Hi there,

According to the official state website, the average Maine family will spend $3,209 for oil or $2,975 for propane, respectively, to heat their home this year. How much can proper insulation save you on both heating and cooling costs? Find out as I roll up my sleeves and install some insulation in my home!

Between winterizing our homes and preparing for the holidays, it’s easy to lose track of our budgets. However, November brings with it many opportunities for saving money if you put in the effort. I’ve put together a list of five ways you can save in the coming month:

1. Buy Halloween Clearance
2. Can Fruits and Vegetables
3. Make the Most of Sales
4. Stock up on Baking Supplies
5. Prepare for Winter

We sprang forward back on March 12 and now we’ll be turning the clock back an hour on November 5. Besides gaining or losing an hour of sleep, how else does Daylight Saving impact you? According to Time, this change has an effect on your wallet. One of the advantages of Daylight Saving is that the extra hour of sunlight encourages people to stay out and spend money, which gives a boost to small businesses and the overall economy. Also, one more hour of light helps keep electricity bills down, as you don’t need to have lights on as often. Although it might throw your sleeping schedule out of whack, be sure to set a reminder to turn back that clock in a few days if you want to remain on schedule!

November marks the start of the holiday season. No matter where the holidays take you, there’s a credit union branch near you. Shared Branch locations are a convenient way to access your credit union accounts FREE from anywhere in the country. With 175 branches in Maine and over 5,600 across all 50 states, you can be sure that wherever your travels take you, a credit union will be waiting to help. You can transfer funds, withdraw money, make deposits, cash checks, make loan payments and more! You can find a Shared Branch right here in Maine by clicking here.

Identity theft is nothing new, and yet it still manages to cost its victims billions of dollars (yes, that’s billions with a “b”) globally each year—not to mention the time and hassle involved in recovering a stolen identity. In this month’s "It’s a Money Thing" video, Jen learns all about identity theft and how to foil the bad guys.

What is your favorite holiday? I’d love to know!

Take care,

Jake Holmes
Young & Free Maine Spokester