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Gas prices…up. Food prices…up. Utility prices…up. The only thing going down these days is our discretionary spending. Budgets are taking a real beating. Who isn’t looking for ways to earn and/or save money? Well, Vantage is here to help with our new MyE-Rewards program, where the saving is easy, automatic and FREE!

The program
MyE-Rewards is available to all Vantage members who use a Vantage check card and manage their Vantage checking account using MyVantage online banking. You’ll receive targeted offers for cash back or percentage discounts based on purchases you make at places you already shop. There’s NO LIMIT to the amount you can earn; simply, the more you use your Vantage check card, the more offers you’ll receive and more opportunities you’ll have to earn money. It’s Click, Shop, Earn!

Back in November, we shared with you some products that were known to offer pretty good deals for consumers right around the holidays. Well, wouldn’t you know it, the post-holiday retail lull offers some nice deals, too, as merchants try to shake the retail hangover left over from all the holiday spending sprees. So because we’re all about saving, let’s once again take a look at some items that could help ease your budget.

Warm Clothing, Hot Deals 
Hey, it’s January in the Midwest…we still have a few months of cold weather to muddle through, right? And you need warm clothes, right? You’re in luck! By January, most people have competed their winter wardrobes. That means retailers are looking to shrink their inventory, which means deals on all those hats, coats, gloves, even flannel pajamas. Experts say you could see price cuts of 40%-70%. Bingo!

World Champions. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? It was World Series Championship #11 in 2011 for the St. Louis Cardinals back in October when the home team capped off an improbable two months of baseball with a seven-game title-taking Series win over the favored Texas Rangers. Will it be #12 in 2012?

You could be front and center for the home opener Friday, April 13, when the Cardinals take on the rival Chicago Cubs. Can you say hot ticket?

Everyone’s looking to save money. That’s what you were doing when you looked to refinance your home. There were literally hundreds of dollars in savings per month with a new, lower mortgage rate. Trouble was, you weren’t sure your present financial status would look good to the lender, so you fudged a few items on your application. You stated your income was higher than it really was, and you didn’t disclose some of your debts. No biggie, right? Wrong. What you did was illegal.

It may surprise you to know that some seemingly innocent practices involving money can be illegal. Let’s take a look at a few so you don’t find yourself on the wrong side of the law.

10:00 a.m. Here come the stomach growls, time for a mid-morning snack.

Today it’s a bag of chips and a diet soda. Total cost: $1.75. That won’t break the bank … but how about your budget? Have you ever thought about how all those easily forgettable little expenses can add up? Let’s take a look at just a few you may view as trivial at the time of purchase. You’ll soon see they add up to very real amounts over the course of a year.

Ah yes, there’s no place like home for the holidays, especially when you’re a college student. The food is free, the bed linens are fresh, and alarm clocks are simply clocks with no alarms. But after all the gift exchanges and jello-mold binges, school will call again. After all, there are classes to take and social functions to attend! So when you’re back in the Ramen noodles groove, taking notes on Steinbeck and creating imaginary business plans, here are some tips on saving money. Because as well all know, money seems to be in short supply in college after all the bills are paid.

Sleigh bells ring, are ya listening? Well, let’s hope you’re listening or you just might find yourself as a hood ornament on that sleigh.

Yes, you need to consider safety even around the holidays, maybe even more so as many people’s minds are filled with more sugarplums than common sense. To keep the “happy” in “Happy Holidays,” be sure you keep your thoughts on the safety of you and your family. Here are some things to consider.

Remember last year when you were looking for the perfect holiday gift for your niece, the one who loves astronomy? You saw an ad that allowed you to name a star after her.  Far out … literally. The problem was, only the International Astronomical Union can officially name stars. The company you paid just chose a random star, named it Kourtney, and sent you a bogus certificate of registry. YOU could have done that yourself … for free.

The point is, you should always be on the lookout for scams, but it’s especially important around the holidays. With our giving mindsets, we are more prone to falling for less-than-truthful claims or deals. And it’s even more difficult to pick up on a “scam” when the set-up is perfectly legal. Ugh. We know, right?

With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few areas that are perfectly legal, but may prey just a bit on our trusting natures.