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

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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

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NIgHTKeep THe FLAMe ALIVe without burning your budget.

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.

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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

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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