First Alliance Blog

As you may have heard from Alvin and the Chipmunks, Christmas, Christmas, time is here. Time for toys and time for cheer. The only problem is that in addition to toys and cheer, Christmas is also time for office holiday party gifts, groceries for Christmas dinner, new Christmas outfits, and traveling expenses.

One of the most famous Christmas stories of all time has to be Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol.” Ever since Dickens published the book in 1843, audiences have thrilled to the telling of Ebenezer Scrooge’s redemption at the hands of four ghosts. Despite the countless adaptations, reexaminations and parodies that flood the airwaves during the Christmas season, it never seems to grow old.

Giving the perfect birthday or Christmas gift to someone you care about always make you feel good inside. No matter how much you care for someone your giving a gift to it's important to stay on budget. These ten tips offer ideas to keep your gift giving affordable and still be sentimental.

Turkey day is almost here! It's a day to celebrate with friends, family, and of course food. However, if you have the honor of hosting Thanksgiving dinner it can get expensive. To help you out, I have put together some quick tips to help you stay on budget when your hosting Thanksgiving this year.

It can feel like taking care of your family and saving money are contradictory goals, but that is only the case if you do not plan things out. You have to be savvy in order to push through common financial pitfalls and create a steady savings. One way you can do this is by taking up couponing.

Savings can help you achieve any financial goal. Whether it's a comfortable retirement, a down payment for a house or a new car, you can get there by consistently setting money aside. And best of all, you can have what you want, without getting deep in debt. If you're like most people, you don't save as much as you'd like or you don't save at all.

Everything could be okay right at this moment. You have enough money in the bank, both you and your partner could have good jobs, and the two of you have both savings and retirement accounts. But all of that could go away in an instant. Either you or your partner could lose your jobs, one of you could be involved in an accident, or you could experience a decrease in pay. What will happen to your savings or possibly even your retirement?

Even when money is tight, you can still get to the end of the month and possibly have a few dollars left over. The trick is to know where every penny goes and make it stretch as far as possible. Use these tips every month and you’ll be surprised at what you can accomplish even with a lower income.

The summer season is a time of year when your utility bills can get out of hand if you aren't careful. From watering the lawn and the flowers because of a lack of rain to running the air conditioner. Fortunately, there are a few ways that you can save on almost any utility bill while staying comfortable in the heat of the summer months.

Life is short, and you understandably want to enjoy life on your own terms. Many people have a dream car that they would like to cruise around in regularly, and they keep their dream of ownership in the back of their mind for years. You could be included in this group of dreamers, or you could take practical steps to make it affordable to own the car that you really want.