Mother’s Day Gift Ideas From Connex Employees

Any chance you haven’t quite figured out what to get mom on Mother’s Day? Well you’re in luck, because I got some great ideas directly from Connex employees. Be sure to leave your Mother’s Day gift ideas in the comments below. I hope you enjoy these ideas as much as I have!

Ideas from Connex Employees
“My mother loves butterflies, so I got her an old fashioned jar with an animatronic butterfly flapping inside.” – Jennifer, Orange Branch

“A group photo with all the kids and/or grandchildren, including the dog if you don’t have kids!!!” – Candace, Collections

“I would love a day at the Spa…” – Sandy, Accounting

“Flowers.” – Paula, Collections

“The simpler the better in my opinion. A hand made card from the kids and a Blu-ray is what’s on the menu for this year.” – Brenden, Collections

“Breakfast in bed! We always did breakfast in bed.” – Mandy, New Haven Branch

“Every year on Mother’s Day I send my mom a new picture of myself with my siblings and a picture with the three of us with our children (5 all together). She always said we are her greatest gifts!” – Talana, Hamden Branch

I can’t wait to see what other ideas you can come up with!

Chris Whalen, VP of Unbanking

All About North Haven!

Connex had a great response to our All About Guilford blog, so Connex is proud to bring you All About North Haven. Connex’s North Haven branch is located at 412 Washington Avenue. You might notice that this location has a lot of cars parked in the back. That is because our North Haven location is also our corporate headquarters! Members love the expert knowledge of Eggie (Branch Manager) and Michelle (Assistant Branch Manager). Members also rave about the coin counting machine and are happy to make a small contribution to charity with the counting fee!

“The North Haven branch is unique because we have some long time staff members and a crop of new employees too. The long time staff has built relationships with members through the years, while the new employees are eager to start building relationships with members.”
–Mike F., Member Service Representative at North Haven

Quick Tip

If you are a regular at the North Haven branch, you’ve probably wondered when the branch is its busiest. Based on feedback from the employees, this branch sees its most traffic on Friday morning and Thursday after 3pm. The lunch time hours on weekdays also have a steady stream of members.

Interesting Fact

Car troubles? No problem! North Haven staff to the rescue! One day a member was doing a typical transaction and when they got to their car they couldn’t get in. Turns out they locked their keys in their car. Right away our operations and IT team were to the rescue with a coat hanger! They were able to unlock the member’s door and all was well!

F.A.Q.

Who can be a member?

Anyone who lives, works, worships, or goes to school in New Haven, Hartford, or Middlesex County.

Where does Connex have other branches?

Including North Haven Connex has branches in Guilford, Hamden, Orange, New Haven, and Wallingford.

Where are Connex’s ATMs?

Connex has ATMs at all of our branches and members have surcharge-free access to over 40,000 Allpoint Network ATMs. There are over 400 Allpoint ATMs in Connecticut alone!

North Haven Branch Hours

Monday-Wednesday: 8:00am-3:00pm (Lobby & Drive-Up)

Thursday: 8:00am-6:00pm (Lobby & Drive-Up)

Friday: 8:00am-5:00pm (Lobby & Drive-Up)

Saturday: 9:00am-12:00pm (Lobby)
                8:30am-1:00pm (Drive-Up)

Do you use the North Haven branch?

What do you like about the North Haven branch?

Going Green is Easy!

This weekend is Earth Day and I’m super excited! As someone in my 20s I want our world to flourish and continue to be a healthy environment for many generations to come. I compiled a list of 10 very easy things you can start doing right away to go green! Going green isn’t only good for the environment, but many times it’s good for your wallet too!

1.Wash your clothes with cold water instead of hot
2.Turn the water off while brushing your teeth
3.Switch to E-Statements and E-Bills
4.Use reusable bags at the store
5.Use a reusable water bottle
6.Recycle cans and bottles and get your deposit back
7.Turn the lights off when you leave the room
8.Recycle your unused electronics and batteries
9.In the summer, keep your shades down in the day
10.In the winter, keep your shades up in the day

To find out more about Earth Day you can go to www.EarthDay.org and www.EPA.gov/EarthDay

What are you doing to go green on Earth Day and every day?

Chris Whalen, VP of Unbanking

Save Gas. Save Money.

As of 4/13/12 the average price of gas in Connecticut was $4.14*. Assuming you have a 15 gallon tank and fill up at least once a week, that’s over $3,000/year on just gas!

Check out these five tips on how to save gas and save money. If only I could get my 1/10 of a penny back then I’d be all set.

Proper Tire Air Pressure

Be sure to check your air pressure and keep your tires properly inflated. Not only will you save money on gas but your tires will last longer too! By keeping your tires properly inflated and aligned you can increase your gas mileage by up to 3%!

 

 

 

Clean Out Your Trunk

Are you using your car’s trunk for storage? If so, it’s time to clean it out. An extra 100 pounds in your trunk can reduce your fuel economy by up to 2%!

 

 

Check Under The Hood

Proper tune-ups on your car are necessary for proper gas mileage. Get those noises fixed and your oil changed. You can increase your gas mileage by up to 4% by making sure your engine is tuned to your owner’s manual specifications.

 

 

Take It Easy

A drive can be relaxing and save you money. Your gas mileage becomes more inefficient when driving at speeds over 60 mph. And when you’re driving around the town, try not to jack rabbit. Driving gently can improve your city mileage by up to 5%!

 

 

Find The Best Price

By using your resources on the internet and on your mobile smartphone you can easily shop around for the best gas prices in your area. A great site and mobile app is www.gasbuddy.com! GasBuddy has a huge community of users that report the best prices all over the country. Just enter your zip code and you’re on your way to cheaper gas and saving money.

Sources:
*http://www.connecticutgasprices.com/Prices_Nationally.aspx
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/energysavings/savegas/flash.html

What gas saving tips do you have?

Chris Whalen, VP of Unbanking

All About Guilford

Connex’s Guilford branch is located on 849 Boston Post Road. When you walk into the Guilford location the first thing you will feel is “at home”. The employees really try to go above and beyond for the members. Many employees build close relationships with the members and consider the branch to be a family environment. The staff at Guilford take pride in creating an ongoing positive and enjoyable experience for both themselves and the members.

“We definitely try to have fun every day and truly enjoy being here, which has been mentioned by many of our members as being something that they notice as soon as they step in the door.” – Angela C., New Account Representative at Guilford

Quick Tip

If you frequent the Guilford Branch, you might be wondering when the branch is at its busiest. Based on feedback from the employees this branch sees its most traffic on Thursdays and Fridays during lunch. Saturdays see a busy flow of members throughout the day.

Interesting Fact

As you can probably tell, Connex’s Guilford branch is an actual house. There is a fireplace and all! Members really get interested in trying to envision what the house used to look like. Figuring out where the kitchen, dining room, and living area was is a fascinating task.

F.A.Q.

Who can be a member?

Anyone who lives, works, worships, or goes to school in New Haven, Hartford, or Middlesex County.

Where does Connex have other branches?

Including Guilford, Connex has branches in North Haven, Hamden, Orange, New Haven, and Wallingford.

Where are Connex’s ATMs?

Connex has ATMs at all of our branches and members have surcharge-free access to over 40,000 Allpoint Network ATMs. There are over 400 Allpoint ATMs in Connecticut alone!

 

Guilford Branch Hours

Monday-Wednesday: 8:00am-3:00pm (Lobby & Drive-Up)

Thursday: 8:00am-6:00pm (Lobby & Drive-Up)

Friday: 8:00am-5:00pm (Lobby & Drive-Up)

Saturday: 9:00am-12:00pm (Lobby)
                8:30am-1:00pm (Drive-Up)

 

Do you use the Guilford branch? What do you like about Guilford?

Spring Cleaning For Your Wallet

I know you’re probably hoping for me to tell you how to get the gum out of your carpet or how to dust your blinds, but I suggest consulting your sponge for those tips. Spring is a time for not only cleaning your house, but your finances too! Check out these financial spring cleaning tips!

                                                                                                                                                                                                Clean Out Financial Records

Do you have boxes of old bank statements or other financial records piling up somewhere? This is the perfect time to get rid of unnecessary documents. Be careful though and go through every single document you have. Not all financial records should be thrown away. Download the PDF below for a list of financial records and how long you should keep them. Oh and a couple more things, remember to dispose of your documents securely and to recycle when you can!

Financial Record Rules (PDF)

Sell Old or Unwanted Items

Who knows maybe that old typewriter sitting up in the attic is worth something. When you’re cleaning out our attics, basements, and garages double check and make sure what you’re throwing away isn’t worth money. If what you have isn’t worth anything, try to recycle it and be green.

 

 

 Get Back on Track

Have you stuck to the budget that you made as part of your New Year’s Resolutions? If not, it is time to get back on track. Not only should you go back to following your budget, but you should take a look as to why you stopped in the first place. Go through line by line and figure out where you need to adjust. Did you always over spend on your coffee budget? Maybe to help stick to it you can increase your coffee budget while cutting back on something else.

 

I’ve helped you out with the financial stuff. Can you help me out with the getting the gum out of the carpet?!

What spring cleaning tips do you have? Let me know in the comments or on Facebook and Twitter! 

Chris Whalen, VP of Unbanking

Connex Has $4,000 In Scholarships To Giveaway!

As a way to help future and current college students Unbank, Connex is offering two $1,000 scholarships and one $2,000 scholarship to members. This year there is a creative twist! Applicants must describe in their own words what a credit union is, but they must also submit either a video or print advertisement that they make about Connex. The deadline to enter is May, 7 2012.




If you or somebody you know would like to apply here are the details!

Download Application Here!

Scholarships Offered 

• (2) $1,000 scholarships in honor of Nicolas G. Hackett
• (1) $2,000 scholarship in honor of Arthur B. Haesche

Requirements: 

• Be either college-bound or currently enrolled
• Maintain a 3.5 GPA or higher
• Be involved with your community
• Provide a copy of your current transcripts
• Be a current Connex member or join after applying
• Submit video or print ad

Where To Submit:

Mail To:
Connex Credit Union
P.O. Box 477
North Haven, CT 06473-0477
Attn: Scholarship Committee

OR

E-Mail To:
connex_marketing@connexcu.org

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask!
I can’t wait to see your ideas!

Chris Whalen, VP of Unbanking