July 2008
Make it a Green Summer
Our Green Auto Loan is easy on the environment and your wallet! Your Credit
Flexible Fuel Vehicles
Union can save you some green when you finance an environmentally-friendly
vehicle. You may qualify for a rate as low as 5.99%
According to the Energy Department,
(FFVs)
E85 -
ethanol/15%
the fuel alternative
petroleum
made from
of 85%
renewable
APR' on any new or used hybrid or fuel-efficient
natural "green"
vehicle (30 MPG highway or greater.)
cane -
Hybrid Vehicles
approximately 1500 E85 Filling Stations ;n the U.S.
as of March 2008. At least one in 40 vehicles on the
The term
"hybrid"
petroleum-electric
vehicle
usually
refers to a
(generally
gasoline
easier to find. There were
road in the U.S. is now a FFV You may already be
hybrid vehicle. Petroleum-electric
driving
- hybrids most commonly use internal combustion
engines
resources such as corn and sugar
is getting
a FFV and not even know
it; for more
information, check your owner's manual.
or Diesel engines,
powered by a variety of fuels) and electric batteries
Learn
to power electric motors. While in conventional
www.fueleconomy.gov
vehicles, energy from deceleration is wasted as it dissipates, hybrid vehicle
more
about
your
"green
choices"
at
and www.eere.energy.gov.
And before you shop, always check with DBCC Federal Credit Union. Not only
braking systems capture that energy, store it, and convert it to electricity to help
do we offer you the best terms available with the lowest cost financing, we have
propel the vehicle-ultimately
a wealth of research and information tools to help you get the best deal.
increasing overall efficiency.
• APR=Annual
REALL
Percentage
Rate. subject to change. Subject to credit approval.
Not a promise to lend. Some resuictions
app~.
Y Start Saving Today
16 Ways ta Break the Paycheck-ta-Paycheck
Cycle
You've always meant to set up an emergency savings fund - the three months
when you accelerate and brake gradually, carry only what you need in your car
of living expenses experts say you should have. But there always seems to be a
and/or trunk and keep your tires inflated to the recommended level, your car uses
lack of funds to get started. There is no completely painless way to break the
less fuel. And if you're idling your car for more than 5 minutes, you're getting 0
miles per gallon - so turn it off.
cycle, but below are ideas for lowering your everyday expenses. Some will be
easier than others -
start with those. If you commit to recording all your
you can
Food Tips: Check your newspaper (or the online version) often for restaurant
eliminate. Open a basic savings account, and move to a high-yield account as
specials; new restaurants and breakfast spots usually offer the best deals. For
expenses for a month, you're likely to find several other "extras"
soon as you have accumulated the minimum balance.
dramatic savings, bring your own thermos of coffee to
Phone Tips: Cancel all services you don't need on
work: $8 for a pound of gourmet beans = 40 cups of
coffee vs. $8 (or more) for two mocha lattes. Ditto for
your landline (caller ID, call waiting, long distance,
etc.) Or if you rely heavily on your cell phone, consider
canceling your landline altogether. Make sure your
bottled water or canned soda: grocery stores price it
--
-at-14-16
cents each,while vending-machines-charge50-75 cents or more.
cell phone "minutes" plan fits your actual usage. And
to eliminate expensive 411 calls, program this free
Entertainment
number into your phone: 800-GOOG-411
free books by visiting your local library. Invite friends
Money Management
you'll spend about half of what you would at a
Tips: Watch free movies and read
over for dinner - even if you serve high-end steaks,
Tips: Compare your financial
accounts to the same option at your Credit Union; other institutions typically
charge higher fees. And make a conscious effort to avoid using credit or debit
restaurant. Playing card or board games is interactive and fun, and can save you
the cost of theater tickets.
cards for consumables (things you eat or wear); studies show that you're more
careful of what you're spending when you pay in cash. At work, if you're receiving
Be sure to track your savings along the way - and deposit them into your
a big tax refund this year, change your withholding allowance - the goal is to pay
account, rather than use them for other expenses. If you make your savings
Uncle Sam nothing and receive nothing back; otherwise you're just loaning the
deposit automatic - as soon as you get your paycheck - you're more likely to
government money on which you could be earning the interest.
adjust your spending accordingly. Talk to us today about direct deposit and
payroll deduction - they make saving easy!
Auto Tips: Dad probably annoyed you with this as a teenager, but it's true: if you
plan your errands to avoid criss-crossing town, the fuel savings add up. Likewise,