Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

Julie

Use a Military Discount at These 3 Amusement Parks this Summer

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Knott's Berry Farm

It’s summer! Time for family vacations and keeping kids busy while they are out of school. What better way to do so than taking them to an amusement park? You should already know about the Disney military discount but we don’t all have the ability or the budget to plan a big Disney trip, even with their fantastic discount.

Well, you don’t have to travel to Disney to find a good military discount on an amusement park. Here are three other amusement parks within the United States that you can use a military discount at.

Dollywood Military Discount

Dollywood is Dolly Parton’s amusement park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in the Great Smoky Mountains. The theme park is a four-hour car ride from Fort Campbell, and close to other military installations in the south. Dollywood started in the 1960s as Rebel Railroad, becoming Goldrush Junction, then Silver Dollar City until 1986 when Dolly Parton bought into the park and Dollywood was born.

Dollywood offers special military tickets to US active duty military, retired military, veterans, reservists, their spouses, and dependents. They offer a military discount on 1-Day, 2-Day, and 3-Day tickets as well as on season passes. You can buy your tickets here.

Knott’s Berry Farm Discount

I grew up going to Knott’s Berry Farm so this amusement park will always have a special place in my heart. Located in Buena Park, California, a few miles from Disneyland, this park has fun for all ages.

Knott’s began in the 1920s when the Knott family sold their berries, pies, and preserves at a roadside stand. Ghost Town was created in 1940, and a summer-long county fair was opened in the 1950s. The first ride, the Log Ride, my personal favorite, was opened in 1969. By the time I was a small child in the 1980s, Knott’s was a full-functioning amusement park. Knott’s is now owned by Cedar Fair and offers a military discount on tickets. You can buy your tickets here.

Knott’s Berry Farm also has Military Tribute Days in November and December. This is when active duty military, retired military, and veterans can receive a more discounted rate for them and up to five guests. Last year the tickets were only $20, what a deal!

Holiday World Military Discount

Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari are an amusement park and water park in Santa Claus, Indiana. Holiday World is full of family fun with the park divided up into four holiday sections, Christmas of course, Halloween, 4th of July, and Thanksgiving. You can also stay at the Santa Lodge, which we did on a family trip a few years ago, with its giant Santa statute.

Santa Claus Land opened in 1946, soon after World War Two ended. At first, the park just had a Santa, a toy shop, toy displays, as well a place to eat, and children’s rides. In the 1970s, the park changed locations and focused more on families instead of just children. In 1984, the name was changed to Holiday World to include more holidays than just Christmas.

The Holiday World military discount is $34 off a one-day admission. They also offer a couple of military season passes. You can buy your tickets here.

While these are just three examples of amusement parks with military discounts, there are many others around the country. From Sea World to Six Flags. Before planning a family trip, make sure to do your research to see where you can save some money. Even $10 off a ticket can make for some great savings when buying tickets for your whole family. You can also find military discounts at zoos, museums, and other family-friendly locations.

Where is your favorite place to find a military discount?

To Love a Soldier

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To Love a Soldier

To Love a Soldier

To love a soldier means to stand by him or her as they put on the uniform and commit to serving our country.

To love a soldier means wiping the tears away and promising to love them no matter how many miles away they must go.

To love a soldier means not understanding why things take so long or why things change so much.

To love a soldier means finding others that love soldiers and making friendships that last a lifetime.

To love a soldier means loving a man or woman in uniform, wherever their career might take them.

To love a soldier means temporarily fulfilling the role of both mom and dad and being the default parent that your children know will always be with them.

To Love a Soldier

To love a soldier means having to explain to your child why their daddy had to miss another birthday.

To love a soldier means being a part of history as a spouse that stood by while their loved one fought for freedom.

To love a soldier means we have something in common with others that have loved their service member through our country’s wars as well as peacetime.

To love a soldier means that we grow stronger as the years go by because we have dealt with realities others have not.

To love a soldier puts the words from our wedding, “in sickness and in health” front and center as we try to understand and help those coming home from war.

To love a soldier means being a military spouse, supporting our spouse and being part of an incredible group of men and women who are doing the same.

I love my soldier and the life we have created together. Through living overseas, multiple deployments and the twists and turns that this military journey has given us.

Whether you love a soldier or a service member of another branch, you know what this life is like. You know how hard this life can be, but you stand by them because you love them and that is the basis for getting through anything military life throws at you.

How long have you been a military spouse?

How to Say Goodbye to your Spouse as they Leave for Deployment

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How to Say Goodbye to your Spouse as they Leave for Deployment

Some of the hardest days of my life as a military spouse have been the days I have had to say goodbye to my husband. To give him one more hug, one more kiss, and hope and pray he would return to us. To watch him as he said goodbye to our children, knowing that they will be in different stages when he returns.

Saying goodbye is never easy.

Saying goodbye to your spouse as they go off to war is one of the hardest things you will have to do as a military spouse.

Our goodbyes have been different depending on the deployment and the situation. Some we have stayed around for a while and waited until we saw him leave. Others we have dropped him off and drove away before he got on the bus. I learned after the first deployment that leaving earlier was easier for all of us.

If you are getting ready to have to say goodbye to your spouse for a deployment or other reason, here are some ideas to help get through that day:

1. Do your goodbye your way. Different people handle the goodbyes in different ways. Your spouse might have a certain way he wants to say goodbye, you might have a certain way you want to say goodbye. Take some time to talk things over and figure out what works best for your family.

2. Cry if you need to. If you need to cry, do so. I believe for some of us crying is getting the sadness out and it is a step we have to take to get to where we can accept what is going on.

I have said goodbye to my husband and cried in the car and I have said goodbye and no tears came until I got home. It just depended on my mood. It’s okay to cry if you need to. Deployments are sad. Tears might come.

3. Plan the first few days. If you can figure out exactly what you are going to do after you say your goodbyes, it will be an easier start to the deployment. You might want to plan to rent a movie and order pizza, you might want to get together with friends, you might just want to go to bed early and call it a night. Make a plan and then you will have some direction once you leave the drop off location.

4. Call a friend. Or not. Some people want to talk to others as soon as they have said goodbye, others want some alone time. Think about what would work best for you. If you feel the need, call a friend or family member.

If you don’t want to talk to anyone, don’t feel like you have to. Take the time to get used to your new normal and don’t let anyone make you feel guilty for not calling them as soon as your spouse has left.

If you need to notify family, send out a group text or message. Let them know you will be up for chatting in a few days. Most people will respect that.

5. Remember, goodbye means the countdown can begin. Waiting for a deployment to start is so rough. Once they actually leave, the countdown can begin. Each day you mark off your calendar is one day closer to them being home. As you say your goodbyes, remember that the deployment or time away is just a short period of time in the scheme of things. Time will pass and they will be back with you again.

If you are in a place where you will be saying goodbye soon, I am not going to lie, doing this will probably be one of the hardest things you will have to do. Know that you are not alone in what you are going through and that a lot of other military spouses around you are feeling the same way.

What do you do to get through the goodbyes of military life? How do you handle saying goodbye to your spouse over and over again?

Struggling With Anxiety When Your Spouse is in the Military

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Struggling With Anxiety When Your Spouse is in the Military

Struggling With Anxiety When Your Spouse Is In The Military

One of the hardest parts of being a Military spouse is when your spouse is away from you. They can be gone for a few weeks, a few months, or even up to a year. In some cases even longer. When you are dealing with that plus dealing with anxiety, life can feel like too much at times.

I never realized how bad my anxiety could get until right before our 4th deployment.

I have always been a bit of a worrier. I worry about silly little things that my husband just can’t understand. I have a hard time with driving. If I haven’t ever been to the place before, if it is too far from home, or if I have to drive somewhere at night, doing so can be a challenge.

I have had to work hard on this because I do have to drive most days. I have to power through. And most days I am able to.

I worry about silly things with my kids. Usually, when my husband is home, I can just ask him what he thinks and then I can calm down and it isn’t a big deal. When he is deployed, I can’t do that so my worry level goes up.

I get anxious about my car when I park somewhere new. I get anxious about locking my front door, did I remember to do it? I get anxious about a lot of little things and all of that can add up.

Right before our 4th deployment, I knew I needed to do something about my anxiety.

I couldn’t see how I could get through the deployment without upping my game a little bit. I had friends to hang out with, kids to keep me busy, and projects to work on but that wasn’t going to be enough this time. It just wasn’t.

I ended up talking to my doctor about what was going on and she suggested medication. I am not against meds altogether but I wasn’t sure if they were right for me. I really went back and forth about taking them. I decided I wanted to see how counseling would work before I tried medication.

So I started going to see someone. Thank goodness Tricare paid for it. Going to counseling was the best thing I could have done. I am not going to say that all my anxiety went away, it didn’t, but talking to someone really helped me, in ways nothing else did.

If I ever get to where I feel the way I did back then, I would go see someone again in a heartbeat.

Anxiety is rough, and for me, a deployment made that anxiety worse.

Studies have found that wives of deployed soldiers are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. This was not a big surprise to me. I know I am not the only one that struggles.

Throw in a deployment, or two, or three or, however many you have to go through, and life can get pretty challenging. I think as military spouses we want to be strong but anxiety or depression can drag us down, and make us feel as if everything is just too hard.

The issue with anxiety is so much more than just worrying. We all might worry about our spouses being in a war zone, at least on some level. Anxiety goes much further than that and should be taken more seriously. Anxiety can make you worry about things that other people don’t even think about.

We can’t just pray anxiety away or go out with friends to get rid of those feelings. Anxiety is something we have to work at on a daily basis. Anxiety can ruin your whole day. Anxiety can make life so much more difficult.

So what should you do if you struggle with anxiety and your spouse is in the Military?

You need to take steps to figure out how you are going to get through what you are dealing with. If your spouse is going to make the Military a career, you will have to figure something out. For some that might be moving back home during a deployment, others might need to take medication or start seeing a counselor. Some military spouses might need to do everything in order to get to a better place. Don’t be ashamed and try to seek help if you can.

The Military does have some resources for you too. You can visit the Tricare page to see what your options are. Military One Source is also a great resource for more information.

Remember that you are only human and if you feel like you need extra help, ask for that help. Admitting this can be difficult but important. You will be a better spouse, a better parent, and a better friend if you can get the help you need.

Do you struggle from anxiety? How do you deal with it all when going through something difficult like a deployment?

15 Quotes to Get You Through Difficult Times

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15 Quotes to Get You Through Difficult Times

Deployments, PCSing, missing friends, missing loved ones, feeling homesick, and dealing with the day to day life can be a bit much some times. We are all only human after all. I love that reading other people’s words can help us through difficult times, at least in some small way.

Wise words from others who have been through difficult times. Wise words from others who get it. Wise words that we can take with us in the future, through other difficult times.

Here are 15 of them that might just help you through whatever it is you are dealing with, whether it is trying to homeschool your children when you never signed up for that, or waiting for an extended deployment to be over.

“In times of great stress or adversity, it’s always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.” – Lee Iacocca

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” – J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’

“I learned there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead, others come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready, you see. Now my troubles are going to have trouble with me.” – Dr. Seuss

“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – Christopher Robin to Pooh, A.A. Milne

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”- Dale Carnegie

“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.”- Haruki Murakami

“Every adversity, every failure and every heartache carries with it the seed of an equivalent or a greater benefit.” – Napoleon Hill

“Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path, and you will find you have crossed the mountain.” – Author Unknown

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning how to dance in the rain.”- Vivian Greene

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

“We are all dealing with a challenge of some kind. Some of us are just better at hiding it than others.”- Karen Salmansohn

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” – Mary Anne Radmacher

“Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9 

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – Henry Ford

“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou

What are your favorite quotes for going through difficult times???

When is The Best Time For a Military Family To Have a Baby?

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When is The Best Time For a Military Family To Have a Baby?

When is The Best Time For a Military Family To Have a Baby?

We started this military journey with one little boy. Over the years we added two more and many times I wonder what we would have done had we started this journey without any children.

As you probably already know, when you have children as a military family you will be a solo parent, at least some of the time. You know that your spouse can miss the birth of your child, your pregnancy, and the terrible twos.

The truth is, a lot of military couples end up having children, at least after a couple of years. And they have them despite the stresses of military life. But when is the best time for a military family to have a baby? Should you even try to plan?

When we got pregnant with our 2nd little boy, we knew my husband would probably be deployed when he was born. We knew that a deployment was in the future but we also wanted to have another baby. The timing worked for us in every other way.

During our 1st deployment, I had friends who got pregnant over R&R, assuming their husband would be back home a few months before the birth. In the end, the Dads came home to two-month-olds because the deployment got extended.

The truth is, you can’t plan to have a baby around military life.

Missions, deployments, and orders change all of the time. What you think is going to happen will probably change during the nine months of your pregnancy. If you try to plan for your spouse to be home with you during the birth, things could change and they could be gone anyway, despite the best type of planning.

If you plan to get pregnant right after deployment, you will improve the chances that they will not be deployed when the baby is born but none of that is foolproof. For one thing, they could deploy again. For another, they could have to go to some type of training and be gone anyway.

Sometimes it takes you longer to get pregnant than you think

Even if you got pregnant pretty quickly in the past, that might not be the case in the future. Infertility can cause extra stress when it comes to planning around the military.

If you have a spouse that comes and goes a lot, you could keep missing the window to get pregnant and that can be frustrating. There is a lot to think about when deciding to have a child under this type of pressure.

How long will they be in the military?

How long they plan to serve can be a factor in when you should have a baby. If you are rather young and they only plan to serve a few years, waiting until military life is over might just be the best choice. You would be able to avoid the stresses of solo parenting and enjoy the time you two have together before kids come.

If you are older, this might not be an option. I know for us it wasn’t because we already had one child and knew we wanted a couple more. We didn’t know how long my husband was going to be in the military and my husband was already in his 30s.

If your spouse is planning to do 20+ years in the military, waiting until they get out might not be an option. You might have to decide to have children while he is still serving.

Do you both agree on having children?

Do you both agree on having children? Do you both agree on having children right now? Talk about what your plans are for having kids. Make sure you are on the same page.

If you want a baby right now, and your spouse wants to have one in five years, having one in the middle of military life can make everything a lot more stressful.

The most important thing is to be on the same page. Talk about your options and come up with a plan. That could be having a baby right now, that could be waiting another five years.

It’s okay to wait

I have quite a few friends who didn’t have children until they were in their 30s. I have friends that simply do not want to have children at all. That is okay too.

Just because so many do have children in the military, that doesn’t mean you have to, or that you are behind in life. Your life goals are just as important.

Remember, when you are trying to decide when the best time to have a baby in the military is, there really isn’t one.

There can be benefits to having them gone during certain parts of pregnancy. When my husband was gone during the early months, that made breastfeeding in the middle of the night a bit easier. However, he missed being there during that time.

The best thing to do is to figure out what you want for your future family, know that your spouse could miss important parts of the pregnancy or the child’s life, and figure out how you will get through those times if they happen.

Know that raising kids in the military can be a beautiful thing. They can experience things that other kids never will. They get an up and close view of the military and can learn so many life lessons at an early age.

What have you decided about having children as a military family? Are you going to wait until they get out? Is waiting not an option?

To the Military Spouse Who is Far Away From Family

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To the Military Spouse Who is Far Away From Family

Today is my mom’s birthday. I so wish I could be with her today. I would have taken part of the day off to take her to breakfast or lunch, probably both. We all could have joined her for a family dinner that night. My boys and I could have made her a cake and opened presents together.

But instead, I will give my mom a call later today, hope that the package I sent for her birthday makes it in time, and think about how in the future maybe, just maybe we could be together for our birthdays.

Living far away from family can be challenging, and military families have to do this for most of their time in the service. Some are lucky and are able to live close enough to visit often, or their family will move to be with them.

But for everyone else, raising your children far away from your family is a part of the military life package. It’s something you have to get used to and make the best of. Because there isn’t much you can do about it.

To the military spouse far away from family, I know being away can be hard.

To have to miss the little things going on back home.

Sunday dinners with the family

Date nights while your children are safe with grandma and grandpa

Grandparent’s Day at school

Taking your brother or sister out for their birthday

Mother’s Day at Grandma’s house

Being there when a family member is hurting

The list could go on and on…

What we miss can hit us hard, even when we least expect it. When we can’t go home for Christmas, we can tell ourselves that we are fine with that, but when the day comes, the sadness can hit us hard. Just a reminder that you are living your life in a different way than you thought that you would.

As a military family, you become the ones that are always visiting but never really there. Your children are the visitors, the ones that don’t know what it is like to live near family and all the blessings that can bring.

This can be so difficult because as parents we always want the best for our children. We want them to feel all the love that they can. And we know that by living across the country from the people we love the most hurts, and in ways, our children might not even realize.

How do you make the best of being away from family?

Take trips home

When you can take a trip home, do so. Visiting will help with the distance, even if you can only do so every few years. Encourage your family to come out and visit you too.

If you are stationed in Europe, encourage your family to visit for a few weeks. This could be their only chance to visit Europe, and they can do so without having to spend a dime on a hotel. Check for airline discounts and make plans when your spouse has leave coming up.

Facetime

Talk on Facetime. The kids love this, and it is so nice to see people on video vs just hearing their voice. Try to set up a regular day each week to Facetime so that everyone is ready for the call.

There are so many more ways to talk with people today, even from thousands of miles away. Take advantage of them.

Share stories and photos

Facebook is ideal for this. Share stories about your kids as well as photos. The more your share with your family members, the more they will get to know the personalities of your children.

They will learn more about your daily life and what you have been up to. Long email updates can work too. Keeping the people back home updated is how to stay bonded through the distance. Hopefully, they will be doing the same.

Think of what you have gained

Believe it or not, there are benefits to raising your family far from home. Your friendships can be deeper because you are spending more time with those you have chosen to call your friends. You spend the holidays together, get through deployments together, and can bond in ways you never would with your family.

Being far away means you won’t be involved in as much family drama. This can be important for some families. It’s easy to think that everything will be perfect if you could just live near them too but daily life, different emotions, opinions, as well as expectations, can leave to tensions within a family.

Remember, this isn’t forever

Although it might seem like you will always be so far from them, things will change. If you are overseas, you will eventually move back to the States. If you live on the East Coast, you might end up on the West Coast.

Your family could move, or you could get out of the military and settle near them too. Being away from family doesn’t always last forever so keep that in mind when you are missing them the most.

How far are you away from your family? Does that distance bother you?

47 Ways to Save Money in the New Year

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47 Ways to Save Money in the New Year

New year, new goals? Right? We all have them and for a lot of us, our goals include saving more money, paying off debt, and just being smarter about how we spend the money that we make. I know I always feel much better when I save a little money here and there and have a little bit extra to spare each month.

This post contains affliate links!

As a military spouse, know that your military service member will be getting a 4.6% raise in the New Year. You should see this on the 2nd paycheck in January. BAH might have also gone up for you too. You can check the new BAH rates here. If your BAH rates went down, don’t worry. You will be grandfathered in with the old rate. Until you, PCS or your spouse moved up in rank. But if they do move up in rank and the BAH is lower for that new rank, you still get to keep your old BAH. Thank goodness for all of that!

When it comes to budgeting, you want to make sure you do so on a daily or regular basis. One of the first things I do every morning is check our bank account and pay any bills that need to be paid that day. I even check on Sundays because once we found out that someone had hacked our account and charged up some things on a Sunday. You have to always be aware of what is in your account.

If you are looking at 2023 and wondering how to save a little extra each month, this post is going to be for you. Here are 47 ways to save money each month in the new year:

  1. Shop sales- Let’s face is, you save money when what you buy what is on sale.
  2. Shop at the Commissary- In some areas, you will save more than in others but usually, shopping at the Commissary can save you money. Do some of your own research to see where certain products are the best price in your area.
  3. Shop thrift stores- A pair of pants for just $2? Score! Thrift stores have the best stuff!
  4. Hand me downs- I have 3 boys so there is always stuff that I can save for the next kid.
  5. Meal plan- When you plan ahead you will be less likely to eat out or pick something up on the way home.
  6. Make coffee at home- I love grabbibg a coffee out sometimes, but making coffee at home is a lot cheaper.
  7. Skip the fast food- For our family of 5 to eat at McDonald’s it is at least $40. Eat out less and save some money.
  8. Skip the soda- If you do go out to eat, skip the soda. Some places can charge up to $4 for one soda. If you and your spouse go out and skip it, ordering water instead, you could save between $6-$8 on your meal. That adds up over time.
  9. Have a yard sale- Either plan one at your house or use the yard sale sites and Facebook groups.
  10. Don’t buy because you feel bad– Feeling sad? Don’t go shopping. You are more likely to buy something just to try to make you feel better.
  11. Be honest about what you can spend– Friends going out for the 2nd time in a week? Let them know you can’t and plan some coffee dates instead.
  12. Get your books from the library- I love book deals but the library is free! Yes, you might have to wait sometimes but there are so many books to read you can usually always find something good without spending a dime.
  13. Look for deals on books- Look for book deals. If you have a Kindle, check out the Kindle Deals page to see what is currently on sale.
  14. Go to free events- See what is going on in your community, both on and off post.
  15. Set a budget for food at free events- Even at free events, you might want to eat. Set a budget ahead of time and stick to it.
  16. Buy passes- Love the zoo? Think you will go often? Get a yearly pass! Love the movies? Get a yearly pass! Find places you love to go and save money by getting that annual pass.
  17. Use the passes- If you get a pass, make sure to use it. At least figure out how many times you need to use the pass to break even.
  18. Use coupons- Cutting coupons can be a pain to cut coupons but using them will save you money.
  19. Take advantage of military discounts- Take a look at military discounts in your area. That 10-20% can help.
  20. Watch your boxes- Monthly boxes are in right now and there are so many good ones to choose from but be careful. Don’t keep paying for a box if you don’t like most of what comes in them. You can skip months too.
  21. Set up automatic savings- Set this up with your bank. Then money will automatically go to your savings accounts. And trust me, you won’t even miss it as you build up your savings. USAA has a great way to do this.
  22. Drop cable- What do you use cable for? Think about if you could do without. You could save yourself a lot of money by dropping cable and using Hulu and Netflix or other streaming services.
  23. Make lists before you shop- Making a list will always save you. Just make sure to stick to the actual list.
  24. Try a “buy what you need” challenge- See if you can go a month or two without buying anything you don’t need.
  25. Adjust your heat/ac settings- Adjust your settings just a little bit. You might see a change in your monthly electric bill.
  26. Cancel what you don’t use- Go through your monthly bills and cancel what you no longer use. These random costs can add up.
  27. Save all loose change and cash in- Put all loose change in a bottle. Cash in the bottle every 6 months or so. Use the money for some family fun.
  28. Fly Space-A- Living overseas and want to visit home? Try Space-A. Space-A isn’t for everyone but can save you money, especially when flying home from overseas.
  29. Stay in Military hotels- Staying in military hotels can save you quite a bit of money and they are all over the place.
  30. Exchange babysitting with a friend- Find a friend you trust and swap babysitting.
  31. Use Parent’s Night Out– There are a few churches in the area that offer a regular parent’s night out. Use these. For date nights or just to have some time for yourself.
  32. Bring your lunch to work- Try to bring your lunch to work most days. Cook a little extra for dinner and bring the leftovers in.
  33. Watch your ATM fees or use USAA- Watch those ATM fees. Now if you have USAA, they will pay you back once a month which is super handy.
  34. Put your tax return to good use- Getting a tax return? What is the best way to spend it this year?
  35. Downsize- Feel like you have too much space? It’s okay to downsize and move into a cheaper home.
  36. Use Rewards cards- Use rewards cards or apps for the stores you shop at the most. The rewards can add up.
  37. Shop around for big purchases- Need to buy a new washing machine. Shop around for the best deals. The PX is tax-free but Lowe’s and Home Depot offer a 10% military discount.
  38. Shop with a purpose- Shop with what you are looking for in mind. Always have a purpose and you can avoid spending extra money.
  39. Dollar Spot- Check out the Dollar Spot at Target. They always have things cheaper there, especially when it comes to office supplies and small toys for the kids.
  40. Keep driving that car- Don’t give up your car just yet and buy a new one. Try to get as many miles out of it as you can.
  41. Drop your home phone- Do you need your home phone? Most people don’t anymore. Think about if you still need to be paying that extra amount each month.
  42. Use your leftovers- Have a leftovers night where you use up any extra food you have made. Don’t let it go to waste.
  43. Eat before you go- If you can, eat your meals before you go somewhere. That way you won’t be as tempted to buy there.
  44. Garden, cheaply- You can spend a lot of money on gardening supplies but you don’t have to. Shop around and create a simple garden growing veggies you would normally buy.
  45. Gas Rewards- Use gas rewards. Kroger rewards works well for us.
  46. Ask for gift cards for Christmas and birthdays- Receiving gift cards for Christmas and birthdays means you have places to go without having to spend any money.
  47. Shop or save for Christmas- Plan out your Christmas, even in January. Shop sales during the year and stick to your budget.

I hope your 2023 is off to a great start! Have a good year and have some fun saving money 🙂

What is your best tip for saving money in the new year?