International Credit Union Day 2021

THE GLEANER, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | E7 L ASCELLESEMPLOYEES & Partners Co-operative Credit Union (LEPCCU) strongly believes in the importance of thriftiness among our members and, by extension, our future generation. As part of our Child Month initiative, LEPCCU decided to give our Child Savers the opportunity to freely express themselves by submitting a video explaining the importance of saving. To say that our little savers were excited to be a part of this venture is an understatement. Participants were judged based on factual content, creativity, expression and popular vote. We received overwhelming responses but were only able to choose a first- and second- place winner. First-place winner Drei-Anah Brown received a Samsung Galaxy 8” tablet, while second-place winner Xandre Scott was awarded a book voucher courtesy of Kingston Bookshop. We at LEPCCU remain steadfast in our efforts to support the financial wellness of our members and youth savers alike. INT’L CREDIT UNION DAY 2021 FEATURE Lascelles Employees & Partners Co-operative Credit Union CREDIT UNION members, as you consider your financial situation, we want to help you to make the right financial decisions at Christmas which include helping you to save money. The money that you save will be useful in your plan to improve your standard of living or to prepare for short term, as well as long-term goals through borrowing. Here are some useful tips that you can employ in your savings plan. Don’t waste money on shiny packaging in a fancy store when you can buy it as a used item or you can trade with other persons. While buying used items is not very popular with Jamaicans, if you ask around you will find persons with similar interests who would not mind getting into the act. People and children grow tired of things or move to the latest editions. They will want to get rid of some things, such as: TEXT BOOKS Most books get read or used by their owners not more than once. So consider buying these second-hand. Buying used textbooks is becoming quite popular as parents strive to make the most of their back- to-school budgets for their children. LITTLE KIDS TOYS Parents know that some toys will be a hit with the kids and some will not. As a result, some rather good used toys are laying around waiting for new ‘friends’ such as your kids. Talk to other parents at day care and kindergarten, especially at birthday and Christmastime. With some good cleaning, your kinds can have ‘brand new’ toys for a fraction of the original cost. HOUSEHOLD AND OFFICE FURNITURE Good quality desks and household furniture are built to last a lifetime, but people’s taste and décor change. Check with the classifieds in the newspapers and be prepared to look around. You can find good bargains if you are prepared to scout. HAND TOOLS It is not advisable to buy used power tools, especially cordless versions that have limited lifespan, but well- made hand tools with few or no moving parts, such as hammers, wrenches, shovels, hoes, etc, can be a bargain. The older folks, having passed on, would have left some of these behind. But the children with modern tastes and the need for convenience oftentimes leave them to rust. Ask around, you would be able to buy them for a fraction of what new ones cost. You need the tools to do jobs around the house and save yourself some money. JEWELLERY Gold jewellery, especially, can never be too old. In fact the old pieces tend to fetch good prices for the sellers. But you can always bargain with the seller. With some good cleaning, a gold ring, a pair of earrings, bangles or bracelets can look as good as new. But be careful from whom you purchase. Make sure they are licensed to deal in this type of merchandise. SPORTS EQUIPMENT Sometimes people buy everything from tennis and badminton rackets to weights sets and exercise machines fully intending to wear them out, but too often they wind up collecting dust. These too can be bought second-hand. Ask the sports good stores. While they would like to sell their new ones, the stores with good customer service would not mind telling you where you can get a used one that a customer no longer needs. CARS A new car loses it value within the first year of its sale. In other words, it does not stay new for long, so buy a ‘new’ used car that looks just as good and will perform just as well. Cars are built to last longer than ever before, which means you are less likely to get a lemon. A good mechanic can give your potential purchase the once- over to spot any problems. Take a look at the classified in the newspapers and search around. There are deals that will help you save some money. Saving money this Christmas means that you will be able to put aside more for long- term goals: for your children’s education, vacation, medical expenses and for your pension. Your credit union is interested in your financial health. It’s all about ‘People ... helping people succeed’.