Tech CU awards $1,000 to Super Saver of 2009
Kathleen Litman, vice president of marketing at Tech CU, presents Shih-Shan Tan and Ron Vogel a check for $1,000. Vogel was selected as the Grow Your Green Super Saver of 2009.
San Jose, CA (Dec. 31, 2009) —Technology Credit Union (Tech CU) is proud to announce that Ron Vogel of San Jose, Calif. has been selected as the Grow Your Green Super Saver of 2009 and, as a result, Vogel has been awarded the $1,000 grand prize in Tech CU’s Grow Your Green Savings Challenge.
In March, Tech CU launched the Grow Your Green campaign and online community in an effort to support and encourage members to set and achieve savings goals in 2009. Then on Dec. 15, Tech CU picked the Super Saver of 2009—someone who had been actively saving and participating in the community—and that person would win $1,000 toward their savings goal.
Not only did Vogel save consistently all year to reach his financial goals, but he also shared many of his valuable money-saving tips with other Grow Your Green members. From advice on investing to tips on finding free music and video on the Internet, Vogel regularly contributed to the Grow Your Green community, posting several blog entries each week. (Read them here.)
“We worked hard to win this,” Vogel said, as his wife, Shih-Shan Tan, stood next to him. “This was a team effort. Shih-Shan would look for story ideas and then I would research them and develop them into blog posts. We wrote them with our own experiences of spending and saving in mind.”
One of those experiences, Vogel said, came when he was six years old.
“I loaned my grandfather $20 and a week later, he gave me $30—to cover the full amount, plus interest,” said Vogel. “That’s when I learned that if I was smart with money, I could make more of it.”
Vogel says since then he has tried to share his money management skills with the world. This time it has paid off—literally.
“We knew that more people were being affected by the economy this year so we wanted to help them focus on saving,” said Kathleen Litman, vice president of marketing at Tech CU. “From the start, we designed the Grow Your Green site to encourage comments from, and interaction between, the participants who were saving toward a particular goal. Ron was a major contributor and really cared about helping others. We’re thrilled he’s our Super Saver of 2009.”
And Vogel’s thrilled too.
“I opened the Grow Your Green savings account because I wanted to win the $100 monthly prize,” Vogel said. “That was appealing, but to win $1,000 is an even more wonderful surprise. It’s definitely a great way to end the year. Thank you, Tech CU!”
Meet our $100 winners
Our monthly winners have shared their savings tips with ‘Grow Your Green.’ Want to take advantage of their great advice? Read more
Q&A with Jeremy – GYG $100 winner, May
What are you saving for?
Planning to take a well deserved vacation to Hawaii with friends from college. Now that we’ve all graduated, it’s about time we escape the stresses of classes and work for a week or two!
What steps are you taking to save each month?
I’ve budgeted the costs of the whole trip (flight, hotel, rental, food, etc) so I just have to deposit the minimum amount each month until our trip. As soon as my paycheck comes in money goes right into the savings, and anything left over at the end of the month gets thrown in there too.
What is your biggest obstacle to keep a consistent savings plan?
Some weekends I go out with friends and spend more money than I should, so I’ve learned to sacrifice frivolous spending and focus on the big picture–Hawaii!
Has the current economy affected your saving plan at all?
With gas prices fluxing and paying toll for my commute, I’ve started to carpool and even ride my bicycle to work most days of the week. Other than that, the current economy hasn’t affected me much.
Do you have any savings tips for the other ‘Grow Your Green’ savers?
Figure out what things you’re saving for, how much each costs, and prioritize its importance. That way you can get an idea of how much to put away every month. Remember some things are worth waiting for. We all have bills to pay, so its important to know exactly what and how much you need to save.
Q&A with Jayshree – GYG $100 winner, April
Jayshree Jain is GYG's $100 winner for April. She says direct deposit helps her reach her savings goal.
What are you saving for?
I am saving for my kids, my parents, and my family’s future (and of course, any emergencies we may have along the way).
I am a teacher so I’m also saving for classroom supplies. I want my students to get the most out of their projects without having to worry about whether they can afford school supplies. (In fact, I love the Save 4 Your School challenge! It could really help teachers like me!)
What steps are you taking to save each month?
I have automatic transfers set up for several of my Tech CU accounts. As soon as my paycheck is deposited, these funds are automatically transferred to my various accounts, such as ‘Grow Your Green,’ Insured Investment and other savings and checking accounts.
What’s great about this is that you have complete control with what you want deposited in each account. For example, you can have $50 of your paycheck directed to your ‘Grow Your Green’ savings account, and $100 directed to one of your other savings accounts. It’s all up to you.
What is your biggest obstacle when you’re trying to keep a consistent savings plan?
If an emergency or an unexpected expense comes up, that can really sidetrack me. But the good news is that’s what a savings account is for—so you have money for a rainy day or two, when you most need it (although I’d rather spend my savings on a vacation!).
Has the current economy affected your savings plan at all?
Fortunately, I have not been affected by the economy.
Do you have any savings tips for other ‘Grow Your Green’ savers?
If you set up automatic transfers through Online Banking so that your funds are automatically transferred from your checking account to your savings accounts, you will hardly notice that you’re putting away some money each month. Before you know it, you’ll have reached your savings goal! It’s a psychological thing—when you don’t see the money in your checking account, you’re less likely to spend it. I know this little trick has helped me. Try it to ‘grow your green!’
Want some free money?
What’s a better way to grow your savings account than winning some money?! We give away $100 to one lucky saver every month.
Here’s all you have to do to qualify for the cash prize:
1. Save at least $25 in your ‘Grow Your Green’ savings account every month.
2. Register your profile here at ‘Grow Your Green.’ This way we know you’re out there, and we can put your name in the drawing. (Register here, if you haven’t already done so–it’s really easy!)
Once you’re registered, you can tell us about your savings goal and how you plan to reach it. Send photos, videos or use Grow Your Green to write posts. You can also share tips and ask for advice from other community members.
Winners will be announced on our Money Savvy blog at www.techcublog.com and here on ‘Grow Your Green’ around the 15th of each month. We already have a few of winners, including Jayshree from Los Altos. Meet all our winners.
Be our 2009 Super Saver and win $1,000!
On Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009, we will pick our 2009 Super Saver with the help of our ‘Grow Your Green’ community—someone who has been actively saving and participating in the community—and that person will win $1,000 toward their savings goal.
Sign up to join our ‘Grow Your Green’ saving community! Once you sign up, you can start posting your stories, photos or videos about saving… and you can win some money. It’s that easy!
