Fall in Love Adoption Special held Black Friday weekend
Mountain America Credit Union presents fee-waived pet adoptions at the Humane Society of Utah
Mountain America Credit Union and the Humane Society of Utah (HSU) have teamed up to present the “Fall in Love Adoption Special” over Black Friday weekend. As part of this special, HSU will be waiving adoption fees for all animals Friday, Nov. 23 through Saturday, Nov. 24. Interested adopters should visit the HSU adoption center located at 4242 S 300 W in Murray, Utah during regular business hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. All adoptions pending approval through the regular adoption process.
“Mountain America Credit Union is honored to support the Humane Society of Utah in its lifesaving mission,” said Sharon Cook, senior vice president of marketing and public relations at Mountain America Credit Union. “Our ongoing Pet of the Week program has helped hundreds of animals find their forever homes; we look forward to helping hundreds more through the upcoming ‘Fall in Love Adoption Special.’ We invite everyone to open their hearts and homes to help save homeless pets.”
Now in its second year, the “Fall in Love Adoption Special” was created to find homes for as many pets as possible. In 2017, 338 pets found their new loving homes for the holidays during the event.
The Humane Society of Utah is planning to transfer in animals from other local Utah shelters to help ease the burden on these shelters and provide a second chance for the animals to find a new home during the event.
“Our goal is to find homes for every animal at our facility this holiday season, thanks to our partnership with Mountain America Credit Union,” said Deann Shepherd, HSU representative. “During one of the busiest shopping times of the year, we like to say that you can’t buy love, but you can adopt it. During the Fall in Love event, animals will be adopted on a first come, first served basis, so bring all family members down to meet a new pet. We trust our adoption process to screen all potential adopters to ensure that our animals find the best homes possible."
Adoption fees do not cover the cost of care for shelter animals, and as a local, private nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, HSU appreciates donations of any kind.
To adopt an animal this holiday season, visit the Humane Society of Utah or www.utahhumane.org.
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About the Humane Society of Utah
The Humane Society of Utah is dedicated to the elimination of pain, fear and suffering in all animals. Since 1960, the HSU has been sheltering homeless animals, fighting cruelty and neglect, and creating an environment of respect, responsibility, and compassion for all animals across the state of Utah. HSU is the largest open-admission
private animal
shelter in the state
,
and welcomes any companion animal that can legally be admitted. As a member of the No-Kill Utah (NKUT) Coalition, the HSU works hard to ensure that every healthy and treatable pet that enters the facility will be placed into a loving home. The Humane Society of Utah is a local, private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that does not receive any state tax dollars or government funding. HSU is funded by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses and foundations. Read more about the HSU online at www.utahhumane.org.
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Fall in Love Adoption Special held Black Friday weekend
Mountain America Credit Union presents fee-waived pet adoptions at the Humane Society of Utah
Mountain America Credit Union and the Humane Society of Utah (HSU) have teamed up to present the “Fall in Love Adoption Special” over Black Friday weekend. As part of this special, HSU will be waiving adoption fees for all animals Friday, Nov. 23 through Saturday, Nov. 24. Interested adopters should visit the HSU adoption center located at 4242 S 300 W in Murray, Utah during regular business hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. All adoptions pending approval through the regular adoption process.
“Mountain America Credit Union is honored to support the Humane Society of Utah in its lifesaving mission,” said Sharon Cook, senior vice president of marketing and public relations at Mountain America Credit Union. “Our ongoing Pet of the Week program has helped hundreds of animals find their forever homes; we look forward to helping hundreds more through the upcoming ‘Fall in Love Adoption Special.’ We invite everyone to open their hearts and homes to help save homeless pets.”
Now in its second year, the “Fall in Love Adoption Special” was created to find homes for as many pets as possible. In 2017, 338 pets found their new loving homes for the holidays during the event.
The Humane Society of Utah is planning to transfer in animals from other local Utah shelters to help ease the burden on these shelters and provide a second chance for the animals to find a new home during the event.
“Our goal is to find homes for every animal at our facility this holiday season, thanks to our partnership with Mountain America Credit Union,” said Deann Shepherd, HSU representative. “During one of the busiest shopping times of the year, we like to say that you can’t buy love, but you can adopt it. During the Fall in Love event, animals will be adopted on a first come, first served basis, so bring all family members down to meet a new pet. We trust our adoption process to screen all potential adopters to ensure that our animals find the best homes possible."
Adoption fees do not cover the cost of care for shelter animals, and as a local, private nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, HSU appreciates donations of any kind.
To adopt an animal this holiday season, visit the Humane Society of Utah or www.utahhumane.org.
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** Expert Commentary & Key Findings **
Key Findings:
Expert Commentary:
The 2018 holiday shopping season, like so many before it, will be brought to us in large part by credit card debt. After spending more than $1 trillion from November 2017 to January 2018, U.S. consumers began the new year owing more than $1 trillion to credit card companies for the first time ever. And even though credit card debt levels are down a bit year over year, a particularly unaffordable holiday shopping season could quickly change that.
So it’s important to pay attention to what people are saying about their plans for shopping and ultimately paying for their purchases in the coming weeks and months. For example, 35% of people plan to spend more than $500 this year, according to WalletHub’s 2018 Holiday Shopping Survey. Just 33% said they spent that much in 2017.
Some of this retail enthusiasm can be chalked up to increased consumer confidence. Six in 10 people say they are better off financially than last year, while only 5 in 10 expressed that sentiment in 2017. It’s not just in our heads, either. We have reason to be optimistic.
"Based on employment stats, wage increases and tax cuts, 60% feeling better makes sense,” said Ira Weiss, a professor of management, innovation and entrepreneurship at NC State University. And aside from the stock market perhaps not performing quite as well, Weiss said there is “no reason to believe this time next year will be different.”
But will feeling flush cause shoppers to bite off more than they can chew? Not according to the 60% of people who say they will pay for their holiday purchases in full by the due date, or to a lesser extent, the 18% who expect to pay in full by New Year’s Day. The share of shoppers who plan to be free of holiday debt by New Year’s is up from 70% last year. And that would seem to indicate there will be less long-term credit card debt after this holiday shopping season – unless you think consumers are being overly optimistic.
“While many of us plan or hope to pay off our debt on time, the reality is, many will carry debt for several months,” said Todd Donavan, an associate professor of marketing at Colorado State University. “Consumers often have intentions to spend a specific amount, but when they actually get in the stores, the amount rises considerably.”
One trend perhaps working in the favor of responsible holiday spending is increased consumer skepticism toward Black Friday events. More than half of all consumers (51%) now say Black Friday sales are nothing special, according to WalletHub’s survey. And that sentiment is especially strong among women (55%) and baby boomers (63%).
“I agree that there are certainly 'deals' that are nothing special,” said Neel Das, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. “Almost all the time, we consumers buy things that are 'on sale.’ In fact, the phrase has been used so much that I believe it has lost its credibility and attractiveness.”
The rise of online retail and its year-round savings opportunities have also contributed a great deal to this trend. Black Friday now even has direct competition in Cyber Monday. “My guess is that Amazon has spoiled us on deals,” said Aric Rindfleisch, a professor of business administration and marketing at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to save on holiday shopping without skimping on the fun. Discounted gift cards can provide great value, for example. Comparison shopping always is key. And the right credit card, when used responsibly, can actually be a big asset during the holidays without resulting in unnecessary debt.
Many credit cards offer initial rewards bonuses worth $200-$500+ in return for new cardholders spending a certain amount within a few months of opening an account. And if you are going to spend the required amount during that timeframe anyway, why not get paid to do it? Similarly, consumers who anticipate needing some extra time to pay down holiday debt can make their purchases with a 0% credit card, which will give them 6 to 20 months without interest. Such an offer, combined with a budget and a bit of discipline, can lead to significant savings.
However, just 1 in 6 people plan to apply for a new credit card for holiday shopping this year, according to WalletHub’s survey. That figure can be chalked up to “changing consumer preferences for how to spend,” said Jackie Eastman, a professor of marketing at Georgia Southern University. “Plus, now is not a good time for consumers to be adding new debt. Low interest rates are coming to an end.”
Indeed, credit card debt is becoming more and more expensive with each Federal Reserve rate hike. But we will have to wait and see whether rising costs will be enough to scare us into a responsible holiday shopping season.
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Dear Dave,
Are home warranties a waste of money if someone has been following your plan and already has six months of expenses set aside in an emergency fund, plus home insurance?
Andrea
Dear Andrea,
Home warranties are a waste of money even if you don’t have quite that
much set aside in an emergency fund. I recommend an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses to cover the unexpected things that life will throw at you. This amount of cash, sitting in a good money market account with check writing privileges, will give you easy access in the event of a financial emergency.
I don’t recommend extended warranties of any kind. They’re just not a good deal. You’re better off to self-insure against things breaking down, and putting what would have been profit and marketing dollars for the extended warranty company in your own pocket!
—Dave
(Put retirement on hold temporarily)
Word count: 279
Dear Dave,
Should I stop making contributions to my 401(k) account for a year in order to save up an emergency fund? Thanks to you, I’m 33 and debt-free.
Blake
Dear Blake,
Congratulations on being debt-free at such a young age! I appreciate the credit, but the truth is I just pointed you in the right direction. You made the sacrifices and did all the hard work. I’m really proud of you!
Yes, my advice is to temporarily stop making contributions to your 401(k) until you save up an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses. It shouldn’t take a year, though, to set aside an emergency fund if you’re debt-free and making decent money at your job. Just make it part of your monthly budget plan, and get that emergency fund set up in a few months.
Here’s the way I look at it. If you don’t have an emergency fund, but you’re contributing to a 401(k), there’s a good chance you’ll end up cashing out your 401(k) if something happens that leaves you with a large, unexpected bill. When you cash out a 401(k) early, you get hit with a penalty plus your tax rate. That’s not a good plan!
And that’s just one of the reasons I tell people to have an emergency fund in place before they start investing.
—Dave
* Dave Ramsey is CEO of Ramsey Solutions. He has authored seven best-selling books, including The Total Money Makeover. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 14 million listeners each week on 600 radio stations and multiple digital platforms. Follow Dave on the web at daveramsey.com and on Twitter at @DaveRamsey.
