Drive-Thru Reopens at the Main Branch in Downtown Vicksburg

Press Release

August 1, 2018

Drive-Thru Reopens at the Main Branch in Downtown Vicksburg

 

(Vicksburg, MS): The Main Branch of Mutual Credit Union located at 1604 Cherry Street is excited to announce the re-opening of the Monroe Street Drive-Thru on Wednesday, August 1, 2018. The renovations began on Monday, January 29, 2018 and were completed on July 27, 2018. The Drive-thru required updates not only to the physical structure but also additions to our technology and service capabilities. With our new configuration members should see fewer lane closures during working hours. The Drive-Thru will operate Monday – Thursday 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Fridays 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. beginning on Wednesday, August 1, 2018. The Main Branch lobby hours effective Thursday, August 2, 2018 will be 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday – Thursday and 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. on Fridays.

drive-thru main branch

The Drive-Thru on Monroe St. was built in 1998 and since that time has undergone no other updates. We appreciate our membership and our staff’s patience as we worked through the process of upgrades to this facility. We look forward to continuing to serve our members.

For information on Mutual Credit Union please follow this link to our webpage. Any additional questions, please contact the marketing department at marketing@mutualcu.org or by calling (601) 636-7523 ext. 1226.

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August Challenge: Brown-Bag It Tuesdays

How much money do you spend each week for work lunches? Do the math. The number may shock you. 

But, for just a few dollars and several minutes of your time, you can prepare something delicious at home. 

Challenge-_August_brown_bag

Buying lunch can run anywhere from $4 for, say, a cup of soup and a roll, to $15 (or more) for a restaurant lunch or some take-out sushi. Let’s just call the average daily lunch about $10, which gets you a fancy sandwich with some chips and a soda.

Make that same fancy sandwich at home, and you’re spending remarkably less. Using ingredients you buy at a grocery store, a sandwich that a deli charges $6 for would probably cost you less than $2 to make at home. Add in a buck for a bag of chips and a buck for a drink, and we’re at $4, less than half the cost of typical weekday lunch out.

If you’re a bulk shopper, and if you bag your own chips and fill a reusable bottle with water for refreshment, you could probably get the cost down to less than $2.

And that’s not even the cheapest way to go. You could make a pasta lunch for less. But we’ll go with an average brown-bag cost of $4, for some wiggle room. At $4 for lunch, that’s a 60 percent savings over eating out. If you save $6 a day, five days a week, that’s $30 a week, $120 a month, and almost $1,500 a year.

So is it cheaper? Very much so. Whether the money you’re saving is worth the extra effort of making your own lunch — that’s something only you can answer. But $1,500 can cover a year’s electricity bill.

Add in the fact that the lunch you make at home will almost always be healthier than the lunch you buy out, and you might end up saving some money on medical costs, too.

We’re not telling you to go cold turkey on the sushi rolls and personal pizzas or your favorite lunch spot. We’re only challenging you to brown-bag it once a week: on Tuesdays. 

Don’t leave your lunch prep for the morning madness; do it the night before. Also, make sure you have all the ingredients on hand before Monday night rolls around by jotting them down on the weekly grocery list. 

Changing a long-standing habit is never easy. Are you up to the challenge? 

COMBATING THE FINANCIAL MISTAKES OF OUR 20S AND 30S

AA Couple with laptop
People starting out in their careers often focus on the here and now while ignoring the future when it comes to finances. As you climb the ladder of success, you tend to think that the raises and promotions will endlessly continue. It can seem like you have forever to plan for the future.
As millions of Baby Boomers will tell you, the future comes faster than you can imagine.
While there are lots of financial mistakes we can make, here are six that are common and avoidable. If you’re starting out, know the pitfalls, and maximize your chances of avoiding them.
 
Mistake #1: Not Planning for Retirement
Retirement seems like a lifetime away, but the only way to make sure that you have what you need to retire is to start planning early. This is probably the most common mistake we make in our 20s and 30s. It is also the easiest one to avoid. If you start saving for retirement when you get your first job, even if it’s a very small amount, you will establish the habit as well as start to build savings.
Short-term goals, like a new car, can overshadow what seems like the very long-term goal of retirement. However, it’s wise to get your priorities straight early on so you’ll reap huge benefits. As Suba Iyer, a financial writer, said, “When I started my first job. I thought retirement was too far away and I should be saving for some immediate needs like getting a car. The end result-I didn’t save for retirement or a car or anything else. I just spent my entire salary.”
Mistake #2: Spending Too Much on a Car
Speaking of cars … that’s something that trips us up when we’re young. While it may make financial sense to buy a new car, be careful not to buy more car than you need. A flashy and expensive car may be tempting, but keep your long-term goals in mind and choose a car that serves your current needs without sabotaging your savings.
Mistake #3: Not Using a Budget
Unless you are fortunate enough to have parents who explained what a budget is and how to use one, you may have no idea where to start.
You may look at a budget as something you don’t need because you are not making enough money, Or you may see it as something that will restrict your spending or is just too much trouble. However, a budget can help you at any level of income and can even give you financial freedom because you can see where you are spending. And they’re less trouble than you think. It can be as simple as tracking money in and money out. As you make more money and your expenses get more complex, you can customize your
budget from there.
Mistake #4: Overusing Credit
While most people know that credit cards can get us into trouble, it is very easy to fall into the debt trap. You start carrying a little balance on your credit cards and it builds up. You may then have to dip into savings to pay your credit card bills.
Avoid this situation by using credit sparingly and only for identified and planned purchases. Implement a plan to save for major purchases and pay for most, if not all, of them in advance. “Start shifting your mindset so that debt no longer seems normal and stop creating new debts,” says Andrew Josuweit in a recent Forbes article.
Mistake #5: Having No Emergency Fund
For the same reasons we tend to skip proper retirement planning, we also skip saving for emergency situations. In our 20s and 30s, we tend to think we’re invincible, but illness or job loss can happen at any time. An emergency fund should cover your expenses for at least three months.
Mistake #6: Not Having Adequate Health Insurance
While health insurance is expensive, it is short-sighted to skip this vital component of your financial portfolio. Just one hospitalization can get you off course and cause real financial hardship. Health insurance is not optional, and young people are the first to ignore this rule. The cost may seem prohibitive, but it comes back to priorities and future planning.
Your turn: In your 20s and 30s, did you make mistakes you regret? Or, are you in this age bracket now and have questions about setting your priorities? Share your questions or words of wisdom here!
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