May is national Military Appreciation Month!  As a former Captain in the United States Air Force, I can appreciate the service of those who are currently serving or have served in the United States Armed Forces.  While military pay is usually adequate, you won’t get rich from your income.  However, there are plenty of tax breaks and advantages that are available for military members and their spouses to help you save.  If you’re not a military veteran, you may think this article does not apply to you…but you must know someone in the military.  Forward it to them and make sure they are taking advantage of these unique opportunities: 

Ask for Military Discounts – Everywhere! 

This holds especially true if you live near an active military installation.  Many restaurants and even retail stores offer between 10-20% military discount.  This often is not advertised, so get used to asking.  Some have stipulations such as active duty only, or only while in uniform.  Some extend the discounts to dependents, and retired personnel.  Carry your military ID with you as proof, and ask before the cashier rings up your total.  They’ll appreciate not having to redo it.   

I live near Scott Air Force Base.  As a reservist, I get 10% discounts at Denny’s and Sonic.  Rally’s offers 25%!  The further I travel away from the base, the less frequently I see the discounts.  Franchises are locally owned and the discount is offered at the owners discretion.  So just because one location offers a discount, another may not. 

Also, before planning a family outing, check with your local military information office.  Discounts are usually offered to parks, museums, zoos, and theme parks. 

Car rentals & hotels are also popular spots for military discount, and usually are not based on the proximity to a military installation. 

Shop at the Commissary

A “commissary” is the grocery store on a military installation.  Commissaries offer items typically stocked at a civilian supermarket.  They are managed by the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA).  DeCA states that a family of 4 can save 30% shopping at the commissary.  Food items are sold at cost plus a 5% surcharge to the total to pay for building new commissaries, maintenance, and operations equipment. (Wiki) 

If you have access to a commissary, there is really no reason not to shop at one!  Because most people know this, they are often crowded.  If you don’t like dealing with the crowd, find the quiet times (usually week day morning) to do your shopping.   

Unlike discount stores (such as Aldi), the selection of items is comparable to mainstream grocers. 

Take a “Hop” using the “Space A” program

Let’s start by defining those terms for the civilians!

Hop:  a flight from one place to another 
Space A:  space available 

Here is some general information about the space available program from Air Mobility Command (AMC)

• Space-available travel is a privilege (not an entitlement) that accrues to Uniformed Services members as an avenue of respite from the rigors of Uniformed Services duty. Retired Uniformed Services members are given the privilege in recognition of a career of such rigorous duty and because they are eligible for recall to active duty.  The underlying criteria for extending the privilege to other categories of passengers is their support to the mission being performed by Uniformed Services members and to the enhancement of active duty Service members’ quality of life.
• Space available passengers travel only after all duty cargo and passengers have been accommodated.  All available seats are released, but there is no guaranteed movement in the preferred time frame.   Have sufficient funds available to complete travel using commercial transportation if necessary. 

My God mother frequently takes “hops” from Scott AFB to North Carolina, Maryland, and other locations.  It’s a great alternative to paying for commercial travel IF the space is available.  The key to using Space A is being flexible and having backup funds.  

Plan Your Vacation Using the Armed Forces Vacation Club

The Armed Forces Vacation Club®  (AFVC) is a “space available” program that offers military and other Department of Defense-affiliated personnel the opportunity to enjoy vacations at popular destinations around the world – for the incredibly low price of just $369* USD per unit, per week.  Armed Forces Personnel and their family and friends have access to spacious accommodations at more than 3,500 resorts, apartments, condominiums and homes in more than 80 countries. 

AFVC is a part of Wyndham Worldwide, one the world’s largest hospitality companies. This makes it possible to offer a vast collection of condominium-style timeshare resorts.  If you enjoy off-season activities in popular locations without the hassle of high-season prices, crowds and lines (or if you can travel on 10 days notice or less), the AFVC offers an incredible vacation value. 

Personally, I haven’t used them (yet), but one of my friends planned a weeklong trip to Disney world.  The stay for the entire family of 7 was only $329/wk for a 3 or 4 bedroom condo.  Of course this doesn’t include the costs to enter the theme park, but this breaks down to $54/night which is better than even the “value hotels” at Walt Disney Resorts! 

Check out the Armed Forces Vacation Club 

Shop at the Base Exchange

The Base exchange (BX), or Post Exchange (PX) for you Army types, is like a civilian department store.  You won’t receive the deep discounts like you do at the commissary, but there is one major financial advantage:  there are no local and state sales taxes at most exchanges.  This is especially helpful when purchasing those big ticket items. 

Workout at the Base Gym

Most military installations offer some sort of gym.  While not all base gyms are created equal, the few that I’ve been at offer state of the art equipment, classes, saunas…basically everything you’d find at a local gym.  It’s in their best interest to do so since active duty commands certain physical requirements.  At $50/month, gym membership is certainly a waste of money….especially if you have access to a free one!

Tuition Assistance Program 

The Armed Forces offers soldiers, sailors, marines, guardsman, and airmen several programs to support their education goals including up to 100% Tuition Assistance for college courses taken during off-duty hours.  Armed Forces Tuition Assistance (TA)  is a benefit paid to eligible members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Congress has given each service the ability to pay up to 100% for the tuition expenses of its members.  Each service has its own criteria for eligibility, obligated service, application process’ and restrictions. This money is usually paid directly to the institution by the individual services.  TA is not a loan; it should be viewed as money you have earned just like your base pay.

VA Insured Loan

Like its FHA counterpart, VA is a government insured loan backed by the department of veteran affairs.  With the recent rise in FHA premiums, the savings of VA becomes even greater.  Especially since there isn’t a need to pay mortgage insurance.  There is a VA funding fee, but the bottom line is still generally lower than an FHA loan.  If you are eligible, compare and consider a VA insured loan when shopping around. 

If you are a US veteran, I’d like to say Thank you for your service.  God Bless our soldiers! 

What about you?  Have you taken advantage of any of these?  Are there others you could add to the list?

Article written by: Lakita Humber Lakita is an IT Systems Administrator by profession with a passion for the things of God, worship arts, and financial stewardship. She started Personal Finance Journey as a way to help and encourage those on the road to financial freedom. She has been blessed with the opportunity to minister throughout the U.S. and Internationally as a workshop speaker and presenter. Connect with Lakita on Twitter & Facebook.

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