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!

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.

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.

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.

As a financial institution, we usually preach the practical side of money, which often manifests itself as save, save, save! BUT, there are times when spending makes sense. With the holidays approaching, we’ll all be out there spending, trying to make this holiday season the best ever … on a budget. So finding good deals on what we buy is a smart idea. With that in mind, the peeps at MSN Money have highlighted a few items that are often priced best in November. Let’s take a look …

So maybe we’re a little impartial when it comes to places that offer financial services. O.K., we’re intensely impartial. We’re down with credit unions, all credit unions. We’re a pretty unique bunch of financial institutions, we are. But when people talk about credit unions as alternatives to banks, many times there are questions, which is good; you want to be as informed as possible when it comes to something as important as your money. So to put minds at ease, let’s take a look at some of the concerns involving credit unions.

Transition time! Baseball to football. T-shirt to sweatshirt. Dew on the lawn to frost on the roof. Are you ready for the big transition? How about your house? There are a number of things you can do to prepare your home for the unforgiving nature of a bold winter, both inside and outside. Here are some things to consider from our friends at genxfinance.com. Let’s start with outside your home: