I don’t know about you, but now that the school year has resumed, I spend every waking minute doing stuff. Half the time, I can’t even remember what stuff it is I’m doing, but I know I somehow get it all done because my daughter hasn’t yet complained that I forgot to pack her lunch, the electric hasn’t been turned off, and I leave the house wearing shoes every morning.
I’m going to go ahead and call that a success.
Of course, I’m also always looking to streamline my day. It’s important to get past the feeling of rushing from thing to another so I can take a breather and enjoy making memories with my kiddos. I don’t want all the little details of the day to take over my life. My family is too important to get lost behind the shuffle of schedules and errands.
Gratefully, I’ve been taking full advantage of Members Cooperative Credit Union’s tools to automate my finances and manage my accounts from the convenience of my phone. They don’t pack school lunches for me, but they do clear up a lot of time I’d usually reserve for budgeting, banking, and finance review.
Mobile Deposit Capture is Literally the Best
My husband has long been suspect of the idea that you can snap a picture of a check and it will automatically be deposited into your account, but I live by this premium process. I love that MCCU is a small, local credit union, and it still offers the latest in mobile tech to its members. I don’t have to fit in a trip to a branch just to deposit a 20 dollar check my grandma sent me for my birthday (does anyone else grandma still do this, too?). MCCU has me covered with just a few clicks on my phone.
What Would We Do Without Direct Deposit?
We have direct deposit set up, too, so our paychecks are instantly deposited and available to us. I like being able to eliminate the need to worry about when we’ll drop off our paychecks at the bank and how long many business days it will take to process them; my mental load doesn’t need carry the stress of basic math right now! I need to be able to run to the store for a few essentials and not worry that my check hasn’t cleared and my hard-earned money is sitting somewhere in electronic limbo.
Text Reminders are a Lifesaver
It’s also super easy to set up a custom set of text reminders with MCCU. It eliminates the guesswork about the state of your bank account. My partner and I try to be on top of purchases and stick to our monthly budget, but sometimes life flies by so quickly that we’re both whipping out the debit card faster than we can record our purchases. I can text to get my account’s balance when I’m unsure of where we’re at for the month. I can get info on where the nearest ATM is when my 1st grader’s school has a bake sale that only takes cash, and I can take a look at my recent history so I have a pulse on what is going in and what is coming out.
Popmoney to the Rescue!
My favorite of the automated services MCCU offers its members is Popmoney! I try really hard to be a good gift giver–to remember everyone’s birthdays, anniversaries, and important dates–but ultimately, I completely fail at this. Suddenly, it’s 12 hours before my kid brother’s birthday and Amazon Prime is totally out. Popmoney lets me send him some cash instantly from my phone; all I need is to provide some basic info and pop!, it’s sent with a cute little birthday greeting. The Popmoney service has a low $5 minimum transfer so it’s also a great way to send a friend some coffee money and let them know you’re thinking about them. It’s super easy to execute. Perfect!
There’s a reason why Northlanders voted MCCU as the best Credit Union in the Twin Ports for two years running. They are thoughtful with their services, providing their members with the tools and knowledge they need in order to stay on top of their finances without feeling overwhelmed. They know our time is better spent living: hugging our kids as they head off to school and then relaxing into a hot cup of coffee before we move on to our next big task of the day.
