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visit our website at www.alliantcreditunion.org

How to make your home more environmentally riendlyHave you gone green at home? Doing so not only helps clear the air,

reduce landll waste and preserve nature, it also helps you

keep more green (as in cash) in your wallet. Here

are some ways to be environmentally riendly

(and rugal) at home.

1. Develop a green thumb. Plant an herb

garden. Its easy, and when summer is over, you

can move the plants inside to keep adding spice

and favor to your meals. Collect rainwater or your

plants and conserve water by not overwatering your lawn and garden.

Create a compost to ertilize your garden with organic waste ratherthan store-bought chemical ertilizer.

2. Kiss your incandescent light bulbs goodbye. When thesebulbs burn out, join the eort to reduce greenhouse gas

emissions by replacing them with CFLs (compact fuorescent

light bulbs). When one o your appliances dies, replace it

with an energy ecient model (they carry the energy

star label).

3. Bid farewell to expensive water sold in plasticdisposable bottles. Rely on a reusable water bottle and ll itup with tap water that you puriy with a lter. While tap water

is regulated with strict saety standards, 10 o the most popular

bottled water brands contain pollutants, such as ertilizer residue and

(yikes) arsenic, according to a study by the Environmental Working

Group. Plus 75% o the plastic bottles are not recycled, becoming

environmental eyesores.

4. Tune in by turning off.Turn o lights when youleave the room. Completely power o your computer

at night. And unplug unused chargers and appliances,

such as toasters and cell phone chargers. About 30%

o a typical households electricity bill is due to

appliances let in stand-by mode.

5. Use a programmable thermostat tocontrol your furnance and airconditioner. Set your thermostat a ewdegrees lower in winter and a ew degrees

higher in summer. Doing so can save you 3%

or every degree.

6. Mind your laundry. Only wash and dry when you have ull loads,since ull or not, youll be using the same amount o power. Wash with

cold water when you can because it helps your clothing last longer and

85% o the energy to machine wash clothes goes to heating the water.

Clean the lint traps or your dryer regularly so it runs eciently.

ofce closings

Independence Day

Wednesday, July 4, 2012Labor DayMonday, September 3, 2012

This newsletter is or members personaluse only. Reproducing and/or selling the

contents o this newsletter without priorwritten permission rom Alliant Credit Unionis prohibited. Copyright Alliant. Articlesare prepared as an educational service orAlliant members. They should not be reliedon as a substitute or individual fnancial orlegal research. Articles in this newsletterare not intended to be used (and may notbe relied on) or penalty avoidance.

PO Box 66945, 11545 W. Touhy Avenue

Chicago, IL 60666-0945

www.alliantcreditunion.org

800-328-1935 (24/7)

Alliant is available 24/7 via our MemberContact Center, Website, Sel ServiceTelephone, ATMs and Mobile Banking.

Visit our website, www.alliantcreditunion.org,or product and other inormation.

in this issue

How to grill a hamburger masterpiece

Who makes the best burgers: men or women?Bringing the outdoors into your house

The beauty o trees

Do you know someone in the marketor a new home?

How to make your home moreenvironmentally riendly

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M322-R06/12

POBox66945,11545W.TouhyAve.Chicago,IL60666-0945

www.alliantcreditunion.org

7/31/2019 The Alliant Advisor, Summer 2012 Newsletter

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Summer is a splendid time to spend timeoutside and (weather permitting) to open the

windows and let resh air ow through yourhome. But, did you realize you can bring abit o the outdoors inside all year round?Here are some ways:

1. Adorn your rooms with ruit, vegetables,plants and fowers. Its chic to spruce upyour house with bowls o ruit (such as

lemons and limes) and with pots o herbs(such as mint and basil). Plants can pro-

vide the sense o an indoor garden. Plus,vases o owers can be a mood pick-me-

up all year round.

2. Brighten your world with windows.Do what you can to ensure you have awonderul view outside your windows,

such as trimming overgrown bushes andremoving unsightly objects. Let in naturallight by keeping your windows sparkling

clear. To maximize the value o your view,place mirrors opposite or at right angles

to the window. I your drapery is heavy,replace it with billowy curtains o shearabric that flter light. (I you lack a back-yard, install a window box to grow plantsduring warm seasons.)

3. Play with color. Consider repaintingwalls, window rames and old urniture

with a nature-related color scheme. Thehot color this season is an ice blue that

suggests the sky, says decorator andHGTV host David Bromstad. Other

popular colors include neutral tan orgray earth tones and a green reminiscento grass and plants.

4. Light the outdoors. Enjoyyour backyard at night byadding oodlights or bydraping strings o lights

around railings or a tree.

5. Remodel your home. Add

skylights to upstair rooms.Consider new, bigger windowsand French doors leading outside.Create a sunroom. And i you have

a porch, enclose it with windowsthat provide insulation during

winter and can be opened duringsummer. Also consider putting natureunder your eet by ridding yoursel o

synthetic rugs and other man-made oorsand replacing them with natural wood,cork or bamboo. Another suggestion:use the same ooring on your insideadjoining room as you use on your terrace,

deck or porch.

6. Make a home or natural objects. Deco-rate your house with sea shells, rocks and

interesting-looking branches. Add naturephotographs and paintings. And includeurniture, baskets, rugs and lampshadesmade o natural fbers, such as rattan,hemp and wicker.

7. Entice your nose and ears. Add scents,such as oral potpourri and woodsy

incense. And occasionally listen to calmingnature sounds with CD recordings o the

wind, the ocean, bird calls or the rain.

Sources: reshome.com, wini.com, independent.co.uk,homedit.com, justluxe.com and bankrate.com

Bringing the outdoors into your house

3

$100 Mortgage Program Reward C

Offer expires December 3COMPLETE AND RETURN THIS CERTIFICATE TO:

Alliant Credit Union

Attn: Marketing DepartmentPO Box 66945

Chicago, IL 60666-0945

Member Information

Individual applying for a mortgage, please complete this section and mail to Alliant.

__________________________________________________________________________Member Account Number

____________________________ ______________ ___________________________

First Name Middle Name Last Name

__________________________________________________________________________Street Address (include unit #)

____________________________ ______________ ___________________________City State Zip Code

____________________________ ____________________________________________Phone Number Email

Once your Alliant mortgage loan is approved and clos

reward1 will be deposited into your Alliant savings ac

1YoumustbeorbecomeamemberoAlliantCreditUniontoqualiy.YoumloanbyDecember31,2012,to beeligibleto receivethe$100reward,whicintoyourAlliantsavingsaccount.Nosubstitutionswillbemadeorthe$10responsibleoranytaxliability.Onlyone$100 rewardperqualiyingmortgCertifcatemustbereturnedwithin30daysateryourloanclosingdatetoAMarketingDept.,POBox66945,Chicago,IL 60666-0945,inordertoreceivereceivetheCertifcateandveriytheloanamountandclosingdate,wewyourAlliantsavingsaccount.OernotvalidonexistingAlliantmortgageloandunded mortgageloansand mortgageloanrefnances romother lenddepositis consideredastaxableincomeandwillbepaidasaspecialdividForm1099-INT..

Not in the market for a mortgage?

Pass along this Certifcate to someone who is.

Do you know someone in the market or a new hoPass along this great $100 OFFER!

I you or someone you know is in the market or a newor looking to refnance a current residence, consider Algreat fxed, adjustable and interest-only mortgages.

With our online application, its ast and easy to apply mortgage. Once the Alliant mortgage is approved and well reward the borrower with a $100 savings deposit

Heres how it works

1. Check out our below-market rates at www.alliantcr

(I the person you are reerring is not an Alliant memcan easily join online.)

2. Apply online or call our Mortgage Hotline at 800-Press option 5, then option 1. (Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm

3. Mail in the Certifcate below. Then, well reward thewith a $100 deposit1 to his/her Alliant savings accou

1YoumustbeorbecomeamemberoAlliantCreditUniontoqualiy.YoumustapplyoryourmDecember31,2012,tobe eligibletoreceivethe$100rewardwhichwillbedepositeddirectlyinsavingsaccount.Nosubstitutionswillbemadeorthe$100reward.Recipientsareresponsiblliability.Onlyone$100rewardperqualiyingmortgagewillbeawarded.OriginalCertifcatemu

within30daysateryourloanclosingdatetoAlliantCreditUnion,ATTN:MarketingDept.,POBChicago,IL60666-0945,inordertoreceivethe$100 reward.OncewereceivetheCertifcateanamountand closingdate,wewilldepositthe $100rewardinyourAlliant savingsaccount.OonexistingAlliantmortgageloans.Oervalidonapprovedandundedmortgageloansandmrefnancesromotherlenders.The$100savingsdepositis consideredastaxableincomeandspecialdividendandreportedonIRS Form1099-INT..

Help yoursel or someone you know sav

money with an Alliant mortgage

2

Summer is a great time to appreciate the beauty of treesand the role they play in our yards and in our life.Here are some observations about these perennial woody plants.

Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the

trees, then names the streets ater them.~ Bill Vaughan

People in suburbia see trees dierently than orestersdo. They cherish every one. It is useless to speak o

the probability that a certain tree will die when thetree is in someones backyard. You are talking about apersonal asset, a riend, a monument, not about boardeet o lumber.

~ Roger Swain

Poems are made by ools like me,but only God can make a tree.

~ Joyce Kilmer

As the poet said, only God can make a tree,probably because its so hard to fgure outhow to get the bark on.

~ Woody Allen

The best time to plant a tree was 20 yearsago. The next best time is now.

~ Chinese Proverb