providing financial aid to the students of El Paso.

This week, we’re launching our Summer Writing Contest, open to all college bound high school seniors and college students. Two lucky students will win $1,000 to use towards their education! All you have to do is choose one of the three topics listed below, write a 1,000 word essay then follow the instructions below. Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges. Winning $1,000 has never been easier!

Get your essay submitted soon! The deadline to submit your essay is August 31st! 

Students, please choose from one of the following topics:

1. Summer usually means warmer temperatures, time off from school, and vacation getaways. Have you recently taken a trip out of town or are you currently saving for your dream vacation? If so, tell us about how you saved the money for your trip or what you are currently doing in order to save for an upcoming vacation. What have you learned about managing your finances during this process?
2. Attending school can sometimes be difficult if you have to maintain a job at the same time. Have you been employed while attending school in order to pay for college? Or maybe you're a high school senior working to save for your education. Discuss how you have balanced work and school at the same time. How has this experience changed your spending habits?
3. First jobs are hard to forget. Share with us your experience with your first job and discuss the ways in which this experience changed the way you felt about money. How did you change your spending habits?    

Once Written:

1. E-mail your submission along with your Name, Address, Telephone Number, Contest Group (high school senior or college) to marketing@epefcu.org.
2. Become a Fan or Follower and leave a comment about your recent submission on any one of our social media sites below: 
   
    

Contest Rules:

• Entries must be at least 1,000 words.
• Content must be original and cannot be published elsewhere.
• By submitting an article for this contest the writer is granting El Paso Employees Federal Credit Union first and full publishing rights to your piece.
• The applicants will be judged by a committee. A winner will be announced in each category and monies will be given once membership has been established. For the high school category, money will be deposited into an Escrow account and will be released to the university the student enrolls in after graduation.
• For the college category, the funds will be released to the university which you attend. Please keep in mind that the funds are to be used for educational purposes only.
• Deadline to submit your essay is August 31, 2011 no later than 11:59 p.m. MST.
• Winners will be notified September 12, 2011 via the e-mail address with which they used to register for the contest.

 

Win a FREE iPad!

We know you’re busy, that’s why we’ve created our latest product, eChecking, with you in mind. Finding the time to step into a branch to make a transfer, check your balance, or even open an account to begin with can be difficult. Especially when many branches are closed before you even get the chance to leave your office.

With our eChecking account, you can now enjoy the flexibility of conducting all of your banking transactions online, and the best part is not only will you save time and transportation cost, you’ll be earning one of the highest dividends in town!

In addition to earning a great rate, you'll also be doing your part to help the environment. Did you know that if Americans viewed and payed bills online it would save 18.5 million trees per year? This is  according to a Javelin Strategy and Research survey.

In an effort to make your eAccount experience even easier, we want to help you stay connected through the use of a brand new iPad.

Sign up for an eAccount before September 30^th 2011 and you’ll automatically be eligible for the drawing to take place on October 15^th 2011. One lucky winner will take home a brand new iPad! Already an eAccount member? You’ve already been entered to win!

 

 

 

Federally Insured by NCUA.
 
 

Member must be eAccount holder and must sign up before 9/30/2011 to be eligible for the drawing to be held by 10/15/2011. Entrants need not be present to win. Winners will be notified by 10/15/2011 and must claim prize by 10/31/2011 or alternate winner will be chosen. Employees and family members of EPEFCU are not eligible for this drawing. Limit one entry per member. Must be legal resident of U.S. and 18 years or older to be eligible.

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