Things to Do on Your Staycation

There are so many hidden gems in West Virginia, and many of them are in our area. If you’re looking to take a mini vacation, but don’t want to venture far from home, a staycation right here in our area is just the thing you need.

Guyses Run Fishing Park

If you’re looking to try something new, make sure to add fishing at Guyses Run Fishing Park to your list. The fishing pond provides catch-and-release fishing for avid fishermen and beginners alike. Learn more Guyses Run Fishing Park here.

Photo courtesy of Times West Virginian

Hovatter’s Wildlife Zoo
Hovatter’s started as a small zoo with a collection of deer, black bear, cougars, and even tigers! Since then it’s grown into a variety of fun animals to come visit, including chimpanzees, grizzly bears, white and orange tigers, leopards, baboons, and lemurs. Learn more about visiting the zoo here.

Valley Falls State Park

This beautiful state park has all the outdoor activities you ever wanted, including hiking, fishing, picnicking, and even mountain biking. If you’re looking to disconnect, sit back and soak up the sun on one of the perfect flat rocks among the falls. Learn more here.

Immerse Yourself in the Arts
Harrison County is bustling with a fun and talented art scene. Catch a show at the amphitheater or visit a performance put on by the Cultural Foundation for Harrison County. Their next big event is the Celebrate America Concert put on by the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra. To find more details about the event, please visit their website.

Forks of Cheat Winery

If you’re looking for a relaxing night complete with a tasty glass of wine, visit Forks of Cheat Winery in Morgantown. Enjoy the views while sipping on a glass of wine from one of Virginia’s foremost wineries. To learn more about the history of Forks of Cheat Winery and how you can grab a glass of wine, please visit their website.

Visit a full-service Fairmont Federal Credit Union location to speak with a member service representative about saving for your staycation. To find a location and to learn more about the services we offer visit fairmontfcu.com. Your FFCU family wishes you a safe and enjoyable summer.

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References

http://www.mcparc.com/curtisville-lake.html?utm_source=MarionCVB&utm_medium=Link&utm_campaign=MarionCVB

https://marioncvb.com/things-to-do/

http://www.cityofclarksburgwv.com/262/Things-to-Do

https://wvexplorer.com/recreation/winery-touring/wineries-in-west-virginia/

http://wvwines.com/forks-of-cheat-winery/

The Origin of Mother’s & Father’s Day

We have a lot to be proud of in our state of West Virginia. One of our greatest accomplishments in the history of both Taylor and Marion counties, is the origin of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in Grafton and Fairmont respectively. And while Mother’s Day has come and gone this year and Father’s Day will be celebrated soon, we thought taking a quick look at the history of these holidays will give a better appreciation for why we take a day to celebrate our parents.

Mother’s Day Started as a Memorial Service

On the first anniversary of her mother’s death, Miss Anna Jarvis reflected on all of her mother’s accomplishments. Her Mother, Mrs. Anna Reeves Jarvis, focused her efforts heavily on “Mother’s Work” in churches, gave talks on the “Mothers of the Bible,” and held a “Mother’s Friendship Day” service at the end of the Civil War. It was very apparent that Mrs. Anna Reeves Jarvis saw the beauty and importance of motherhood, and her daughter wanted to find a special way to remember her mother. It was decided that they would have a “Mothers’ Day” at the Andrews Church on the second Sunday in May annually.

And Then Turned Into Something More

Word began to spread about the heartfelt and touching ceremony that Miss Anna Jarvis had created in remembrance of her mother. Though she credits her mother as the “real creator” of the holiday through her service in the church, it was Miss Anna Jarvis who had the idea to extend the service from Grafton to the world. She spent many years making contacts with all the right people to make this happen.

Father’s Day Started in a Similar Fashion

In 1908, Grace Golden Clayton was mourning the loss of her own father. He, along with 361 other miners, perished in the Monongah Mining Disaster, the worst coal mining disaster in American history. 250 of those men were fathers, and over a 1,000 children had to grow up without them in their lives. With Mother’s Day celebrated in nearby Grafton, Fairmont hosted the first observance of Father’s Day in July 5, 1908.

The event itself was not widely celebrated outside of the community, it took over 60 years and several attempts from different groups and politicians around North America to be established by law as an official holiday alongside Mother’s Day.

What started as a memory of a strong and passionate woman, or fathers lost to a disaster, has now become a worldwide celebration of mothers and fathers everywhere. All stemming from the love a child for their parents, and from right here in West Virginia. We at Fairmont Federal Credit Union wish you and all the mothers and fathers in your life a happy Mother’s and Father’s Day!

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Sources:

http://www.wvculture.org/history/women/mothersday03.html

http://www.wvculture.org/history/miscellaneous/fathersday02.html

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/mothers-day

http://www.theholidayspot.com/fathersday/history.htm

Save it for a Rainy Day!

How to Quickly Build Up Your Rainy Day Fund

Money grows on the tree of patience - Proverb.

Everyone has that one, special container that’s kept in a private place in their home. It holds a few extra dollars that you didn’t spend while you were buying your weekly groceries. It contains a pile of spare change you collected when you were recently cleaned out your car. That’s right; it’s your rainy day fund.

Every rainy day fund naturally means that there’s going to come a day when you’re going to spend that precious, carefully stored money. How did you always envision spending that money? Maybe it’s buying a sleek new laptop. Perhaps there’s a trip you’ve always dreamed of taking, and this saved money will turn that dream into a reality. You might have even had your eye on a brand new car.

But then, the unexpected occurs; your current car needs to be fixed, a repair is needed on your home, a larger-than-planned bill needs to be paid. Soon that rainy day fund is quickly depleted, and you’re saying goodbye to that trip to Florida with kids, or that new car.

But never fear, there are plenty of ways to quickly restore that precious fund so you can spend the money how you want to spend it! Here are a few of our favorite ways that you can be saving money for your next rainy day:

Understand its Purpose

Having a specific definition of what this money will be used for is the best way to ensure you are working towards that goal. Maybe you want to refurnish the basement for the kids to use. What will the costs be to do that? Now picture the outcome and how happy everyone will be. Having a vague outline of how you will spend that money will only encourage your to be more frugal and less impulsive with your purchases.

Be Honest With Yourself

It’s time for some self-exploration—think about your current spending habits and have an honest conversation with yourself on how they can be changed. Make the commitment to yourself to alter how you save; it will let you reach your goal quickly.

Spend Extra Income Wisely

It’s tempting to treat yourself to a night on the town, or splurge on an expensive purchase, but think before you splurge.  If extra income comes your way, put it in your rainy day fund right away, before the temptation to spend it kicks in.

While going on vacation, getting a massage, or buying that golf membership is a fun way to spend that extra money saved, sometimes practicality and responsibility have to take over. That rainy day fund would make a big difference in a Savings Club Account at Fairmont Federal Credit Union. You can save up for something specific, such as auto expenses, home insurance and,  yes, even that dream vacation very easily with an account like this. Not only is there no minimum balance required, but you can earn dividends with regular savings, make unlimited deposits and withdrawals, and you don’t have to follow a payment schedule. It doesn’t get much better than that.

For more information on our Savings Club Accounts and how they can help you save for your rainy day fund, trust your friends and experts at Fairmont FCU. Visit our website for more information on how your rainy day fund container can become an electronic banking account instead.

Learning to Love Budgeting

Most people cringe when they hear the word “budgeting.” But when it boils down to it, budgeting is just a plan for your money. Budgeting means you’ll be spending with purpose before the month begins, and it won’t limit your spending freedom, but give you more. Budgeting is all about being intentional about where your money goes, and will give you a clear plan and picture about where your money is going.

1. Budget to zero: This means that before the month even begins, you’re making a plan and giving every dollar a name. It doesn’t mean you have zero dollars in your bank account, just that your income minus all your expenses will equal zero.
2. Budget together: If you’re married, you and your spouse should sit down and make sure you’re on the same page about your budget. Remember, since you’re a single unit, it’s not your money or my money, but our money.
3. Every month is different: Some months you’ll need to save for school supplies, and others you’ll have to save up for a vacation you’ve been wanting to take. Make sure you’re adjusting your budget accordingly to accommodate for these changes.
4. Start with important categories first: Giving and saving should be at the top of your list, along with food, shelter, utilities, basic clothing and transportation. Once those necessities are taken care of, you can fill the rest of the categories in your budget.
5. Pay off your debt: If you have debt, paying it off needs to be a top priority. You can use the debt snowball method and Baby Steps to get rid of debt as fast as you can, and stop letting it rob you of your income and budgeting plan.
6. Trim things out: If you’re on a tight budget, you can start to cut certain things out, such as your cable or dining out. You can also shop at discount clothing stores, and budget out meals before you go grocery shopping.
7. Cut up your credit cards: If you have a credit card, and are really committed to sticking to your budget, you need to ditch the credit cards. Having no credit card debt will mean no more minimum payments you need to make each month.
8. Make a schedule: Set specific dates to pay bills, and buy your groceries on a set day every week, or twice a month. When you know what to expect and when to expect it, you take a lot of stress and potential pitfalls out of the picture.

Let Fairmont FCU help! Use online banking and schedule your payments to pay your bills on specific dates and to set-up savings goals.  You can also open club accounts for specific items like insurance, auto expenses, education, etc and the best part is the club account is tied to your membership ID/account number making it easy to transfer funds or set-up automatic transfers to each designated club. For details or to apply online visit www.fairmontfcu.com, stop in any full service office or call 304.363.5320, option 1.  #WeAreFFCU #wvcreditunionscare #onceamemberalwaysamember

How to Declutter Your Life in 2018

What do you like to do in your down time? Perhaps you enjoy settling in on the sofa and reading a good book. Maybe you prefer to go on a walk or take a bike ride in your neighborhood. Whatever your favorite method of relaxation is, one answer we don’t hear a lot of is cleaning or organizing the house. Let’s face it—there’s a bunch of other things we’d rather be doing in our spare time than scrubbing our bathrooms or cleaning the kitchens. But you have to admit it, once you actually do, doesn’t it feel amazing?

There’s really no better time than now to de-clutter your life; after all, a new year means a new you.  Having a closet in your home full of mystery contents or a drawer with too many miscellaneous items is so last year. This is 2018; this is going to be your year where your life has minimal chaos and excessive order.

It sounds a lot scarier than it is; after all, we’re always afraid of some potential, hidden problem we’re going to find. But getting your finances in better shape, particularly with tax season right around the corner, is going to be the most therapeutic and beneficial way to get a fresh start in 2018.

Here are a few things we consider to be helpful to declutter your financial life in 2018:

Pay Bills Immediately

Never receive a bill, set it aside, and pay it later. Not only are you adding extra steps to your process, but you are just adding more paper to an already growing list of bills. Instead, open your mail as you are in your home office, and pay your bills immediately with a computer in front of you. Better yet—set up automatic online payments as you work on that computer.

Buy a Shredder

Bills like credit card statements and bank statements don’t need to be saved; often your bank will easily be able to access that information online for you. We recommend you go for a cross-cut shredder to help declutter your files.  

Ditch Paper Receipts

There’s an app we are loving right now that will easily declutter your life in 2018. Foreceipt Receipt Tracker is a great way to take pictures of your receipts and organize them digitally, set budgets, and track your spending. It’s an easy way to both store the information you need while significantly cutting down on paper.

Organizing your storage, re-evaluating your financials, or cleaning out your closet doesn’t have to mean that book that you’ve been reading gets abandoned. Decluttering your life and sorting out your bills means bringing a renewed balance between your professional life and your personal life. For more information on how to start the new year right by better financial organizational tips, contact your friends and experts at Fairmont Federal Credit Union.  Call 304-363-5320 or visit one of our locations today.

Holiday Traditions Handed Down

When most people think of traditions, they think of holiday traditions.  Holiday traditions and the recurrent experience of it every year, is a cornerstone of most people’s lives.  These moments create positive memories for our children and create reliable events for everyone to participate year after year.  It takes away the stress and anxiety of the unknown and the unpredictable.  Traditions can anchor family members to to each other, providing a sense of unity and belonging.

There is an endless list of holiday traditions, ranging from surprising your neighbors with treats, starting an ornament collection, camping out under the tree, helping the needy,  baking cookies for santa, and seeing candy cane lane.  

Here are some examples of how families across America create traditions to be handed down.

• White Elephant Gift Exchange: Because of their sheer size,  some families chose  a “White Elephant” gift exchange.   This adds a lot of humor and eases the anxiety and pressure of gift giving.  

• Bake christmas cookies: Bring the cookies to a nursing home, homeless shelter, or a “Boys and Girls Club.”  
• The 12 Days of Christmas: Each person gets a list of mixed up names and for the 12 days prior to Christmas Eve,  puts a small wrapped gift in the stocking of the person that was on your list for that particular day. On Christmas Eve, families open the 12 small gifts.
• Autographs on a Tablecloth: Spread out a white tablecloth on the main table at Christmas dinner.  At the end of the meal, everyone who was present writes their name, the year, and sometimes a short message. This is especially enchanting with children and seeing their handwriting change from year to year.  

Holiday traditions come from the fundamental need that people have to be with each other and bond. What kind of traditions does your family have? Share your thoughts, ideas and memories!  

Fairmont Federal Credit Union's success has been built on our commitment to the credit union philosophy of "People Helping People!" Follow us on Facebook.

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Sources:

https://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/12-25-14-holiday-traditions-passed-down/

https://www.mnn.com/family/family-activities/blogs/multicultural-winter-holiday-celebrations

http://mommyperfect.com/2015/11/the-importance-of-holiday-traditions/

Operation CU Cares: Honoring and Celebrating our Veterans

Veteran’s Day is a time to remember and honor those who served in our military. Giving up their safety, security, and precious moments with their family, our veterans demonstrate the level of humility and bravery it takes to serve and protect our country. For Fairmont Federal Credit Union, honoring our military veterans is incredibly important to us.

This past October, FFCU participated in National Freedom Day. Recognized on October 12th, Freedom Day USA is America’s largest military thank you event. On this day each year, businesses show their thanks by providing free gifts, services, or offers to active military members, veterans and their immediate family. The idea behind National Freedom Day is “day of free, for a lifetime of freedom.”

FFCU was incredibly proud to decorate all of our offices in red, white, and blue balloons as well as offer active military members, veterans and their families special credit union items.

Additionally, FFCU employees donated items like food and toiletries to create and send care packages to one of their fellow employee’s husband's active military unit.

This November, FFCU plans to continue its commitment to honoring our military family by recognizing our own. We were honored to provide a restaurant gift card to each of them. FFCU is proud to employ and be connected to so many incredible active military members and veterans. Let us present:

Corporal Stephen Quisenberry

USMC

Feb 1, 1993 – Feb 1, 1997

Paul Cross

YN2 E-5

1983-1987 at SACLANT (Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic Fleet

1988 about USS IWO JIMA (LPH-2)

Travis Snuffer

SMSgt Michael L Vanhorn

(Senior Master Sergeant)

USAF Reserves

1988-Current

Husband Of Sandy Vanhorn

Tony Nuzum

Army/ E5 Artillery Unit

Served In Germany & Vietnam

1968-1971

Honorable Discharge in 1974

Husband of Susan Nuzum

Lashawn M Elison

E4 3rd class

USS Sacramento AOE-1

USS Shreveport LPD – 12

Seabee Base Gulfpot MS

Served 8 years

Husband Of Alisha Bogan

Alec Burkel

Nellis Airforce Base, Las Vegas 4 years

F35 Mechanic

57th Aircraft Maintenenance Squadron

Aircraft Armament Journeyman 2W151

Husband of Jessica Burkel

Ian Toothman

Son of Teresa Toothman

E3 Lance Corporal

Jamey Travelstead

Marine Corp. Infantry Division

0311 Infantry Man

Stationed at Camp Lejuene

Son of Marianne Rowe

Not Pictured:

Eric Hudson – Husband Of Katie Husband

William Dickey – Husband of Cindy Dickey

Veteran’s Day is Saturday, November 11th. In honor of this, FFCU will be closed. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank each and every service member for their dedication and sacrifice. We also want to do our part. We are here to serve your family’s financial needs. Visit us today to learn more about credit union membership.

#WeAreFFCU #wvcreditunionscare

Tailgating 101

Tailgating on game day has been a fun tradition for friends and families all over the nation for years, and for many, tailgating is as important as the game. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a rookie, here are a few tailgating tips to get through this year's football season.

Assign Roles

Before the tailgating begins, assign all of your friends and family a role for the day. Have someone be in charge of bringing food, bringing chairs and a tent, and someone to bring the games. This assures everyone has their own responsibility, and the pressure isn’t put on one person alone.

Pack Up the Night Before

Just like assigning roles, packing everything you need up the night before will help you stay organized and remember to bring everything to have a great day tailgating. This can also be useful to see if you’re forgetting anything, and know if you need to grab anything last minute before the game.

Over-packing is Better Than Underpacking

Packing more than you need for those just-in-case situations can be extremely helpful. For those times when someone forgets something, over-packing and being prepared can make the day run smoothly and more fun.

Get There Early

Arriving to the game early gives you more time to enjoy tailgating and not have to rush through any of your favorite tailgating activities. Getting there early ensures you have a great spot to have the best time with your friends and family.

Have Fun, But Not Too Much Fun

Tailgating should be an enjoyable time cheering on your favorite sport team and spending time with friends and family. But every now and then someone has a little too much fun, and then you run the chance of turning into that guy. Have fun while keeping it under control to ensure you and everyone around you has a great tailgating experience.

Remember the Cleanup

Stopping your tailgating fun twenty minutes before the game is a great idea if you want to make sure you pack everything up. You don’t want to run the risk of forgetting to pack something up and having someone snag it from your spot.

Fairmont Federal Credit Union is happy to cheer on the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Fairmont State Falcons, and we hope everyone has a great season. Let’s Go Mountaineers!  Go Fighting Falcons!  

Back-to-Basics for Back-to-School

It’s back-to-school time here in West Virginia. For many families it can be time of great stress adjusting to a new routine. Getting your children off to a great start comes with some pre-planning to ensure that they are ready to dive into the new adventures that the upcoming school year holds.

• Adjust bedtimes accordingly – A great school day starts with a good night’s rest. While the summer months often mean later bedtimes, the school day starts bright and early, which means you should adjust your child’s sleeping routine to accommodate an earlier start.
• Morning routine – Getting the hang of the morning routine often takes a couple of weeks. Set your expectations for the details that need to be accomplished before your child heads out the door. This might include wake-up times, morning chores, breakfast, grooming habits, and when they need to be at the bus stop.
• Pack a healthy lunch – The food you feed your child is the fuel that helps their bodies function. Take your child to the grocery store and let them help you pick out healthy choices for their afternoon meals. In order to accommodate a busy morning, consider packing lunches the night prior. Additionally, there is no reason your child can’t pack their own lunch (with your guidance). Helping them make good choices early will set them up for a lifetime of good eating habits.
• Choose healthy snacks – In addition to lunch choices, it is important to have healthy snacks ready for your children when they get home from school. Fresh fruits, veggies, cheese or other small snacks are great options to tie them over between lunch and dinner.
• Study spaces – Create a space for your child to do their homework that is conducive to learning. In addition to being comfortable, it should be well lit have plenty of flat surfaces for writing, and within view of a parent who can monitor their working habits. Get them in the habit of going to this place after their snack so that they can get work done early and while their mind is skill focused on school.
• Create a family schedule – Fall schedules are packed with activities. Create a calendar so everyone knows what is on tap for the week ahead.

At Fairmont Federal Credit Union, we are here to serve your family’s financial needs. Visit us today to learn more about credit union membership.