Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

Saving Money

Building Up Your Savings During Holiday Shopping

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The holiday shopping rush is upon us. If you’re worried this means you’ll need to risk going into debt, think again. Going all out on everyone’s Christmas gifts doesn’t mean you have to go into the red, instead, you can save your money by using the following tips.

Build a List & Do Your Homework

Santa checks his list twice, and you need to do the same. One of the best ways to make sure you don’t overdo it during the holidays is by writing down everything you have to purchase, or everyone you will be giving a gift. That way you can refer back to it, and check things off as you buy them.

Once you have a list together, then it’s time to start your research. One item can be sold by a variety of companies for a different price. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by trying to play the find the absolute best price game. But there are a lot of sites out there that simplify your search. Also, sales are always popping up during this time of year, so sign up for e-blasts from your favorite stores and follow them on social media to get notified.

Consider D.I.Y. or Second Hand Gifts 

Sometimes it’s a personal touch that gets the biggest response. So rather than going big with a fancy store-bought gift, make your own present. Whether it’s baked goods or a DIY project, these options will save you some money. While you do pay some money to buy the components for the gift, you can save the money that you would have spent on higher-priced items.

If you’re not the craftiest person, visit second hand stores to purchase some unique finds. Thrift stores are full of a wide variety of items at low prices, so even finding something for the pickiest person on your list is possible. Buying used items at markdown discounts will save you a good chunk of change. Clearance racks, discount bins, and sale sections are all full of hidden treasures worth seeking out. 

Remember Technology is Your Friend

Since your phone is most likely nearby right now, it’s time to put it to good use. Look into rewards programs at the stores you frequent or online retailers. Yup, getting paid to shop does add up when you have lots of gifts to buy. Sites like Rakuten or Swagbucks allow you to accumulate points in order to get cash-back or gift cards. 

As mentioned before, signing up for emails is another great way to find the best deals. Creating a separate email account for these notifications ensures your regular account doesn’t get over flooded with offers. Plus, it reduces impulse buying tendencies for whenever you see a sale item. Price matching tools and coupons can be tracked down online as well. A simple Google search can pull in codes to use and deal sites for sale items.

Examine Your Payment Options

In addition to hunting for gift deals, seek out the best payment option too. If you are someone who overspends a lot, having a cash envelope system can curb this tendency. Using cash will give you a good idea of what you have to spend, and when all your money is gone, that’s it.

However, in the current COVID-19 world, credit and debit cards are a popular option for online shopping. Although they make payments easier and give you a larger spending range, they can come back to bite you if you’re not careful about the fees that are associated with using them. When looking for financially-friendly options, whether it’s a bank account or an app that helps you stay on track with your savings, find options without hidden costs and that make it possible to rebuild your financial status. That way, if you have a lower credit score, or you’re looking to prioritize financial wellness during the course of your holiday shopping, you won’t feel stressed or overwhelmed when purchasing gifts for your friends and family.  

While achieving savings during the holiday shopping season seems tricky, it’s possible with the proper planning! By creating a shopping list, rethinking what gifts you can make yourself or buy second hand, using technology to track deals, and finding the right payment option for you. Following all of these tips will help you stay in the green, rather than the red this holiday season.

Favorite Military Discounts That Military Spouses Love

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Favorite Military Discounts That Military Spouses Love

Military discounts are the best! Whether it is 10% off at your favorite restaurant or a buy one get one free pass at a local establishment. There are such a variety of military discounts out there, and not all of them apply nationwide.

Some military discounts are more popular than others but they are a way for military families to save money, even if it is just a few dollars. When businesses offer these discounts, they are saying thank you to the military community and their kindness is very much appreciated.

Here are some favorite military discounts that military spouses love:

Shoes

What growing military family doesn’t need shoes? The good news is quite a few stores offer a military discount on shoes. Payless and Rack Room Shoes offer you 10% off, and the Foot Locker offers you 20%.

Blue Star Museums

A collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and Museums Across America has created Blue Star Museums. They offer free admission to active duty military personnel and their families to include the National Guard and the Reserves. This offer is from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and you can see a list of participating museums here.

Home Depot and Lowes

Need to work on a home project? Spouse deployed and you want to paint that room you keep putting off. Home Depot and Lowe’s will offer 10% off at their stores.

Disney

Disney is one of the best discounts you can find. They offer the Armed Forces Salute at both Disneyland and Disney World. You will be able to save a lot of money this way. There are also select military discounts at hotels near the parks that would be worth checking out.

Sea World/Busch Gardens

You can get in on the Waves of Honor discount at Sea World’s nationwide, Busch Gardens, and Sesame Place. Each service member can receive one free ticket as well as three other free tickets for their dependents. Visit the Sea World page for more information on this military discount. This discount is valid for Active duty, National Guard, and the Reserves.

Michael’s and Joann’s

Into crafting? Want to buy some decorations for the upcoming fall and winter seasons? Check out Michael’s, who offer 15% off and Joann’s who offer 10% off.

National Parks

You can get a National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass just by showing your ID at your local National Park. The pass is good for a year.

Old Navy/The Gap

Your local Old Navy and The Gap should have a military discount too. Usually, it is about 10%. Some places offer the discount every day, others every Monday or a few times a month. Make sure to ask when you are at your local store to find out what they offer.

Hotels

Finding a discount on a hotel for your vacation can save you some money. Check out Marriot, Embassy Suites, Choice Hotels, or anywhere you plan on staying to see if they offer a discount too.

Your favorite restaurants

Restaurants are a bit tricky as they can depend on the management at the specific locations. Most restaurants that offer a military discount give you 10-20% off depending on their discount. Make sure to ask before you pay if you are unsure about their discount or have heard that they have one.

This post does contain affiliate links!

Veterans Advantage 

Veterans Advantage, Inc.
By signing up with Veterans Advantage, you can gain access to even more military discounts. With Veterans Advantage you can find discounts from name-brand companies such as Target, 1-800-Flowers, Adobe, Wendy’s, Regal, and more.

What are your favorite military discounts? Which ones do you use all the time?

Save Money and Plan a Fantastic Summer With This Website

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Save Money and Plan a Fantastic Summer With This Website

This is a sponsored post! All opinions are my own!

Summer! We are just weeks away from school being out, heading to the pool, and relaxing a bit without having to worry about school. I am excited about summer this year. I know it is going to be a good one.

Not having an unlimited budget for summer, I have to figure out how we are going to spend our time and our money. We do plan to buy a pool pass, we will have summer sports to go to, and we will be taking a trip to California too. As I try to figure out a budget for things, I am thankful for military discounts and coupons.

groupon coupons

One of the best places to find good coupons is Groupon. This website has so many to choose from. They have over 70,000 coupons from more than 9,000 stores. You should be able to find what you want, no matter what you are planning to do.

This summer, make sure to use Groupon Coupons to help plan your summer. Here are some ideas!

Work on those home projects you have been putting off with Home Depot. You can also get a new patio set. We love to bbq and eat outside before the heat of summer sets in and have been thinking of updating our set too.

Do you have a military ball coming up? Nordstroms has some coupons to help you find the right dress.

Going on a trip and need a rental car? You can find a good deal with Hertz to keep your summer travel costs low.

If you need a hotel, look at Hotels.com for a good coupon to help with the costs of lodging on your trip. Whether you are going down to Florida to relax at the beach or headed to Colorado for some outdoor fun, you will want to find a good rate on your hotel room.

I would love to buy some new summer clothes to stay cool this year, especially since I have lost weight since last summer. Kohl’s is one of my favorite places to shop. You can find Groupon Coupons to help with you or your family’s summer wardrobe.

Groupon coupons

You can also find coupons for Verizon, Shutterfly, Walmart, and more. Take some time to look through and get your summer planning off to a great start.

How have you used Groupon Coupons in the past?

 

47 Ways to Save Money in the New Year

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47 Ways to Save Money in the New Year47 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.

As a military spouse, know that your military service member will be getting a 2.1% 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 2017 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 my Starbucks but it is a lot cheaper to just make coffee at home.
  7. Skip the fast food- For our family of 5 to eat at McDonald’s it is at least $25. 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 $3 for one soda. If you and your spouse go out and skip it, ordering water instead, you could save between $4-6 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 most of my books I get from the library. Yes, I have to wait sometimes but there are so many books to read I can usually always find something good, and for free.
  13. Look for deals on books- Look for book deals. I recommend getting on Modern Mrs. Darcy’s list. She sends out an email every day on what is on sale for your Kindle.
  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!
  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- It 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.
  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.
  23. Make lists before you shop- Making a list will always save you.
  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 lose. 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 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. 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.
  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.
  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 2017 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?

10 Ways To Save Money When You Need To Be On A Tight Budget

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10 Ways To Save Money When You Need To Be On A Tight Budget

There are other times during military life when the amount of money you are bringing in goes down, even if just for a short amount of time. Coming back from overseas you will lose COLA. After a deployment, you will know longer get deployment pay. When you PCS you might end up getting less for BAH. You have to keep all these changes in mind and adjust your budget accordingly.

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Shopping For Toys With Groupon Coupons

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*This is a sponsored post. I wanted to promote this topic with my readers. All opinions are my own. 

Shopping For Toys With Groupon Coupons

Shopping For Toys With Groupon Coupons

The holidays are coming, Christmas and Hanukkah will be here before we know it. I am already trying to figure out our budget and what we will be getting the boys. My three are pretty into Legos and Minecraft these days. My 5-year-old is also a huge Power Rangers fan. I have been asking my three boys for their Christmas lists so I have an idea of what they are most interested in.

I like to find deals on the toys we get our boys whether it is for their birthday or Christmas. I never want to pay full price unless I can’t find a deal. We also like to buy toys from Toys R Us. I find that they do have a lot of the toys we are looking for. I have recently found out about Groupon Coupons. You can use them to get special deals from places like Toys R Us. How great is that?

Right now you can get a $10 gift card to Toys R Us when you spend $75 or more between 12/1/15-12/24/15 by going through Groupon Coupons. That extra $10 can make a difference in your holiday budget.

You can also head on over and check out some of the deals of the week. Some are online and others are in-store only.

For example:
Lego Dimensions“Free $10 gift card when you buy any regular-priced LEGO Dimensions Starter Pack and any LEGO Dimensions Team, Level or Fun pack“

 

Lego Dimensions

“2 for $24 ALL LEGO Dimensions Fun Packs reg $16.99 ea.“

Discount toys for Christmas

“

“20% off ALL Star Wars 3.75″ figures & vehicles“

You can check out the rest of the deals on the Groupon Coupons Toys R Us page or take a look around at other Groupon Coupon pages if you are looking for other types of gifts. They can change often so make sure to check back throughout the next few weeks to find the deals that can help you save some money this holiday season.

I plan to keep checking to see what deals they have and if I can save money on toys I was planning on getting my boys anyway.

Have you started your holiday shopping yet???

 

 

 

 

Find You Savings At Publix With The Publix Snack, Share, Save Event And Giveaway

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Do you love savings at Publix too???

We love snacks in this house! The older my boys get, the more of them they want to eat. They will be teenagers before I know it. I always try to have quite a few snacks in the house for them to have after school or right before bed. I love having that variety so we have something to grab depending on what we feel like eating at the moment.

Savings at Publix

One of the places I love to buy snacks at is Publix, especially when I can find Savings at Publix.  They put one in close to our home a couple of years ago. I had never been before but quickly fell in love. It really is a pleasure to shop there. I love how clean and organized it is there and everyone who works at Publix is very nice and helpful. They will also help you take your groceries out to your car which is nice when I have all the boys with me.

 

Savings At Publix

Some of our favorite snacks are Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, Chex Snack Mix, Fiber One Cookies and I am a big fan of the Yoplait Greek 100 Whips. I discovered them not too long ago and enjoy them for breakfast or a quick snack. My 4 year old would eat a whole box of the Granola bars if I didn’t watch them. I love those too and remember eating them myself as a child.

Savings At Publix

I love to find savings at Publix by using coupons and shopping their sales. They have some amazing Buy One, Get One free deals. Another way you can find savings at Publix right now is to head on over to their Snack, Share and Save Event they have going on right now.

Save $5 on your $20 purchase of participating snacking items when you share the Publix Snack, Share, Save event with friends!

Savings At Publix

Steps to receive the coupon:

1. Go To SnackShareSave.com and Choose a Design to share on your social media account
2. Log In to your Publix Skip The Clip Account
3. Share the social media design via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest
4. Check your Skip the Clip Account for your $5 Coupon.

If you don’t already have this, you can register for an account. It only takes about a minute. you don’t want to miss out on these Savings at Publix!

You will also be able to save $5.00 instantly when you buy $20 worth of participating items from PepsiCo, General Mills, & Unilever between 9/24 and 9/30.

How you would like to win $15 Paypal Cash to go buy your own snacks?

Enter the giveaway below by answering the question that is asked! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • “Disclosure: The information, products and Publix gift cards were provided by General Mills through Linqia.”

Saving Money at Publix

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Saving Money at Publix

Every since we moved back to the states I have been a little conflicted about which grocery store was cheaper. I had essentially three main options. Kroger, Walmart and the Commissary.  I came to the conclusion that certain products were cheaper in certain stores.  A lot of people swear by the Commissary but since it takes me about 15-20 minutes to get there and most of the time that I am already on post, I don’t always have the time to go there.  Plus, I want to avoid the Commissary on payday.

We use to live right by a Walmart so we went there all the time. I really like being able to shop about 5-10 minutes from my house. We moved and then Kroger became the closest place to shop. I still went to the Commissary sometimes but not regularly.

Then Publix opened 5 minutes from my house. When I first went I was pretty impressed with the look and the feel but since I had no idea what I was doing I spent way too much. For the most part, their regular prices are more expensive than other stores. But then I went to a coupon class at my church and then one at MOPS and I decided I want to get back into couponing.

For the last month or so I have been going to Publix for my big shopping and I have been saving money.

The big thing is matching sales with coupons. I go to www.southernsavers.com for this although there are many other blogs who post the match-ups. I just go through her Publix list and write down anything we need that is on sale. She will tell you where to get the coupons. Either from the paper, the printable ones or the Publix coupons. I would say over half of what I buy each week is on sale with a coupon. For an example for how this works I can tell you about a deal I got last week.

Betty Crocker Mashed Potatoes. They are listed at $1.89 at Publix. I have seen them for $.99 at Kroger and the Commissary.  At first glance, it isn’t a deal to get them at Publix. But they are Buy One, Get One free right now so you will be paying $.94 a box. Another great thing is if you only want one box, you will get it for half-off. You do not need to buy two of them if you don’t want to. I had a coupon for $.50 off 2. Since Publix will double any coupons $.50 or lower than I got a $1.00 off for two. So I paid $.89 for TWO boxes or about $.44 a box. The coupons will double automatically too. You don’t have to say anything.

Every week Publix has a bunch of products that are Buy One, Get One free.

Another great thing about Publix is that they take coupons from Kroger. This is based on where you live so if you have a local Publix ask them. Some Publix stores will take Target too but ours won’t because our Target does not have a grocery. This even includes the coupons Kroger sends you for $5 off a $50 purchase or anything like that.

Publix is also really good about the printable coupons. If your ink isn’t quite right and they won’t scan, they will enter them in manually. Other stores are more picky about it.

They also will let you use a store coupon plus a manufacturer’s  coupon.

I have only been at this for about a month but I am learning that organization is the key to making this work. I spend about an hour a week making my list and sorting through my coupons. I also find that sometimes a deal with a coupon isn’t as good as another brand. I also don’t want to buy things just because they are on sale. I only want to buy what we need. I have heard that most sales come back around ever 6-8 weeks to I try to keep that in mind when it comes to buy more than one of something.

I am not sure if I will buy the paper every single week.  I get a lot of my coupons online.  If you have Swagbucks you can print from there and then when you use them you get 10 points for every coupon.  Just an extra added bonus to using the coupon.

Not everyone likes Publix or even lives close enough to one to make it work but I do and I really enjoy shopping there. I still go to Kroger, Walmart and the Commissary for certain things but I think I will do all my big shopping there.

Do you use coupons when you shop?

 

Financial checklist for soon to be deployed military members

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My next guest post is by Matt Polsky from the VA Benefit Blog.  He is going to be talking about how to prepare financially before going on a deployment.

Financial checklist for soon to be deployed military members

Horror stories of soldiers accruing debt while serving are far too numerous.  Financial preparation could lessen the nerves of the moment and save money for both the service member and his or her family. However, how does one save? And what are some last minute tips for soldiers with no emergency fund?

Things to Do Before Deployment

Military members could save a lot of money while deployed. They could even potentially end with more money than they started. How?

  1. Create an emergency fund. It is extremely difficult to put money aside. However, everyone should try their best to throw a few extra dollars every week into the bank and forget about it. This is the most effective way to meet emergencies and life-changes head on. Try paying yourself first, aim to deposit 8-10 percent of your paycheck and try to forget about it until an emergency arises.
  2. Start researching what creditors offer military members on duty. Some creditors have military discounts and forbearances. Call them to find out what a military member can do in the case of deployment. Many of them will have an answer. However, some will not want to offer any leniency. In that case, all service members leaving for active duty should utilize the protections provided under the Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act. The law protects military members from financial burden. They can eliminate or lower income tax, credit card debts, mortgage payments and rent while on duty. For members with families, the law gives them peace of mind because banks are not allowed to evict or foreclose on a home while a service member is on duty. This law still requires the military member to give the bank or property owner and other creditors proper notice of deployment.
  3. Making small decisions lead to big savings. For example, store the car away and do not let anyone use it. Insurance companies will lower plan rates for a car not in use. Not to mention, a stored car runs no risk of repair or damage if it is not being used. Another way a small decision could save money—suspend cell phone coverage. Many mobile providers can suspend your coverage and let you keep your same number for up to 18 months and reactivate the phone upon your return. This makes perfect sense for soldiers who regularly use online phone services such as Skype as well as prepaid phone cards and email to communicate with their family and friends back home.
  4. Obtain legal protection of finances. Assigning a trusted Power of Attorney to manage accounts and budgets could help to limit big spending and protect from theft or loss while gone. It would be a nightmare to come back only to find an empty bank account.

It is important to make sure family and friends are on the same page about the actions taken to protect funds. Assure them of insurance coverage as well as the protections under SCRA. Be strict about spending and the use of personal property while away. Taking the above precautions will leave one with money in the bank as opposed to substantial debt.

Matt Polsky is a blogger associated with VA Benefit Blog, a blog focused on providing veterans and service members with current news and information on the benefits they have through serving our country.