Hurricane season’s here and we’re prepared to provide uninterrupted service to our members during the event of a storm impacting our communities. Our commitment to getting us through storms like Hurricanes Ike and Rita goes far beyond access to cash on the way out of town.

Our Hurricane Preparedness page outlines our promise to our members.

Before the storm we will:

• Keep branches open in areas not directly affected by the storm.
  
• Enable access to your money at all ATMs within a 100-mile radius of any TDECU branch.
  
• Advance emergency loans for hotel, meals and miscellaneous expenses prior to evacuation.

 During the storm we will:

• Protect your personal financial data in a secure back-up location.
• Provide uninterrupted service and access to emergency money through online banking, credit union service centers, TDECU Visa or MasterCard credit cards, as well as through 37,000 free ATMs throughout the U.S.
• Inform you of TDECU operations, open and closed branches, and storm updates through our website at TDECU.org and via our e-NEWS communication system. 

After the storm we will:

• Provide loans for repairs to your home or business and replacement of contents and equipment.
  
• Increase available funds on your TDECU credit card for unexpected expenses.
  
• Consolidate your multiple payments into one low-interest payment. Allow you to skip up to 2 monthly loan payments with no penalty. 

How can I access my account during a disaster if physical access to TDECU branches is cut off?
Your account will always be within reach, even when we’re not. During a disaster, if physical access to TDECU branches is cut off, there are several ways you can still access your account:

• Online and Mobile Banking: 24/7 access from your computer or cell phone with our easy and free online and mobile banking services.
  
• Credit Union Service Centers: Access your TDECU accounts at over 4,000 Credit Union Service Centers and other credit unions across the country to make cash withdrawals, deposits and loan payments. Find exact locations of surcharge-free ATMs and service center locations by entering your ZIP code on this website's homepage or throughout many pages of the website, including this one.
  
• Visa® Debit Card and ATMs: Use your TDECU Visa® Debit Card or ATM card at any ATM carrying the Pulse®, Interlink® or Allpoint® network symbols. For a full list of TDECU’s surcharge-free ATMs, including 37,000 Allpoint machines, enter your ZIP code on this website's homepage or throughout many pages of the website, including this one. Have an iPhone? Visit iTunes and download the free CULoc8 app.
  
• e-LERT Communication: Now that we have launched Stay in Touch, our electronic communication system, TDECU will use this service in the event of a storm to keep in contact with members. We will send out critical information like evacuation notices, how you can continue to access your funds, and how to reach TDECU for help or clarification with your finances. If you received our Stay in Touch email but have not enrolled, please do so before this year’s storm season goes into full-force.

June 18th is National Splurge Day, and the faux-holiday is exactly what it sounds like. Today is the day to splurge on whatever it is that you enjoy splurging on. Whatever it is: 12 cases of candy, a few priceless works of modern art, designer jean shorts. Granted the examples given are outrageous, and I'm not sure how I feel about a day devoted to what could be unnecessary excess.

The magazine Fast Company has asked several "consumption experts" what their wish lists are, and they are pretty ridiculous. You can take a look at those here.

When it comes to spending maybe splurging isn't a bad thing. Especially if you only splurge once a year on this day. Many times it is hard to justify spending large sums of money, and there are mental barriers. Every time I have to go to the story and buy necessities like laundry detergent, and dishwasher soap I feel like i am wasting my money, and I can't believe how much they cost. Usually because, for whatever reason, I always seem to run out of all of these things at once. What's odd is that I will spend the exact same amount on books and music without even blinking because I enjoy those things. I certainly could take better advantage of my local library, but books are something that I value.

The same is true for clothes. During college i was always called out by my friends on how much I spent on clothes because I decided to shop at a slightly upscale retailer. At the time I thought this was out of line because my wardrobe was not excessive, and I liked the clothes. Several years later I am still wearing some of these same clothes because their styling is still good and they have not worn out. While clothes I have bought at other retailers, and spent less on, have lasted as little as six months.

The point is that in this case I am perfectly fine with splurging because of the added value that comes for the quality that I believe I am paying for. Sometimes it is okay to splurge as long as there are good reasons, and your budget can handle the extra cost. Just because something is expensive doesn't mean there should be guilt associated with it.

So, what would be on my wish-list for Splurge Day? A Hasselblad Medium Format Camera. They cost around twelve thousand dollars new and that's a lot of money for a camera, but they are incredible and I want one. What would be on your splurge day wish list?

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It seems like there is a rule to raises. Whenever you get a raise, you will find a way to spend every new dollar, and find yourself no better off than before. I was reminded of this when I read a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The story "How To Live On $36,000 a Year" was published in 1924 by The Saturday Evening Post, and gives a very entertaining look at how easy it is to justify living above, or right at ones means.

Fitzgerald did not begin as a wealthy author, but had to work his way up and did find success quickly. That success led to more money and in his words, "because my income had a way of doubling every month. This was actually the case. It had done so for several months - I had made only thirty-five dollars the previous August, while here in April I was making three thousand- and it seemed as if it was going to do so forever. At the end of the year it must reach half a million"

His income increased so quickly there was probably quite a bit of rationalization about living up to a certain standard, and even deserving it, but when combined with the assumption that his wages would continue to rise he moved into a dangerous place where he could think about spending money that he did not have. This, of course, happens and one day his wife, Zelda, asks him why he is so depressed, "'I'm not depressed,' I answered cheerfully; 'I'm just surprised. We haven't got any money.'"

Even without money to actually pay for his lifestyle Fitzgerald continued to ignore his financial situation, "I wasn't poor- they couldn't fool me. Poverty meant being depressed and living in a small remote room and eating a rotisserie on the corver, while I- why, it was impossible that I should be poor! I was living at the best hotel in New York!" Fitzgerald is obviously writing this for effect, and knows that he has no money because he lives in the best hotel in New York, but I know that I have wondered why I don't have any money saved up only to look at the various things I had recently purchased to be reminded by what I could have gone without.

Sometimes, we are able to continue to ignore our financial instability, and in Fitzgerald's case he was able to because he was continuously earning more money, but could not seem to keep his head above water due to indulging in such luxuries as, "having a baby and a trip to Europe" It seems a bit much to say that having a baby is a luxury but according to this story from NPR they are certainly not cheap.

Fitzgerald had a novel solution to get out of the trouble he was in. "I'll just have to get out of this mess the only way I know how, by making more money."

This, actually, is not a bad idea. Sometimes the only way to gain headway on paying down debt is to actually find more work and devote that additional income to paying off debt. This is by no means fun, and if you do as Fitzgerald did, and simply spend the money it will only leave you more exhausted and in the same position as you started.

In the end, Fitzgerald decided to actually settle on a budget and live off of it, but cannot get over the years worth of income he lost. He knows full and well the mistakes that he has made with his spending, but is still unprepared to actually come to terms with living within his means. To sum everything up the key to all personal finance is simply to spend less than you make. This does not sound like fun, but will eventually lead to less stress and financial freedom. You can read the whole story here, and let us know what you think of F. Scott Fitzgerald's habits.

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We are officially in hurricane season and will be until the end of November. Many of us don't need to be reminded how serious they are after experiencing Hurricane Ike. My own family had it relatively easy, and was without power for only one week, but I know many others who went without power for over a month.

I wanted to list off a few things that you can do now to start preparing for hurricane season. This list is by no means comprehensive, and you should take the time to do some research on your own about what extra precautions you might want to take.

Buy supplies early. I can remember going into Wal-Mart a week before Hurricane Ike hit, and there was nothing left. Seeing shelves completely bare is always an unsettling occurence, and even more so when you need food. I did have enough food for a few days, and was able to get into a relatively well stocked grocery store as my food supplies ran out. I will not be going through another hurricane like that though. I will definitely be keeping my pantry well stocked with enough food to last several days. Flashlights are your friend. It gets dark at night, and without any electricity it is always a shock at just how dark it gets at night. Be sure to have enough lights, and batteries to last. These are safer than candles because you aren't risking a fire.

If you are leaving your home be sure to check for limbs from trees that might fall on your house if there are strong winds, and trim the ones that you can. Garage doors are also susceptible to wind damage, and they should be reinforced.

When a hurricane is coming it is always impossible to tell where it is going to go, and we all like to wait until the last minute to make a decision about whether to stay or go, but if you are going to go it is always best to leave early. The sooner you leave the less traffic there is to deal with, and the better the chances of getting a hotel closer to home. I remember during Hurricane Rita that every single hotel between Houston and Dallas was booked to capacity.

I know that I've left many things off of this list. What are some other steps that can be taken to prepare for a hurricane?