The Secret to a Cheaper Holiday Season

Home Blog The Secret to a Cheaper Holiday Season

Posted On: November 2, 2020 by Peoples Bank of Kankakee County in: Budget Family General Saving Seasonal

As the holidays quickly approach, managing your money wisely becomes even more difficult. As you spoil your loved ones with gifts, celebrate the season with fancy dinners and go all-out on new decor, the budget tends to go out the window when the holidays come around. There’s no harm in enjoying the holiday season, but this blog will help you make sure you don’t enter January with empty pockets.

Set a Realistic Budget

Odds are, if you set a tight and strict budget for the holidays, you’ll end up feeling frustrated and annoyed. Take into account the last-minute purchases, who you’re getting gifts for, any traveling you may do, holiday activities and more. A helpful tip is to set a general budget for each person you get a gift for, that way you know exactly how much to spend for each loved one.

Cut Out the Unnecessary Expenses

We’re all guilty of splurging on things we definitely didn’t need during the holidays. Skip those appealing, yet overpriced holiday coffees and you’ll be surprised how much money you save. You can factor “treating yourself” into your budget without going overboard on the unnecessary holiday treats and activities.

Choose Budget-Friendly Holiday Activities

‘Tis the season to spend quality time doing fun winter activities with the ones you love. This year, pick some activities that aren't as tough on your wallet but will still provide those sweet holiday memories. Rather than spending money on special attractions and extravagant trips, try activities like sledding, driving to see Christmas lights or baking holiday goodies at home.

Watch Out for Sneaky Sales

There's nothing better than seeing a big red “On Sale” sign by the perfect gift. Double check what you’re paying, though, because sometimes the sales can be too good to be true. Many stores don’t actually discount the item, but rather stick a sign on it to entice customers into thinking it’s a great deal. Even if you find something for a great price, make sure it’s in your budget before swiping the card.

Revamp the Family Gatherings

Saving money will make the whole family happy, so incorporating new traditions like Secret Santa or potlucks can save everyone big bucks. Rather than going to a nice restaurant, do a potluck-style meal and everyone can bring their favorite dish. Buying each extended family member a gift can add up, so trying out Secret Santa can be fun, exciting and much cheaper.

Giving into the holiday deals and going overboard on spending is hard to avoid this time of year, but having a plan helps tremendously. Sticking to your budget and being smart about your spending is the best way to avoid the dreaded post-holiday regret. To open a savings account or learn more about how we can help you manage your money, contact Peoples Bank of Kankakee today. Happy holidays!

Member FDIC

An overdraft occurs when you do not have enough money in your account to cover a transaction, but we pay it anyway. We can cover your overdrafts in two different ways:

We have standard overdraft practices that are available after your account has been open for 30 days and as long as you maintain your account in good standing.
We also offer an overdraft protection plan, Overdraft Protection Sweep, a link to a savings account. It may be less expensive than our standard overdraft practices. To learn more, ask us about this plan.

This notice explains our standard overdraft practices.

What are the standard overdraft practices that come with my account?

After your account has been open for 30 days and as long as you maintain your account in good standing, we do authorize and pay overdrafts for the following types of transactions:

Checks and other transactions made using your checking account number
Automatic bill payments

We do not authorize and pay overdrafts for the following types of transactions unless you ask us to (see below):

ATM transactions
Everyday debit card transactions

We pay overdrafts at our discretion, which means we do not guarantee that we will always authorize and pay any type of transaction.

If we do not authorize and pay an overdraft, your transaction will be declined.

What fees will I be charged if Peoples Bank of Kankakee County pays my overdraft?

Under our standard overdraft practices:

We will charge you a fee of up to $30 each time we pay an overdraft.
The maximum daily overdraft fee per presentment or item paid using the Overdraft Reserve Program is $150.00 per day.
No per item handling fee will be charged on de minimis overdrafts. De minimis overdraft for this policy means transactions that overdraw your account by $30 or less.
There is an overdraft fee of $5 per day that will be charged beginning the 4th consecutive business day your account is overdrawn.

Nonsufficient funds (NSF) fees - if an item drafted by you (such as a check) or a transaction you set up (such as a preauthorized transfer) is presented for payment in an amount that is more than the amount of money in your account and we decide not to pay the item or transaction, you agree that we can charge you an NSF fee for returning the payment. Be aware that such an item or payment may be presented multiple times by the merchant or other payee until it is paid, and that we do not monitor or control the number of times a transaction is presented for payment. You agree that we may charge you an NSF fee each time a payment is presented if the amount of money in your account is not sufficient to cover the payment, regardless of the number of times the payment is presented.

PAYMENT ORDER OF ITEMS - The law permits us to pay items drawn on your account in any order (for purposes of this section "items" means checks, orders and electronic transactions). To assist you in handling your account with us, we are providing you with the following information regarding how we process those items. When processing checks and orders drawn on your account our policy is to pay lower numbered checks and orders in numerical sequence, but electronic transactions are paid first in the order received. The order in which items are paid is important if there is not enough money in your account to pay all of the items that are presented. There is no policy that is favorable in every instance. If the smallest items are paid first, you may have fewer NSF or overdraft fees, but the largest, and perhaps more important items (such as rent or mortgage payments) might not be paid. However, if the largest items are paid first, your most important items might be paid but it may increase the overdraft or NSF fees if funds are not available to pay all of the items. We think our policy attains a reasonable balance between minimizing additional costs to you and paying your more important items. We encourage you to make careful records and practice good account management. This will help you to avoid creating items without sufficient funds and incurring the resulting fees.

What if I want Peoples Bank of Kankakee County to authorize and pay overdrafts on my ATM and everyday debit card transactions?

If you also want us to authorize and pay overdrafts on ATM and everyday debit card transactions after your account has been open for 30 days, you may opt in.

You have an ongoing right to change this consent at any time. If your overdraft privilege has been revoked for any reason, the opt-in or opt-out selection may not apply. Please contact your nearest office for more information.

Alternate ways to Opt In/Out or make changes:

By Phone. Our Customer Care Representatives can be reached at 815-936-7600.
By Mail. Peoples Bank of Kankakee County, 333 E. Court Street, Kankakee, IL 60901
In Person. Please visit your local office and ask a representative to help you decide which plan is best for you.