Servus's 80th anniversary theme image: Vintage photo of three men, each standing next to a 1930's pick-up truck.

For anniversarythServus's 80, we sent out 80 tips in 80 days on Twitter to better our members' financial fitness. If you missed them, here they are!

Eating/Drinking

Graphic of a green Servus Circle styled as a pot of soup (viewing from the top) with a blue ladle inside the circle.

  1. Spending a bit extra on certain appliances, like an espresso machine or a soda siphon, will save you from overspending on food and drinks.
  2. Save money on drinks by ordering water when eating out.
  3. Load a card for your favourite coffee shop for the month. Once you've used that amount up, wait until the next month to reload it!
  4. Eat out a lot? Find a recipe for your favourite meal and perfect it at home to save money!
  5. Meal prep at the beginning of the week: that way, if you don't feel like cooking, you won't be tempted to order take-out!
  6. Plan your weekly meals/grocery shopping trip according to items that are on sale in your weekly flyer. 

Well-being

Graphic of a green Servus Circle styled as a smiling face with two blue dots as the eyes and a blue curve as the mouth.

  1. Getting an accountability buddy for saving can help you stay on track.
  2. Track your net worth (assets vs. liabilities). A better picture of your financial fitness will help you manage your money better.
  3. Spend money on experiences instead of possessions: many find them more satisfying.
  4. Take advantage of free access nights—Servus sponsors these monthly at Glenbow Museum and Alberta Aviation Museum.
  5. Appreciating what you have, instead of acquiring more things, can make you much happier.
  6. Celebrate birthdays and holidays in a budget-friendly fashion: potlucks, home cooking and thoughtful, handmade gifts.
  7. If you can, hold out for last-minute deals on trips.

Education

Graphic of a pair of glasses on top of a stack of 3 books. A green Servus Circle is styled as the left frame of the round glasses.

  1. Visit with a financial advisor regularly to make sure you're budgeting and saving properly.
  2. Educate yourself on saving, spending and investing by reading books, watching TED Talks, etc.
  3. Educate yourself about phishing examples so that you don't fall victim.
  4. Educate your children about buying credits on apps or online games—these can add up quickly!
  5. Talking with your kids about money at an early age can set them up for good spending and saving habits for their whole lives.
  6. Teach your kids early on about avoiding sharing private information on the internet, such as credit card numbers.
  7. Review the terms and conditions of your credit card closely when signing up.

Budgeting

Graphic of a hand holding a mobile/cell phone with a green Servus Circle on the screen

  1. Recognize your spending triggers and find a way around them.
  2. Carpool whenever possible.
  3. Set realistic saving and spending goals, so you don't fall off the wagon entirely when you go over that allowance!
  4. Give yourself an allowance each week for spending on non-necessities. Once you've used it up, no more spending!
  5. Break down purchases into cost-per-use to see if that purchase is worth it.
  6. Avoid the "it's on sale" mentality! Buying items you don't really need just because they're on sale will not save money in the long run.
  7. Constantly ask yourself if a purchase is a need or a want, and put your needs first.

Saving/Investing

Graphic of a green Servus Circle and a blue arrow pointing upwards.

  1. Start contributing to your RRSP as early as you can, even if it's just a little bit monthly.
  2. Once a week, go into your mobile banking app and round down the total in your chequing account to the nearest 0, and transfer the difference to your savings account.
  3. Make sure you have an emergency fund of at least three months' expenses.
  4. Raise your RRSP contribution each time you get a salary raise—it will really add up!
  5. Put your Circle Reward™ points towards a Servus investment product and grow your money for retirement or a child's education.
  6. If you have an emergency fund of at least three months' expenses, consider investing that money in your TFSA!
  7. Start saving early for your child's education through RESPs, and benefit from Canada Education Savings Grants.

Home

Graphic of a blue house and two trees and a green Servus Circle styled as the sun.

  1. Try to spend a maximum of 30% of your monthly income on rent/mortgage.
  2. Opt for renter's insurance; you don't want to be left with a huge bill when life happens.
  3. When it comes time to renew your mortgage, shop around for the best rate and rewards (like Profit Share® Rewards!)
  4. Before you start shopping around for a mortgage, order a free credit report from secure sites like Equifax.
  5. When buying a home, make sure to leave a contingency fund for maintenance and emergency repairs.
  6. Consider buying stationery and household items at places like your local dollar store—it can be far less expensive!

Student

Graphic of a blue graduation cap with a green Servus Circle as part of the tassel.

  1. Are you a student? Keep an eye on government grants and scholarships that you might be eligible for! Did you know that Servus provides endowments for several post-secondary schools across Alberta?
  2. Investigate student loan repayment options if you struggle to make payments.
  3. Buy used textbooks wherever possible.

Credit

Graphic of a credit card with a green Servus Circle and a blue circle at the bottom right corner, symbolizing the Servus Mastercard.

  1. Contact Servus immediately if your credit card is lost or stolen.
  2. Boost your credit score by only using 30% of your total available credit.
  3. Only pay for items on credit when you can afford to pay it off quickly. (Buying items at half off, but only making minimum payments on your credit card, can mean spending more for them than full price!)
  4. Prioritize building your credit score. A healthy credit rating will help you to get a better loan or mortgage in the future.
  5. Pre-authorize your bill payments on your Servus Mastercard® to protect your credit and earn Circle Reward points.
  6. Pay down your debts starting with the highest interest rate first.
  7. Use your Circle Reward points to pay down your Servus Mastercard's balance.
  8. Purchase electronics on your Servus Mastercard and be covered for 90 days with Purchase Assurance (includes theft, loss or damage).

Fraud

Graphic of a shield with a green Servus Circle as its border. Behind the shield are two blue swords placed like a cross with their handles pointing upwards.

  1. Protect yourself from fraud: governments/financial institutions do not ask for money by e-transfer.
  2. Be suspicious of anyone that asks for your personal information. Verify their identity before giving them your info.
  3. Report suspicious charges on your credit card statement to Servus right away.
  4. Elderly financial abuse is the most common form of elderly abuse.
  5. If you are threatened with legal action over the phone unless you give your credit card information, hang up, and report this immediately to Servus and the authorities.

Quick Tips

Graphic of two round speech bubbles. One with a green Servus Circle as it border and a blue dollar sign in it.

  1. Turn the thermostat down a few degrees and put some extra layers on this winter season!
  2. Make your own bath bombs, candles and more!
  3. Buying in bulk for things you need (toilet paper, etc.) can save money in the long run.
  4. Pick up a "side hustle" for some extra income.
  5. Join a credit union (like Servus!) and get money back for simply banking with us (through Profit Share Rewards!).
  6. Buy things gently used to save money.
  7. Take advantage of birthday and birthday month specials.
  8. Consider buying items after their season (Spring time? Buy a winter coat! January? Pick up cheap Christmas decorations!)
  9. Get an "admazing" coupon book and app. Look through and find the places you shop or eat out at most and use the coupons.
  10. Join a credit union! Aside from the perks associated with being a member-owner, read more about the seven cooperative principles that set us apart from banks.
  11. Walk, ride a bike or take the bus wherever possible.
  12. Sell your clothes and items you don’t use online or organize a clothes swap!
  13. Opt out of paper mail and avoid statement fees (and save trees!).
  14. Collect rain water to water your plants and garden. This will save you big $$$ on your water bill.
  15. Use a loyalty card for places that you frequent to save money.
  16. Overdraft protection can help you avoid declined transactions, late payment charges and insufficient fund fees.
  17. Try to recycle every bottle and can to get your deposit back at the bottle depot.
  18. Borrow books from the library instead of buying books to save money. Can't live without your Kobo? Most public libraries have an e-reader book borrowing system!
  19. Take advantage of home or work gyms instead of signing a contract at a big box gym.
  20. ATM fees are costly and avoidable. Withdraw your money for no fee at a Servus branch, or any credit union, through our Ding-Free Network.
  21. Bring an empty water bottle through security at the airport and fill it up when you're through. This will eliminate the need to purchase bottled water.
  22. Buy clothes at consignment/thrift stores when possible.
  23. Hand-make toys/bake treats for your pet.
  24. Buy generic, no-name brands instead of brand names.

This is just one example of some of the amazing content you can find on our social media pages, alongside giveaways, education, partnerships, fun videos and lots more! If you don't already, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Youtube.