3 min read

Budgeting Around the Holidays

With the holiday season in full swing, your budget may be feeling the strain of extra gift-buying, grocery shopping and even utility costs. Unfortunately, those light-up reindeer on your rooftop don’t run on magic! To help you keep the holiday spirit alive without stressing about that bottom line, CU1 has handy tips and tricks to protect your debt load and overall financial wellbeing during the biggest spending period of the year. Make use of the info below, so you can kick back with a glass of eggnog and truly enjoy this special time of year!

Skip-a-Pay

Need a month off from your loan payment to provide wiggle room on other items? Skip-a-Pay allows you to postpone one month's loan payment without need for a double payment the following month. To request a Skip-a-Pay, simply sign in to Online Access and select Control Panel ⟩ Skip-a-Pay.

Consolidate Payments

To help you save money on interest – especially when it comes to holiday credit card debt – CU1 can help you consolidate multiple loans into one loan. With only one payment, there’s no need to stress about multiple responsibilities each month, and you’ll likely pay less interest over the life of your loan.

Transfer Your Balance

If you shopped with high interest rate store credit cards during your gift-buying sprees, a balance transfer could help you avoid paying more than necessary on those purchases. CU1 offers fee-free balance transfers, our credit cards come with competitive low interest rates, and most cards have no annual fee.

Update Contact Info

Make sure your phone number, address and email are accurate with CU1, so we can reach you with info you need to save money and keep your accounts in good health. To easily update your contact information, visit Control Panel ⟩ Settings ⟩ Contact in Online Access.

Don’t Procrastinate

If your holiday debt load is feeling out of control, reach out to us right away. A certified credit union financial counselor can work with you to get your finances back on track. The sooner you contact CU1, the more options we’ll have available!

Now that we’ve shared a bundle of advice on how to make your holiday more affordable, we hope you’ll enjoy a more bountiful and stress-free season of giving. Don’t forget – the biggest gift of all is quality time with your loved ones! If you’d like to also give back to your community this month, check out CU1’s Leading Change Partners. These local nonprofit organizations are making a difference across Alaska, and you can be part of the positive impact!