Hidden Ways to Save Money Each Month

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By Lynn Viesti Berube

Today’s difficult economic climate has affected many individual’s finances. And it certainly doesn’t help that the prices of everything—from gasoline (did you know gas costs consumers 5 percent more this year than last year at this time?!) to electricity to food—seem to be increasing.

At The Milford Bank, we understand harsh realities inherent in today’s economy. We also value each and every one of our customers and want nothing more than to see all of their savings accounts grow every month.
While we might not be able to control your rising expenses, we can offer some advice as to how you can save more money. In this ongoing series, we’ll highlight a few tips that we hope will help:

• Shop your car insurance. We’ve all heard the commercials, but how many of us actually shop car insurance? The truth of the matter is that, with the chaos and rush of day-to-day life, we’d rather let our policies automatically renew simply because it’s easier. But there are so many insurance companies out there, and they all want your business. Who knows how much money you stand to save annually by switching insurers?

• Consider who produces your electricity. More than a decade ago, Connecticut deregulated the electricity market, allowing small energy producers to send their electricity over infrastructure owned by the utility companies. Did you know that you’re able to shop around and choose who produces the electricity that powers your home? It’s likely that you can find cheaper rates and switch providers at no cost.

• Cook more meals. Sure, going out is fun. It’s nice not to have to cook, and perhaps even more so not to have to clean. But let’s say you spend $50 every time you go out to dinner, and you go out twice a week—that adds up to a hefty $5,200 a year. You can certainly reduce that expense by cooking more meals at home. And there’s a good chance it will be healthier for you, too.

The Milford Bank: Focused on Turning Your Children into Cent$ible Kid$

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By Bob Russo

Recent research indicates that 27 percent of parents with children who are minors don’t have any money saved for them. What’s more, in 2012, the average financial literacy score for high school students was a “D.”

It’s never too early to start learning about finance. That’s precisely why we at The Milford Bank launched our Cent$ible Kid$ program in 2008, designed to educate our community’s children about the importance of saving money. As participants in the program, kids in Milford and Stratford schools are able to open savings accounts that they can put money into each week.

We believe that it doesn’t matter whether those deposits are 50 cents or $10. What’s important is having children begin the process of understanding their finances. Smart savings habits will help sculpt future shrewd behaviors related to spending, saving and investing.

Three-quarters of adults indicate they believe that it’s important to offer financial advice to our children, but only 36 percent of them do. We’re trying to bridge that gap with Cent$ible Kid$.

In addition to giving them the opportunity to save, we also use Cent$ible Kid$ as a platform through which to offer comprehensive bank-related education to today’s youth, like how money is protected in a bank thanks to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, how it grows with interest and more.

From piggy banks to pads and pens and everything in between, members of our program will also get freebies with coupons in our seasonal newsletters. Click here to learn more about the program.

What Do You Know about Defunct U.S. Currencies?

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By Pam Reiss

Today, for the most part, we exchange bills that bear the visages of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Hamilton, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant and Benjamin Franklin during financial transactions. Occasionally, you might also stumble upon a $2 bill adorned by Thomas Jefferson.
But did you know that the United States also had five larger currencies in circulation years ago? Though President Richard Nixon discontinued them in 1969—so as to discourage large scale black market transactions from occurring—they’re still legal tender. But because they’ve become collector’s items, it’s likely whoever has their hands on them won’t be letting go anytime soon.
Let’s briefly explore these five bills:
• The $500 bill had a few iterations, with Chief Justice John Marshall depicted on the 1918 version and a scene of Hernando de Soto’s 1541 discovery of the Mississippi River on the back. In 1928 and 1934, the bill was updated to feature President William McKinley, who was assassinated in 1901.

• There were also two modern versions of the $1,000 bill that were circulated (other iterations were introduced in the 1800s). The first one was featured Hamilton on the front and a bald eagle on the back and was released in 1918. In 1934, President Grover Cleveland adorned the bill.

• America’s fourth president, James Madison, is featured on the $5,000 bill, which was printed in 1918 and 1934. The first printing’s backside featured a scene of Washington’s resignation.

• You might be surprised to that the $10,000 bill—the largest bill ever in public circulation—features a not-as-popularly-known figure in U.S. history, Salmon P. Chase, who was a senator, governor, treasury secretary and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The 1918 version of the bill’s backside featured a Pilgrim-related scene.

• The largest bill ever printed by the treasury was the $100,000 bill, a gold certificate featuring President Woodrow Wilson. The bills, which were only printed for three weeks, were used to facilitate large transactions between different Federal Reserve branches.