Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day: Make The Most of Your Budget for Military Families!

Finding ways to save and stay on a budget has never been a challenge for me. Among my family and friends, they refer to me to as the “smart and savvy” shopper. So why would now (after having the baby) be any different? Well, it’s not like money grow on trees. Just because we had a baby doesn’t mean our income would instantaneously change. We had to find ways to expand our source of income. That, or make another adjustment in our lifestyle to meet certain expenses.

Here’s the thing, the military community made me realize that most of us are going through the same things. In fact, majority of the military families I have met along the way totally gets it. Believe it or not, they know the struggle all too well. Which is why in light of the military appreciation day, I am sharing ways how YOU can make the most of your budget … and spend it wisely too! I personally had a great support from the key spouse in our base, especially when my husband deployed.! So, this is my way to contribute and give back to our military spouses who might need a little helping hand.

So how do you make ends meet? Plan ahead of time and utilize your military benefits! Yes, you read it right … military benefits. Believe it or not, you have quite a few to check out but I will stick with my top 3 that will help get you started.

Tip 1: Shop Smart

Grocery shopping can get costly rather quick. Which is why I love the Commissary and the Base Exchange (BX), you get to avail amazing deals tax free! Then there’s also promotional sales where products are priced with additional discounts. To top it all, they also accept manufacturers coupons which helps a lot!

For those who aren’t keen on the idea of stacking coupons there’s also digital coupons that a shopper can avail. There’s a lot of popular apps nowadays that doesn’t require collecting newspaper clippings.

Tip #2: Military Plan for Veterans, Service Members, and their Families

Let’s be honest, a lot of us are away from our family as well as friends. It’s only natural to feel lonely, miss a loved one, want to connect and keep in touch. Except to my surprise, I met a few military spouses that didn’t know they can SAVE huge on their cell phone service.

Forget what you currently know about cell phone providers because I promise you, the deal that you can get from T-Mobile is absolutely spot on! The T-Mobile ONE Military plan includes everything you can find in T-Mobile ONE at NO EXTRA COST! This includes unlimited talk, text, and even data with taxes as well as fees included! There’s also free stuff and unbeatable discounts every week with T-Mobile Tuesdays, which is the industry’s best travel benefits that comes with a free hour of Gogo in-flight Wi-fi when traveling domestically. That’s not all, the unlimited texting and data is covered in over 210+ global destinations. Plus, the customers get the best care in wireless with a dedicated Team of Experts and so much more!

To break it down, it’s 20% off for the first line and another Half Off can be discounted for up to five additional voice lines. The first line costs $55 with AutoPay and the taxes and fees are already included – which normally costs $70. For the additional lines, it’s Half Off that, meaning it is just $25 for the second line and $10 per additional line after that with AutoPay. This means, a family of 4 will get 4 lines of T-Mobile ONE Military, for a whopping $100 a month (with AutoPay and taxes and fees included)!!! Truly, T-Mobile the Un-carrier is committed to supporting military and their families – every day!

Tip #3: The Right Medical Coverage

Before I met my husband, I had no idea that I was in the dark with my health insurance. The only option I have for coverage was between HMO and PPO. I can opt for a Health Savings Account but that can only get me so far. After getting married and getting switched to Tricare which is the military’s leading medical provider, I am floored as to how much we save from our health check, follow ups, and even the unexpected.

For those of you who are expecting, or are planning to grow your family this is definitely worth looking into. With Tricare Prime we didn’t have to pay for anything when I have birth to our son. Everything was covered from point A to Z.

That’s a wrap! While it is only 3 tips, utilizing these would tremendously make a difference to your expenses and budget. By making very little change, you can expect to save a little which you can put towards a rainy day. Trust me, I understand all too well that there are times it might seem there are no other options to explore. I have been there myself and I hope this post helps you with your expenses. Let me know what you think and if this post did help you, feel free to share all about it to inspire other military spouses.

Now go and take some of that savings and treat yourself. Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day!

XOXO