7 Truths About Money and Military Life

7 Truths About Money and military life

Having a career in the military can be a great way to provide for your family with a steady paycheck. In addition to basic pay, your service member will also receive BAH, BAS, and other special pays based on what they are doing during their military career. If they deploy, they might earn extra military pay, and when re-enlisting, they might earn a bonus. Money can be a sticky subject but there are some things to be aware of when it comes to money and military life. Here are a few things to keep in mind whether you are new …

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So You Just Found Out You’re Pregnant, And Your Spouse is Deploying

So You Just Found Out You’re Pregnant, And Your Spouse is Deploying

You were trying, or maybe you weren’t. But the test is clear. You are pregnant, maybe with your first, maybe with your 4th but you know what this means. Another baby… A sibling for your two-year-old… You are growing your family, just like you wanted to. And as happy as you are, as excited as you are, there is something looming over your happiness. Your husband, the father of your child, is deploying soon. And you aren’t sure how you are going to handle everything. You just found out you are pregnant and he’s deploying… When I found out I …

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What Military Spouses Need to Know About Military Discounts

What Military Spouses Need To Know About Military Discounts

I love finding military discounts. My favorite military discount is the one you can get at Disneyland. I feel like you are able to save so much money! Many different places have military discounts, from home stores to your favorite restaurants. But… There are some things that you should know going in where military discounts are concerned. Different businesses offer different types of discounts and knowing what they are is important. Not all businesses offer them to spouses One thing you should know is that not all military discounts are for military spouses, but many of them are. This can …

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The Camo in my Living Room

The Camo in my Living Room

I walk into my living room, and it is there. The camo. The color of the military. Normally, this all lives in other parts of the house, put away, until it is needed. But today, I can see his military gear, and I know what that means. The camo in my living room means he is getting ready to go. To serve. To train. To fight. The camo in my living room means that I won’t be able to see him for a while. That he will be living somewhere else. That it is time for him to go. Sometimes …

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The Joys of the Modern Military Spouse Life

The Joys of the Modern Military Spouse Life

We now have Walmart Grocery Delivery. I am so excited! Not only for myself but for all the parents with small children, going through a deployment, who loathe having to take their kids to the grocery store with them. I have been there so many times. Put the baby in my baby carrier, put a toddler in the cart, hoping they won’t open anything, and make your older child walk beside you. Going to a grocery store with all your kids is a big chore. And it isn’t very fun. But, thanks to modern life, you no longer have to …

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You Always Remember Your First Military Home

You Always Remember Your First Military Home

It’s been 13 years since I got on an airplane with my 18-month-old son, and really started our military journey. My husband had left for Germany 4.5 months before, and we were finally joining him. And while I had technically been an Army Wife for the last 4.5 months, this trip would open the gate to my first experience in Army living. While I had grown up between two military bases, and I knew kids whose parents served, the military had never been my world. And now the military was very much my world, and I was nervous. How could …

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6 Things You Should Remember When You Are Struggling With Military Life

When You Are Struggling With Military Life

Sometimes, when my husband is gone, or even if he is home, the stress overwhelms me. I find myself in a place I don’t want to be in. There is too much going on, too much to think about, and my emotions are all over the place. I end up in a bit of a funk and feel like I am on the struggle bus. But… In those times, there are things I have to tell myself, things I have to remind myself of, and doing so puts me in a much better place. If you have ever felt like …

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When Your Spouse Has CQ, In GIFs

When Your Spouse Has CQ, In GIFs

They come home from work, you are super excited about the upcoming weekend. You can’t wait for some family time, a break from the kids, and time with your spouse. Only…when they get home, they let you know, they have CQ this next weekend. via GIPHY Crap, now you will be spending a lot of the weekend without them, and they will be stuck at the CQ desk for 24 hours. CQ is a thing some service members have to do and it isn’t very fun. CQ stands for “Change of Quarters” and is 24-hour duty, where they will have …

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The Deployment Journal For Spouses

So you spouse just deployed, and you feel a bit lost. You just aren’t even sure what you are feeling but you know you are feeling something. You just want to get it all out. Have you ever thought about keeping a deployment journal? I have been writing in a journal since I was about 16 years old. I love them and while I write more during certain times of my life over others, I still keep one to this day. During my deployments, they were like a best friend for me. Anytime I was upset, felt angry, or was …

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7 Tips to Enjoy Your First FRG Meeting

7 Tips to Enjoy Your First FRG Meeting

Yes, FRG meetings. Some people love them, some people hate them. But either way, FRG meetings are such a good thing to have, even if they have issues being implemented. Even if certain FRGs are not working as well as they could be. FRG stands for “Family Readiness Group” and you can find them in the Army, the Army Reserves, and the Army National Guard. The Navy also calls them the FRG. The Air Force has their Key Spouse Program, the Marine Corps has their Family Readiness Program, and the Coast Guard has their Work-Life Program which all try to …

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