Florida Credit Union was originally established as the Alachua County Teachers Credit Union to support teachers in the Alachua County school system, providing them with a financial service cooperative that was owned by them; it could not be bought and sold and all benefits gained by the institution were then reflected on the members. While our name has changed, our principals have not.

Cooperatives are customer-owned organizations. This is different from the banking industry, where community or state banks are built up and later sold to large, out-of-the-area banks, benefitting stockholders, but not their customers.

With FCU, the stockholders and customers are the same people. Profits earned are retained to meet the needs of the members and credit union. Our goal is to serve our membership by offering convenient products and services that are designed to meet the financial needs of our member/owners while preserving the strength of the cooperative for future generations.

We follow seven cooperative principles, which include voluntary and open membership, democratic member control, member economic participation, autonomy and independence, informational education and training, cooperation among cooperatives and concern for the community. That is the Florida Credit Union difference.

As an FCU member, you are an owner of one of the strongest financial institutions in North Central Florida. With products and services like checking, money market accounts, club accounts, loans of any kind, credit and debit cards, online banking, commercial banking and more, we’re a fully functional financial institution, but with roots that start very close to home. We support local business. We support charitable organizations and our community. And most importantly, we strive to support you.

Interested in what the credit union difference is all about? Stop in any branch and ask us.

Find out how we got started blogging at "Welcome to the FCU Blog!" 

Mother’s Day is the third-largest card-sending holiday in the United States and the second most popular holiday for gift-giving (following Christmas). No matter how you celebrate your mom, it’s probably likely that you’ll be giving her some sort of token to show your endearment. This year, instead of buying her something she doesn’t really need (like another set of bath supplies – does she really need more soap?), instead go the extra mile and do something for mom that saves you money and shows that the thought really does matter most.

Make Something

While you may be past the macaroni art of elementary school, there’s no reason you can’t explore making mom something wonderful for her special day. Take some time to run through the easy DIY crafts on Pinterest and see if there’s something inexpensive and simple that she’d really enjoy. From an easy set of customized tile coasters to easily decorated hot chocolate/tea sets, there’s something for you to make that mom will really like, and won’t rip up your wallet.

Arrange Flowers

Buying a beautiful bouquet from your local flower shop may be out of your budget, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create an arrangement just as lovely. Whether you want to go with some inexpensive flowers from the grocery store or even consider the faux flowers from your local craft store, you can make something that really stands out. An inexpensive vase, some ribbon and even some colorful pebbles can really make the gift pop.

Do Something Nice

As a dutiful son or daughter, who’s to say you have to spend anything other than time this Mother’s Day? Whether it’s volunteering to clean her garage, doing some weeding in the back garden, or even making her dinner, a helping hand and positive attitude can sometimes be just what mom always needed!

How do you celebrate Mother’s Day? Let us know in the comments below!

If you enjoyed this article, you’ll also like “Saving, not Spending, on Valentine’s Day.”