Monthly Archives: November 2015

Preparing for Black Friday Shopping

Get the best deals for Holiday Shopping while saving yourself time with these shopping tips.

Get the best deals for Holiday Shopping while saving yourself time with these shopping tips.

 

You get up early, stand in line with hundreds of other people hoping to find the perfect gift and rush into a store as soon as the doors open. Of course, we’re talking about Black Friday.

As the biggest shopping day of the year, Black Friday already offers you a lot of opportunities for savings, whether you’re shopping for yourself or to get the perfect holiday gift for a loved one. But there are ways you can ensure you not only save money on Black Friday, but that you shop smart too. Iowa State Bank & Trust Company has some tips for you to help you get through the Black Friday madness.

Be Aware of Online Deals

For several of the bigger stores, customers want to avoid the lines and hassle that can sometimes come with holiday shopping, especially on Black Friday. To help customers avoid the crowds, many retailers offer Black Friday deals on their websites, allowing you to shop in your pajamas with your laptop instead of braving the cold and crowds. Be sure to note any sales and still get up early, as there are often limited online quantities available in online sales.

Shop with a Plan

While several deals will be available online, many more will be in-store exclusives designed to pull customers into the store. If the item you want is only offered as part of an in-store promotion, be prepared to get up early so you can get to store to take advantage of the savings.

Shopping With Friends & Family

When it comes to Black Friday, it is extremely beneficial to make shopping a team sport. By shopping as part of a large group, you can send different people to different sections of a store, or even another store altogether, to pick up items for the rest of the team while you do the same. With a group mentality, you can still get the items you want without navigating the crowds by yourself.

If you do spend a lot of money on Black Friday, Iowa State Bank & Trust Company is here for you. We offer a variety of savings account options, including our Christmas Club Account that will allow you to save for next year’s gifts! Contact us to learn more.

Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner on a Budget

Cook your family a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner without breaking the bank with these tips.

Cook your family a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner without breaking the bank with these tips.

 

When you’re hosting Thanksgiving, it seems like you have a list with a million things to do. The biggest item on this list is preparing a meal that everyone will love. After all, one of the main highlights of Thanksgiving, aside from spending time with our loved ones, is eating all the delicious food. But if you’re the one cooking, that meal can cost a lot of time to prepare, but also a lot of money if you don’t shop effectively. With that in mind, Iowa State Bank & Trust Company has some shopping tips to help you cook a great meal and stay within your budget.

Shop with a Plan

An accurate headcount is your best friend when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner. When you know how many people you’re cooking for, you can limit your shopping to having enough food to feed that number. When you’ve got your headcount, create your menu and head to the grocery store. If you don’t know exactly what you’ll be serving, you’ll end up spending more money than you mean to.

Shop Smart

Our local grocery stores will most likely have several coupons or in-store deals available for those who are picking up what they need for Thanksgiving, and when you’re cooking for a large number of people, every bit of savings helps. Coupons are great, but you can also save money by buying generic or store-brand products, because most of the time you’re really only paying more for a name brand. The last key to shopping is to start now. We’re just two short weeks from Thanksgiving Day, so you’ll want to get your shopping done now and avoid packed lines and the risk that your ingredients aren’t available.

Take Advantage of Leftovers

Part of the beauty of Thanksgiving is that you cook so much food that you need to take a lot home. While this may seem like you bought too much food, it’s actually a blessing to have leftovers, so don’t throw them away! Instead, use those leftovers to feed your family for a few days. Each day you eat leftovers is a day you save money by not cooking another dinner.

Iowa State Bank & Trust Company wants you to have a great Thanksgiving with your family and avoid breaking the bank on the Thanksgiving menu. To find out how you can save money throughout the year, contact us and learn about the banking services we offer.