insider | vol. 13 | december 2010
Post on 24-Mar-2016
215 Views
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Volume 13 + december 2010
Stay cozy. | Stay cloSe. | Stay connected.
The CommunityAmerica Online Magazine
time to get cozy.Winter’s here in full force, but just
because it’s crazy cold doesn’t mean
you can’t have one heckuva great
time. Whether it’s chatting with your
buds on Twitter, cozying up with
your loved one for a great date night,
catching the big game on a new TV
or dreaming of —and saving for—a
spring break trip to a warmer locale,
we’ve got just what you need to get
you through to spring.
[ SavingS tip ] WinTerize your home
Warm up to savings by winterizing your house in four simple steps.
1. Furnace The worst time to make sure it’s in good working order is afterit starts to get really cold. Schedule a tune-up now.
2. thermoStat Program it to a lower temperature at night or when you’re out of the house. The savings will add up quickly.
3. energy BillS Call the utility company and get on a level payment plan. Knowing what you owe makes budgeting a whole lot easier.
4. Fireplace Keep the cold air out and the warm air in. When you’re not using your fireplace, keep the flue and doors closed.
buzzwordstimeline Your timeline is the hub of your Twitter experience. This is where all the action happens. Often referred to as a “Twitter feed.”
Follower A fellow Twitter user who has chosen to add themselves to the list of people who receive your Tweets.
Following Choosing to receive another Twitter user’s Tweets.
tweet A 140-character message a Twitter user broadcasts to his or her followers. The most basic building block of Twitter.
retweet Say you read an interesting Tweet from somebody you follow, and, in turn want to show it to your followers. Simply click the “Retweet” button to relay the message.
@reply The most basic way to have a Twitter conversation with another user. Always begin with the @ sign and then your conversation-mate’s Twitter handle. For example, to talk to us, start your Tweet with @CommunityAmerCU, then type your message.
Note: Even though @Replies are directed to another user, they are not necessarily private. If a user follows both you and the person you’re trying to talk to, he will be able to see your Tweets to them, and their responses to you.
Direct meSSage The only way to have a private, 1-to-1 conversation on Twitter. If you want to talk to somebody without your followers being able to see it, then a Direct Message is the way to go.
haShtag (#) Twitter’s search tool. The # symbol is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. Kansas Citians, for example, might use #AmericanRoyalBBQ, #Royals, or of course #CommunityAmerica in their Tweets.
trenDing topicS A list of the most-used terms and Hashtags on Twitter at any given time.
url-Shortening ServiceS When you want to include a hyperlink in your Tweet, you can use URL-shortening Websites like bit.ly or is.gd to make them shorter, thereby saving you precious characters.
Sure, it might seem intimidating, but the Web’s fastest-growing social media site is both simple and powerful once you take the time to learn the lingo. So come along as we walk you through what the celebrities,
news sources and maybe even a few of your friends have already discovered. Once we’re done, you’ll be Tweeting like a pro.
how to uSe the Social meDia tool that everyone’S chirping aBout.
everyone’S
follow us and win!
a few top twitterers@KcStar Stay in the know on KC’s latest breaking news.
@Kcweather Never get caught out in the rain again.
@pennypinchinmom Deals that can save you big bucks.
@conanoBrien Because he’s just. So. Hilarious.
our twitter accounts@communityamercu Staying accessible to our members and helping them live smarter financial lives, one tweet at a time.
@Savinmavens This is where our super-smart team of financial wizards dispenses financial tips and tricks that help our followers save and spend wisely.
As if financial tips, contests, giveaways and polls aren’t enough reasons to follow us on Twitter, we want to give away 500 more.
Simply follow @communityamercu or @Savinmavens and tweet using the hashtag #ILoveMyCU. When you do, we’ll enter you for a chance to win one of five $100 HyVee
gift cards. We’ll announce our winners to our followers during the week of December 27.
a fictitious feedCheck out this handy diagram to figure out exactly what’s happening on your Twitter timeline.
1 Type your tweets here and hit the “Tweet!” button to send them out. The number next to the button lets you know how many characters you have left.
2 You can let your followers know where you’re tweeting from by adding your location.
3 In your timeline, tweets are always listed in chronological order from most recent to least recent. A time stamp in each tweet indicates how long ago it was written.
4 When you hover over a tweet it turns red and gives you the option to favorite, retweet and reply.
5 The TruthIsOutThere has tweeted the latest paranormal news, and mentions the source (@KCStar) so his followers can follow them and see the breaking news.
6 YourFollower has retweeted an important message.
7 KCStar’s tweet contains a hashtag and shortened link.
8 YourFollower is trying to contact you here with an @reply.
What's happening?
Hey followers! How’s it hangin’? I’m about to embark on another super-dee-duper day.
Add your location 56 Tweet
Timeline @Mentions Retweets Searches Lists
YourFollower Your Follower@You: I just heard somebody say “super-dee-duper” in the grocery store. Who still says stuff like that? LOL!1 day ago
KCStar Kansas City Star#BreakingNews: Aliens make first contact. Ask local leaders to “take us to your BBQ.” http://bit.ly/48rg22 minutes ago
TheTruthIsOutThere The Truth Is Out ThereThe truth really IS out there. Aliens have made first contact! Follow @KCStar to see the story unfold!54 seconds ago
CommunityAmerCU Community America Credit UnionThe KC Aliens took out some CDs while they were in town. Said the rates were out of this world.36 seconds ago Favorite Retweet Reply
OhNoYouDi'int Oh No You Didn't by YourFollowerIt’s official: saying “super-dee-duper” is no longer cool.1 minute ago
3
Crafty one-of-a-kind gifts are just a few snips, folds and glue sticks away.
So load up your printer with fresh ink, grab your craft knives and channel
your inner Martha Stewart. The holidays are just around the corner and
it’ll be great to cross at least one item off your shopping list!
cD SleeveBurn a CD of your favorite
tracks from the past year
and you'll have your friends
rockin' out all year long.
www.cacu.com/insider/cdsleeve.pdf
mini gift Boxyou'll get an A+ from your children's
teachers by giving them a mini gift
box filled with candy, chocolate
covered coffee beans or a tasty
truffle or two. you can't buy better
grades, but you sure can try.
www.cacu.com/insider/minigiftbox.pdf
gift card HolderThat gift card may be a last-
ditch effort, but it doesn't have
to look that way.
www.cacu.com/insider/giftcardholder.pdf
Basic instructionsAll you have to do is download
the template you like, print it out,
follow the assembly instructions
and ho-ho-holy cow, you’ve made
something that’s sure to have
everybody else turning red and
green with envy.
Crafty one-of-a-kind gifts are just a few snips, folds and glue sticks away.
So load up your printer with fresh ink, grab your craft knives and channel
your inner Martha Stewart. The holidays are just around the corner and
it’ll be great to cross at least one item off your shopping list!
candy LabelsPut a smile on your co-workers'
faces by leaving behind a few
hershey's® nuggets wrapped in
your very own seasonal labels.
www.cacu.com/insider/candylabels.pdftools & Supplies• Color printer
• Card stock & regular paper
• Self-healing cutting mat
• Glue pen
• Bone folder
• Craft knife
• ruler
inS
iDe
r +
De
Ce
mB
er
20
10
5
WATCH A MOVIe
grab a bowl of popcorn, cuddle up on
the couch and settle into a movie that
you’ll both enjoy. Here are the top 10 date
movies as chosen by Rebecca Murray
of About.com:
1. Love, Actually
2. Knocked Up
3. The princess Bride
4. Sleepless in Seattle
5. While You Were Sleeping
6. Notting Hill
7. Bull Durham
8. A Knight’s Tale
9. ever After
10. Shakespeare in Love
LIVe IN THe MOMeNT
You can survive a few hours away from
Facebook. And the joke someone just
forwarded to you on email will still be
there in the morning. So see if you can
remember how to communicate without
using emoticons. Turn off your cell phone,
unplug your laptop and give your full
attention to your partner.
INDULge YOURSeLF
One of the best things about a stay-home date night
is that you don’t have to navigate icy roads when it’s
over. So go ahead and enjoy another glass of wine—
or try this hot drink recipe:
pOLAR BeAR HOT CHOCOLATe
1 oz Irish Cream Liqueur
1 oz peppermint Schnapps
Hot Chocolate
Mix in a coffee mug and garnish with whipped
cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
DReSS FOR THe OCCASION
Just because you’re not leaving the house doesn’t
mean you shouldn’t look your best. Dress for your
stay-home date like it’s a night out on the town and
make your partner fall for you all over again.
Keep THe KIDS OCCUpIeD
It’s hard to be romantic with peanut butter stuck in
your hair. So ask your neighbors if they’d be willing
to host your kids for a night if you return the favor.
Or look for parents Night Out events sponsored by
your gym, school or church. Your kids will enjoy a
fun night of play—and so will you.
Whether it’s a kiss at the stroke of midnight on neW Year’s, sharing a candlelight
dinner on Valentine’s Day or just cuddling in front of the fireplace on a Friday night, winter is undoubtedly
one of the most romantic times of the year. But who wants to trudge through the cold and snow to get
to an expensive restaurant or crowded movie theater? This winter, you can turn your house into your
own couple’s retreat with our guide to the perfect stay-home date night.
inS
iDe
r +
De
Ce
mB
er
20
10
7
plan now, play later. even if it’s just $5 or $10 a week, this is the time for
your student to start putting something away toward spring break. A
savings account from CommunityAmerica makes it easy. Starting with
just a buck for the initial deposit, your kids can open an account that
offers daily dividends and unlimited deposits and withdrawals. plus, with
payroll deduction and automatic transfer to savings, they can set it up
now and not even think about it again ’til their bags are packed.
For some businesses, spring break means big bucks. Airlines and hotels
often raise their rates, knowing that even perpetually broke college
students are willing to pay the price for fun. The solution? Remind your
kids to stay flexible with their flight plans. Have them consider visiting
a slightly less popular destination or booking a hotel a few blocks from
the beach. You might also suggest that they scale back on costly activities
and buy some groceries to avoid having to eat out for every meal. The
less they’re worried about their wallets, the more fun they’ll have.
Grabbing a few friends and heading somewhere fun for spring break is a rite of passage for college students. By now, most kids are already starting to think about sandy beaches or ski lodges. But have they given any thought to how they’re going to pay for it all?
here are some ideas to help your son or daughter experience an epic adventure without feeling tempted to max out a credit card.
Planning on snagging a new big screen for the big Game this year? then you might notice a lot
of technical jargon and almost limitless options when you embark on your tV-shopping journey.
cut through the clutter with our big Screen buyer’s Guide and fi nd the set that’s right for you.
PLASmA LcDLeD
coNtRAStRAtio
Best. Darkest darks and
lightest lights.
Good, but dark colors not
quite as dark as on plasma.Good, but dark colors not
quite as dark as on plasma.
VieWiNg ANgLe
Widestnarrowest
in between LCD and Plasma
oPtimAL
eNViRoNmeNtDark room
Dark or light roomDark or light room
BURN-iN remote possibility, if same
image is left on screen for
many hours.
nonenone
PoWeR
coNSUmPtioNhighest. 2x the consumption
of LeD, and 1.3x the
consumption of LCD.
Less than plasma, but more
than LeD.
nearly 40% less than LCD
and signifi cantly lower than
plasma.
VALUe high – offers great picture
for a great price at nearly any
screen size.
medium – LCD offers good
value for screen sizes under
42”, but can be expensive for
larger models.
Low – LeD is a new TV
technology, and is still rather
expensive.
ReFReSH RAte This is the rate at which a TV shows images on its screen. more images per second means
less motion blur and less eye strain. Look for TVs that have between a 120hz-240hz refresh
rate—the higher the better.
BottomLiNe
if you’re looking to get the
most bang for your buck,
plasma offers exceptional
picture quality at a great price.
if you need your TV to double
as a computer monitor, the
low power consumption and
longevity of LCD might be
for you.
if you’re an early adopter
who’s looking for the hottest
new TV on the block, then
LeD is probably for you.
information courteSy of ehow.com
inS
iDe
r +
De
Ce
mB
er
20
10
9
BriDgiD DriScollanD Jim onDicKAfter a year of disciplined saving and careful
spending, this young couple is making their
dreams come true. That’s right —this
dynamic duo has eliminated $17,000
of debt and saved over $28,000,
allowing Bridgid to open
the Driscoll School
of irish Dance.
congratulationS, BriDgiD anD Jim! Keep Dancing your way to a Bright Financial Future.
read all about Bridgid and Jim
at www.cacufinancialmakeover.com.
to the winnerS of financial makeoVer 2010
top related