It’s Christmas Eve. Your fireplace is crackling. Your tree is dazzling. Your treats are plenteous. There is nowhere you would rather be than where you are now: in the warm, festive, treat-filled confines of your living room.
“Here’s to family!” you say to your family. You all raise your snifters of eggnog in toast. As the glass leaves your lips, your attention shifts to your tree. You notice that something about it seems … off.
Is a bulb blown out? Is the tree missing one of the several hideous yet precious macaroni art ornaments your children made over the years? Has the cat crept up in there again? No. Nothing appears to be out of place until your eyes drift to your tree’s asset-free base.
Oh no. You forgot to buy presents.
“I’m just … going out … to get more … subway tokens,” you half-mumble to your confused family as you grab your coat and keys. “But honey,” your spouse interjects. “The nearest subway system is in Chicago.” Your front door muffles whatever they say next.
You smash your fists against your steering wheel in frustration upon discovering that SCHEELS closed hours ago. Bella Gina Boutique. The Mustard Seed. Yetzer Home Store. Kowalski’s. It’s the same story for all the other best local spots to buy gifts. Finally, in total desperation, you pull up to the nearest gas station and bolt inside.
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It’s Christmas morning. Your son looks content with the two-pack of Little Trees “Black Ice” scented air fresheners you bought him. Whether she likes it or not, you’re satisfied that your daughter is now equipped to check tire pressure wherever she goes. “And this is for you, darling,” you say to your spouse, planting one whopper of a smooch on their brow as you hand them their gift.
“Wow,” they exclaim upon unwrapping. “Three bags of potato chips. You … shouldn’t have?”
Something about your spouse’s huffy demeanor throughout the rest of the day suggests to you that you royally bungled this Christmas. But what were you supposed to do? Somehow magically purchase the perfect gifts for everyone at one convenient location only a couple of days prior? Gifts that they could have used to acquire literally anything their little hearts desire?
Yes. You should have done just that. More specifically, you should have gone to the Eden Prairie branch of First Western Bank & Trust and gotten:
Gift Cards
“Gift cards!” said David Thompson, market president. “They’re the perfect gift for everyone – especially those friends and family who are so famously hard to buy gifts for. Ours are accepted wherever Visa cards are taken, so your loved one will have blanket spending power the instant they’ve unwrapped their present.”
“First Western gift cards give you total control over how much you give,” added Meghan Carlson, universal banking supervisor. “Once you have purchased a card for a small fee, you’ll be able to charge it with however much cash as you please. Our gift cards also provide far greater security than cash. If one is lost or stolen, we can instantly lock it and provide a replacement.”
But maybe your cash on hand doesn’t equal your spirit of giving. Maybe your good will toward men (and women) can only be adequately expressed with the aid of:
Credit Cards and HELOCs
“Need a new credit card for all those exciting holiday purchases?” asked David. “First Western is happy to oblige. A credit card is a great way to bridge the gap during the spendiest time of the year, and can be a real lifesaver if some unexpected expense pops up after you’re already tapped out from gift shopping.”
“Many of our clients come to us in need of financing for very large and impressive gifts, like a once-in-a-lifetime family vacation, or the down payment on a house,” said Meghan. “They often discover that a home equity line of credit, which is available with a competitive rate and a relatively long term, fits their needs perfectly. And because our very own Peter Haugen makes all of our lending decisions in-house, we’re able to approve HELOC applications in as few as three days!”
Visit First Western at 100 Prairie Center Drive, Eden Prairie. Visit FirstWestern.Bank to learn about every personal and business banking solution our local bank offers!