Our generation_NEXTpackages are designedto help your child takethe first steps towarddeveloping goodfinancial habits andbuilding a soundfinancial future.

CU_kidzThe essentials for a child of any age to activelysave and watch those savings grow over time.

CU_STUDENTSTeaches the value of saving while it alsoallows flexible access to money that can becontrolled by both the teens and the parents.

A Smart Start for Your

Kids

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Is your child notyet a member ofBFSFCU?Membership is alwaysopen to family andcomes with exclusivebenefits to help makeknowledgeable financialdecisions. VisitBFSFCU.org/join tocomplete the MembershipApplication.

FEES YOU CAN DO WITHOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Free checking is gone from many banks already,and they’re charging for lots of other services,too, that used to be available gratis.

MOVING OUT AND MOVING ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4When you’re leaving home for the first time,there’s a lot more to think about than just howto furnish that apartment.

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME, FOR PEANUTS . . . . . 6Going to a baseball game doesn’t have tobreak your budget, even if you decide to takethe whole family.

GAS PAIN RELIEF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7$5-a-gallon gas? It may not be far away. Ifyou’ve still got to drive, we have some tips thatcan help.

HOME EQUITY EXPLAINED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Taking out a loan against your home can be agreat way to save money on interest, but knowthe risks before you do.

PRESCRIPTIONS FOR HEALTHCARE SAVINGS . . . . . 10Healthcare costs are soaring. Learn somepractical ways to save at the doctor’s office.

KID-FRIENDLY SNACKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12For parents who want to keep their kids fromfilling up on junk: healthy, easy-to-preparesnacks your kids can help you make or just fixfor themselves.

Table ofContents

ISSUE: FALL 2011

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Written by Kate Esposito

Edited by Marbury Wethered

Produced by Visions, Ink. ©2011

While every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of this publication’s content, it should not beseen as the provision of legal advice.

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It’s likely that one of the reasons you joined the credit union was to savemoney. One way many credit union members have saved money over theyears is by not having to pay the high interest rates and fees banks chargecredit card account holders. Now that a piece of legislation called the CARDAct has put new limits on banks’ ability to do that, they’re trying to get thatmoney from customers in other ways.

For example, according to the Wall Street Journal, both Bank of Americaand J.P. Morgan Chase, arguably the biggest players in the bankingworld, have initiated pilot programs to charge their customers evenmore fees than they have in the past. It’s been suggested that they aretesting the boundaries as to just how much customers are willing topay to use their services.

One example of these new fees is the monthly fee of $3 J.P. MorganChase has started charging some account holders for having a debitcard. This fee is targeted to those who don’t have high savingsbalances, and it’s a major change because, since they were introduced,debit cards have been almost universally free to individuals withchecking accounts. Bank of America is testing charging differentamounts of monthly fees depending on where account holders live. Forexample, a certain checking account carries a $6 per month fee forresidents of Arizona and a $9 fee for residents of Georgia.

It gets worse. A survey by the Independent Community Bankers ofAmerica showed that 90% of smaller banks are considering charging fees

for services they don’t charge for now.Part of the banks’ reasoning has to dowith new debit card legislation that putsthe government in charge of regulatingthe fees retailers have to pay to acceptdebit cards.

Many banks have taken advantage ofloopholes that allow them to get pastsome of the CARD Act’s rules, such asthe restrictions on marketing toindividuals under the age of 21. Whilecredit card issuers are not allowed to sendpreapproved offers to teens anymore,they get around this by sending them“offers,” which they must apply for in

order to get approved. Since they can’tsolicit information directly, they targetthose who are members of frequent flierclubs, loyalty programs and the like,since that source gets them around opt-in rules.

THE NEW RULESSome new amendments to the CARDAct that take effect October 1 aim atclosing some of the loopholes. Here aresome of the changes being made:

• Issuers won’t be able to base decisionson total household income. They’ll

have to consider only the individualcardholder.

• Interest rate increases will beforbidden unless a payment is 60 dayslate or the card’s rate is variable.

• Promotional rates will not berevocable.

As always, your best protection againstbanks’ attempts to extract money fromyour wallet is your credit unionmembership. You can count on yourcredit union not to charge youexcessively for the services you use.

5 Reasons to Switch to aCredit Union Credit CardA 2010 Forbes magazine report noted the followingadvantages of credit union credit cards:

1. Interest Rate Caps – Credit unionsare prohibited by federal law fromcharging more than 18% interest.Other credit card issuers can settheir rates as high as they like.

2. Lower Interest Rates – A PewFoundation study showed that thelowest credit union credit card ratewas 2.3% APR lower than the lowestbank rate.

3. Lower Fees – The Pew study found thatthe average credit union late fee was$20 and the average bank late fee was$39. The highest credit union cashadvance fee was 13.7%, but it was 21%for banks.

4. Member Ownership of Credit Unions –This one is no surprise. There’s no pressurefrom investors to keep profits up byadding to the bottom line.

5. Increased Service – A Forrester Researchsurvey found that 70% of credit unionmembers think their financial institution puts theirfinancial needs first, compared with 58% ofregional bank customers and 40% of nationalbank customers.

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10% UTILITIES AND OTHERHOUSING EXPENDITURESWhen you rent a house or anapartment, rent is just one of yourmonthly obligations. You also have to think about utilities. This is not justelectricity and water. You’ll also have to factor in Internet service, gas, cable (if you want it), trash pickup,landline phone service (if needed),renters insurance and, possibly,community fees.

Some of these expenses are static, butthings like electricity can vary frommonth to month depending on yourusage. Budget extra if you get cold inthe winter or hot in the summer andcompensate by adjusting thethermostat. If you have a lot of troublewith this, see if your utility companyoffers what is known as budget billing,where you pay the same amountthroughout the year. Just note that youmay end up overpaying if you go thisroute since it estimates your usage.

10% TRANSPORTATIONWe all know gas isn’t getting any cheaper. The average priceper gallon on May 30 of this year hovered between $3.70 and$4.15, depending on the geographic area. Your gas expenditure will depend on howmuch you drive, of course. If you take public transportation instead, it could be eithermore or less expensive. See if your employer will subsidize some of your transportationcosts or if you can participate in a ride-sharing program. Most larger metro areas have websitesdevoted to commuting solutions. In the D.C. area you can go to www.mwcog.org/commuter2. Notonly can you save on gas if you carpool, but you’ll be able to drive in the HOV lanes and get homea little quicker. Got a car payment? It fits into the transportation category as well.

Here’s how it breaks down.(These percentages are offered asa general guide to help you withyour planning.)

30% HOUSINGYour biggest expense will likely be housing, and you’ll probably start by rent-ing instead of buying, so you won’t beable to gain equity or take advantage of allthe homeowner tax breaks yet. Visitwww.freeby50.com/2010/11/median-rent-by-state.htmlto see the average rents in your area. Of course, youcan save some money by living with roommates.

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5% CLOTHINGOf course, you want to look good. Whodoesn’t? Designer clothes should not beyour first priority, though, when you’restarting out on your own. You may haveto turn to thrift shops or consignmentsales to keep your fashionista in checkfor a while. You can also trade clothingwith friends and have new things towear without spending any money atall. If you need clothing for work,such as a uniform, you might beable to deduct it on your taxes.Ask your tax advisor for details.

5% CAR INSURANCE ANDMISCELLANEOUS PERSONAL EXPENSESYour car insurance costs will depend a lot on yourdriving record, and your age will probably be a factorif you’re male. The average cost is around $100 permonth. Of course, if you don’t have a car you don’thave to worry about this one, but you’ll have otherexpenses that fit here. For example, you may havemedical costs you need to pay for out of pocket.

15% FOODAccording to a USDA survey of foodspending by U.S. households, theaverage American spends about $122per month on groceries. However,unless you plan to subsist on ramen,it’s likely you’ll spend considerablymore than that. If you decide to eat out,the bill will quickly rise as well, unlessyou choose inexpensive options such as fast food. Ifyou go this route, though, you may need some extrafunds for a gym membership.

10% DEBT REPAYMENTThis one is highly variable. If youdon’t know how much yourstudent loan payments are, you

need to contact your lender and findout right away. As far as credit cards go, use themsparingly. The average American household withany credit card debt has about $15,000 of it,according to CreditCards.com. Don’t turn yourhousehold into one of these. Always pay at least theminimum payment and however much more youcan. When at all possible, pay cash.

5% ENTERTAINMENT While entertainment is certainly fun tospend money on, it does have tocome last, after you have taken care of everything else. Luckily, it’s likelyyou can find a lot of free things to dono matter where you live. The siteFree-attractions.com can help you. Asyou pay off your debts and have moredisposable income, you can start tobranch out. You may find that youenjoy the free events and attractionsmore than some that are very pricey.

10% SAVINGSYou should always strive to devote at least 10% of your salary tosavings. This will keep you in the mindset of paying yourself first.Build an emergency fund so that you don’t have to rely on creditcards if a financial disaster strikes, for example, if you lose yourjob or your car dies. Get your savings in line before spendingmoney on the following two items.

Of course, these costs are only estimates. It’s impossible to tailor themto you specifically in the context of a magazine article. So how do youdetermine how much everything will cost you? One good way is to usea budget worksheet for a month and see what you are spending onthese items before you move out on your own. If someone else ispaying for them now, ask them how much they spend on you and gowith those numbers. If they are provided for you, such as food in adining hall, it can take a couple months of guesswork to get thenumbers exactly right, but put in a general estimate. Always estimatehigh so you will end up with extra money instead of falling short. This willgive you a cushion in case an emergency happens. Need help? Talk toa member service representative at your credit union.

They say college isn’t the real world, and they’reprobably right. But once you graduate, the realworld can come down on you like a load of bricks.You’re faced with finding a job, securing a place tolive and taking care of those strange, unwelcomethings that arrive every month known as bills. Andyou thought your biggest worry would be figuringout how to get that new furniture home from Ikea!

INCOME AFTERSHOCKWho doesn’t go to college with the dream ofmaking the big bucks when they graduate — or atleast enough to support the lifestyle they want?Getting your first job after graduation is exciting, butit can also be a reality check. The salary you’repromised will not be what you actually get to put inyour pocket every pay period. The more you make,the more taxes you’ll see taken out.

From your gross pay, which is the number in youroffer letter, you have to subtract federal taxes, statetaxes, Social Security, Medicare and any benefitsyou have to pay for. This will give you your net pay,which is what you actually take home. For a personmaking $35,000 a year, the net income will be about$10,000 less than that. You can see how it works outfor your specific salary at paycheckcity.com.

EXPENSE WHIPLASHIf you’re not surprised at your income notbeing what you hoped, you may still besurprised at all the expenses you incur.Used to having your parents pay for mostof the things you need? It’s time for a rudeawakening.

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If you’re thinking about enjoyingAmerica’s pastime, either by spendingan afternoon at the ballpark or taking ina starry, starry night game, rememberthat it’s not the cheap pastime that itused to be. According toMoneywatch.com, the average cost ofattendance increased 1.7% in 2010.You’ll likely spend $25 a pop for averageseats. On top of that, there’s parking,refreshments and souvenirs. It’s notuncommon for a family of four to blow$200 in one afternoon.

It doesn’t have to be that way, though.There are a lot of ways to save money atthe ballpark. You can start saving moneybefore you even get there.

CHECK THE SCHEDULEInstead of going to a game on the spur ofthe moment, plan ahead and see whentickets are at their cheapest. Goodoptions are games that are during theweek, involve less popular opponents orare paired with promotions. For example,many ballparks offer nights when youcan get a meal and a ticket to the gamefor one low price, or a student nightwhen kids with good grades get in free.You can see all of the major leaguebaseball schedules at MLB.com.

BUY IN BULKIf you have a lot of people going to onegame or plan to go to a lot of games,buying in bulk is a smart idea. Ask about

group rates and ticket packages. Youcan often get the best deals on theseif you buy them in the wintertime— way before the season starts.Sometimes you can find tickets ongroup buying sites, too, such asGroupon and Living Social.

BRING YOUR OWN FOODBaseball parks are some of the few placeswhere you can bring your own food in— in most cases. Take advantage of it.Those vendors who line the streets onthe way to the game are almost alwayscheaper to buy from than the ones insidethe stadium. Or pack some munchiesbefore you go.

WATCH WHERE YOU PARKParking at the stadium can be pricey, butthere are other places to put your wheels.For example, in Baltimore, a local churchrents out its lot for games, and you canpark there for just a couple of bucks.Another option is to take public transit.Then you’re not stuck in the crowd ofpeople trying to leave the city either.Well, not for as long a time.

SKIP THE SOUVENIRSYou already know that the stadium is notthe only place where you can buy gearemblazoned with your favorite team’slogo. Instead of buying it at the game,check with vendors outside, or go to astore like Target or Walmart. Just have to

havea certainitem? See if you canfind it online for less.Ballpark finds often endup for sale on eBay.

HIT THE MINORLEAGUESIf you have the option, attend a minorleague game. Sure, you won’t see thecurrent hot players, but you may catch aglimpse of some stars in the making.Plus, you can sit close to the action forless money. Sometimes minor leaguetickets are available for $5 or less.Minorleaguebaseball.com can tell youwhere to find your local team.

Sometimes you can get discount baseballtickets through your credit union. Don’tforget to ask a member servicerepresentative.

Take meout to theballgame,FOR PEANUTS

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Black gold, Texas tea . . . whateveryou call it, it’s bad for theenvironment and expensive. So whenyou cut back on gasoline consumption,you not only reduce your carbonfootprint, you save some serious cash atthe same time.

DRIVE LESSIf you’re going somewhere that’s less thantwo miles away, and it’s not 2 a.m. andpitch black outside, why not walk or ridea bike? If you’re traveling somewhere inthe city, you’ll likely get there faster thanif you drive anyway.

If you’re going a longer distance, you stilldon’t have to hop in your vehicle necessar-ily. Instead, hop on public transit. If youtake public transit to work, your employermay even subsidize some of the cost.

But what if you live far from whereyou’re going and don’t live on a masstransit route? Perhaps you can travel witha friend or coworker. Share the ride andyou’ll have someone to share your fuelcosts with. Plus, you’ll have company.

If you have several errands to run, youdon’t have to do them in the order thatthey appear on your list. Instead, plan outa route that will let you do them effi-ciently — either driving out and backonly once or going in a circle. That wayyou avoid zigging and zagging aroundtown or backtracking.

INCREASE YOUR FUELECONOMYYou’ll buy less gas if you boost your fueleconomy. Here’s how:• Stop slamming on the brakes. Itcauses you to accelerate more, whichis hard on the engine and uses more

gas. Instead,gently pushdown on the brakepedal and decelerategradually.

• Use air conditioningwhen you’re driving athighway speeds and turn it offand open the windows at lowerspeeds. At high speeds, the air resist-ance trumps any fuel savings you gainby not using the AC. At lower speeds,the opposite is true.

• Get rid of the rooftop bike rack or lug-gage rack if you don’t use it regularly.This also increases air resistance.

• Take heavy things out of the trunk. Youdon’t need golf clubs, suitcases or what-ever weighing your car down andcausing it to work harder.

• Rein in that inner NASCAR driver.Once you get above about 65 miles perhour, your fuel economy plummets.

• Don’t idle longer than 90 seconds. Instead of going through the fast fooddrive-thru, park and go inside.

• Avoid stop-and-go traffic as much aspossible.

• Use the right grade of oil for your car.This will help it run more efficiently.Check your car’s owner’s manual for thisinformation, or ask a mechanic you trust.

• Check your tire pressure. Underin-flated tires can lose you about two

percent of your fuel efficiency perpound. Don’t overinflate them either.The ideal number should be printedinside the vehicle’s door.

• Use cruise control if you are not drivingin too much traffic. It will keep youfrom having to repeatedly accelerate.

BUY CHEAPER GASUse a site like GasBuddy.com to find outwhere the gas is cheapest. Another way tofind cheaper gas is to not go to the firststation after you get off the interstate orafter a long stretch of road with norefueling stops. They tend to have thehighest prices since they get morebusiness. Of course, if you’re running outof gas, you may have to make anexception.

Whether it’s better to fill up when yourtank is half full or when your car isrunning on fumes is open to debate, butwaiting too long may ruin your chances offinding the best price. You’re stuck withwhatever’s closest when your engine isabout to shut itself down!

Gas Pain ReliefFILL YOUR TANK WITHOUTBREAKING THE BANK

It seems so simple. You’ve got a house, you’vegot a loan — and at a super competitive rate

to boot. It is that simple in theory, but not inpractice. The process of getting a home equityloan, and of deciding if you should even try toget one, is actually quite involved.

Before you can apply for this type of loan,you must, of course, own a home. And youmust have a decent amount of equity in it.To determine how much equity you have,you will have to get your home appraisedto see what its current value is. It makesno difference what you paid for it. Theonly thing that matters is what it’s worthnow. Depending on what your creditunion requires, you may be able to getby with an appraisal that involves nomore than seeing what other homes inyour neighborhood are selling for. Inother cases, an appraiser will have toactually come out and visit yourhome to determine its value.

Once you have your home’sappraised value, you can simply

subtract your current mortgage balancefrom it. This is your available equity.

Note that sometimes you cannot borrowagainst 100% of your equity. It can depend on

your credit rating and your credit union’s policies. It’s also true8

that you may not want to borrow all ofthe funds that you are entitled to. Themore you borrow, the more you will haveto pay back at a later date.

TYPES OF HOME EQUITYLOANSAlmost all credit unions offer bothvarieties of home equity loan: the fixedrate loan, which is also referred to as asecond mortgage loan, and the homeequity line of credit, or HELOC.Obviously, the fixed rate loan has a fixedrate, meaning it is the same for the life ofyour loan. When you get a fixed rateloan, you only get money once, and youstart making payments on it right away.A lot of people use this type of homeequity loan for one-time large purchases,such as cars, weddings or vacations. Theycan also be a good choice for billconsolidation.

The home equity line of credit worksmore like a credit card, and it has avariable rate, which means it is tied tosome sort of index, so it can rise or fall,or both, over time. With this loan, youare given a set draw period during whichtime you can borrow as much as you likeup to the limit of your loan. When youpay off some of it during this period, the

line is replenished, meaning the money isavailable for you to use again. Often,you’ll get a special debit card or set ofchecks to make it easy to draw on yourline. Once your draw period ends, youcan no longer access the loan and youmust repay it as you would a fixed rateloan. This type of loanis good for ongoingexpenses, like tuitionpayments or homeremodeling.

RISKS VS.REWARDSOne of the great things about a homeequity loan is that the interest cangenerally be deducted on your taxes.Most Americans can deduct the intereston the first $100,000 borrowed on a firstor second home.* If you have a homeequity loan on more than two homes,you will have to pick two to use for thetax advantages. You may be able todeduct more if you use the money forhome improvements. Check with yourtax advisor, especially since tax law canchange from year to year.

The biggest risk you take by borrowingagainst your home is, well, that you areborrowing against your home. If you

default on your loan, you can go intoforeclosure. If you have trouble with yourmain mortgage and you decide to sellyour home for less than what it’s worth— also called a short sale — you maystill be responsible for the debt incurredthrough your home equity loan. Do not

borrow more than you believe you canafford to make in payments.

So is it a good idea for you to take thistype of risk? Bankrate.com has acalculator that can help you make thatdecision. You’ll find it atwww.bankrate.com/calculators/managing-debt/borrowing-calculator.aspx. Thecredit union’s lending department is alsoan excellent resource.

*As of April 2011.

Fixed Rate or Line of Credit?FIXED RATE LOANEasy budgetingGood for large purchasesRate doesn’t changeRepayment starts right awayDisbursed in a lump sum

LINE OF CREDITCan be drawn on as neededGood for ongoing expensesRate may changeEasy access to fundsReplenished as you repay it

However you decide to tap your homeequity, remember this advice:

“One last tip: go to a credit union. Creditunions often offer better home equity ratesthan other banks and lenders.”— The Wall Street Journal Online

{Lines of credit are bestfor ongoing expenses,like tuition payments orhome remodeling.

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Even if you have insurance, you’ve likely noticed thathealthcare costs are rising, so it makes sense to try to cut yourcosts any way you can. Here are some strategies for doing that.

USE YOUR INSURER’S NETWORKWhether you have an HMO or a PPO, it’ssmart to use your connections, so to speak.Oftentimes, insurers negotiate lower rates withparticipating doctors. Go out of network andyou may be surprised by a bill for a prettyhefty amount that your insurance didn’tcover. Don’t forget to check when you’regoing to specialists, too. For example, ifyou’re going to be hospitalized, check thefacility and any doctors you will see whileyou are there.

STAY OUTPATIENTWhile surgery is normally expensive, it isoften the hospital stay that really costsyou, at prices like $400 a night. Ask thesurgeon if they do any work at outpatientclinics. It’s likely you can save a bundle onfacilities fees and still get the same quality ofcare. Also try going to urgent care facilitiesinstead of the emergency room. If yourillness is very minor, you may even be able toget treated at a chain pharmacy like CVS.Many of the stores have clinics. The averagein-network ER visit costs $933, according toKiplinger’s magazine, compared with theCVS cost of about $33.

DO YOUR RESEARCHJust as you can shop around for a car,you can shop around for healthcare.Compare prices for medical

procedures at Healthcarebluebook.com sothat you know when you are beingovercharged. The site even provides printoutsof fair pricing that you can show to yourhealthcare provider. It doesn’t hurt to getseveral different opinions, even when itcomes to pricing.

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ORDER DRUGSDIFFERENTLYJust because a doctor prescribes amedicine one way doesn’t mean you

can’t ask them to change it in order tosave you money. For example, sometimesyou can order pills at twice the dose youneed and then cut them in half. Theprice for the larger dose pills and thesmaller dose pills will often be almostexactly the same. Just be sure that yourpills are splittable. This is a question foryour doctor or pharmacist.

Another way to save is by taking genericinstead of name brand medication. Nogeneric available? Ask if you can switch toanother drug that treats the samecondition. Check out drug prices atDestinationRx.com. It’s a good resourceto use if you’re looking toreplace your medicationwith another one. Ofcourse, check with yourdoctor, too.

Using mail order pharma-cies can save you money.They usually charge farless than brick and mortarones. Your insurance mayeven have a company thatit works with. Lastly, see ifthe drug manufacturersoffer discount coupons oreven free sample packs ofthe drugs you take.

CHECK YOURSTATEMENTSWhen you get billsand statements ofbenefits in the mail,

do you take the time tolook at them or do youjust push them aside orthrow them in a drawer?While they are not themost interesting things inthe world, it’s importantto look at them carefullyto see if you wereovercharged. If so, let yourinsurance company know

right away so that someone can look intoit. Compare the bill and the statement ofbenefits to make sure everything matchesup, and always get itemized receipts forall of your medical care so that you don’thave to go through any guesswork.Sometimes claims that are underpaidtake a while to make their way throughthe chain of command at the insurancecompany. Always keep the medicalprovider in the loop so that you don’tend up getting sent to collections.

SEE IF YOU CAN NEGOTIATEIf you have a high-deductible plan,or no insurance at all, you may beable to work with your healthcareprovider to get a lower rate. Some

would rather get payments right away

than go through an insurance company.Start by offering to pay 50% of the billand then go up from there. Of course, it’sbetter to try this at the beginning of yourappointment than afterwards.

“AN OUNCE OFPREVENTION . . .” Why get medical care when youcan get preventive care instead?

You’ve probably heard all of this before,but it costs less to eat right, exercise andquit bad habits like smoking than it doesto get medical care for the problems suchmeasures can help you avoid. Find out ifyour employer, your insurer or both offeryou incentives to do those things. If not,do them anyway!

Just How Bad Are Healthcare Costs?This bad:

• In 2009, The American Journal of Medicine reported that a survey ofpeople who had filed for bankruptcy found that 62.1 percent of thebankruptcies could be traced to medical bills.

• Three-fourths of those people with medically related bankruptcieshad health insurance!

• A survey conducted last year by the Commonwealth Fund foundthat one-fifth of U.S. adults had major problems paying medical bills.

• That same survey also found that one-third of U.S. adults wentwithout recommended care, did not see a doctor when sick orfailed to fill prescriptions because of costs.

• Young adults have been hit especially hard by rising medical costs.Another Commonwealth Fund study found that the number ofyoung adults between 19 and 29 who couldn’t afford the care theyneeded was much higher than that for adults in general, at 45percent (up from 32 percent in 2001).

• Forty percent of the young adults surveyed had problems payingmedical bills, had been contacted by a collection agency overunpaid bills, had to change their way of life to pay medical bills, orwere paying off medical debt over time. Of those with medical billproblems or medical debt, one-third had to deplete their savings topay their bills and one in five had to take on credit card debt.

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{

FROZEN GRAPESOkay, this one’s super-easy. Just pull thegrapes off the stem and pour them into acolander. Rinse them and strain them,and make sure they get dry. Then placethem on a cookie sheet covered in waxedpaper. Put the cookie sheet, or plate, ifyou have a smaller freezer, in the freezerfor about an hour. Take the grapes outand place them in a freezer bag. Pullthem out and eat when you’re ready. Thepurpose of the waxed paper is to keep thegrapes from sticking together.

ANTS ON A LOGCut celery stalks into four equal pieces,discarding the leafy part at the top. Flipthem so that the side with theindentation is face up. Fill thatindentation with peanut butter. (Thecreamy type tends to fit better.) Top thepeanut butter with a row of raisins.

SIMPLE DEVILED EGGSTake a dozen hardboiled eggs, pull offthe shells, cut them in half and place theyolks in a resealable plastic bag. Add a

quarter cup of low-fat mayonnaise to thebag, along with a half teaspoon ofmustard and a quarter teaspoon of salt.Seal the bag tight and let your childmush the contents together until they’remixed. Cut one corner off of the bag andsqueeze to pour the mixture into the eggwhites. If you want, you can top the eggswith paprika.

CHEESE SHAPESThese are just like cubes, but way morefun. Slice up a block of cheese into slabsof about a quarter inch in thickness andthen use metal cookie cutters to makehearts, stars, circles or whatever shapesyou have. If you don’t have cookiecutters, you can use a knife instead; itjust takes a little more effort. Use yourkids’ favorite cheese or mix up differenttypes to make colorful stacks.

MICROWAVE S’MORESThese taste just like the open flame kindbut are a lot easier for kids to makewithout supervision. Assemble eachs’more by placing one chocolate squareand one marshmallow between twograham cracker halves. Place the stack inthe microwave for 30 seconds. If themarshmallow’s not completely melted,add another 15 seconds. Put the stack ona plate to avoid making a mess.

MELON BALLSThis is another one that’s a piece of cake.Purchase a melon baller for a couple ofdollars at any kitchen supply store. Thensimply cut a melon in half, pull out theseeds and start scooping. You can freezeyour melon balls just as you wouldgrapes. Cantaloupe, honeydew andwatermelon all work great.

KID-FRIENDLY

SnacksIt seems like kids are always hungry, and it’s simple tojust toss them a bag of cookies and send them ontheir way. Sometimes it can even make you forgetabout the impending sugar rush. But it can be betterand, surprisingly, less expensive to create one of thesehealthier snacks instead. If your kids are old enough,they can even help or make them themselves.

{{Other good snacks that don’t require much effort arecrackers and American cheese, air popped popcorn,pretzel sticks, sliced cucumbers, pickle spears, appleswith peanut butter and that old standby, PBJs.

Please Join Us This Fall!Our popular FREE Seminar Series includes some important topics lined up this fall that we feel will berelevant and useful to the financial lives of our members.

For more information and registration details, please visitBFSFCU.org/seminars.

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Find a Branch Near You

1Allowable withdrawal amount subject to local Shared Branch policies.2Independent fees and charges by Shared Branch may apply. Service may not be available in all outlets and locations.

Many locations offer extended andweekend hours for added convenience.Visit BFSFCU.org/SharedBranches tofind a Shared Branch near you.

BFSFCU® has joined with4,300+ credit unions across theU.S. in a cooperative effort tobring you the convenience ofperforming branch transactionsanywhere in the country.

; Make deposits andwithdrawals and cash checks1

; Post payments toyour BFSFCU loans

; Transfer moneybetween yourCredit Unionaccounts

; Obtain money ordersand traveler’s checks2

1725 I Street NW, Suite 150Washington, DC 20006

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MEMBER SERVICES:202.212.64001.800.9BFSFCU

LENDING SERVICES:202.212.6450

BFSFCU.org

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Step Up to Higher EarningsWith our Step-Up Share Certificate, you don’t have to worry abouthaving your money in a long-term fixed-rate account.

If rates rise during the term of the Share Certificate, you have oneopportunity to re-lock to the higher rate to increase your earnings. Ifrates stay the same or begin to fall, you are secure in your original,fixed rate.

Open a Step-Up Share Certificatetoday by visiting one of our branches or calling us 24x7 at 202.212.6400.

Our Official Mailing Address Has Changed

1725 I Street NW, Suite 150Washington, DC 20006

Please be sure to update your records to reflect this new address.