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4 Totally Free Financial Resources You Should Use in the New Year

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January is the month of possibility. It’s a time of new beginnings. It’s when we shrug off our mistakes from the past year and embrace a renewed hope for the next 12 months.

For many military couples, January is a good time to examine your financial well-being. Are you living paycheck to paycheck? Are you ready to take tackle that student loan debt? Are you able to start investing in your retirement?

I know I should be excited about the possibilities of the new year, but instead I’m avoiding my mailbox. I really don’t want to open my credit card statement. I thought I planned and followed my budget for holiday spending, but after we drove 2 days to my in-laws’ house and stayed in a hotel and I shopped with my sister-in-law and went to the movies with my sister and bought Christmas decorations on clearance…the list goes on and on about why I really don’t want to face this massive credit card bill.

Every January I find myself in this same situation. I overspend in December and vow to not repeat my mistakes in January. January is the month when I take a hard look at our budget with my husband and vow that this year is the year we will spend less, save more and put more money away for retirement.

Are you feeling the same way? Do you want to make 2016 the year that you get your finances squared away? Are you unsure about what steps to take to save more money and reduce your debt?

There are a lot of free financial resources available to military families. Here’s a list of 4 financial resources that you and your service member should check out in 2016.

Here’s a list of 4 free financial resources that you and your spouse should check out in 2016.

There are plenty of free resources available either on-base or online to give you the tools you need for financial success in the new year.

1. Military Relief Organizations

If you don’t know about the military relief organizations, you need to. These organizations (Army Emergency Relief, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society and Air Force Aid Society) are private, nonprofit organizations that help service members and their families with certain emergency financial needs. But you don’t need to wait until you’re in financial trouble to make an appointment with a volunteer at a military relief organization.

Be proactive and make an appointment to review your budget with a trained counselor today. Also, if you are expecting a baby in 2016, sign up for their Budget for Baby workshop. You won’t regret it.

2. On-Base Financial Readiness Programs

Service members and their spouses should never pay for a financial class. Nearly every month, military installations offer free financial education classes through Army Community Services, Fleet and Family Support; Airmen and Family Readiness Centers; and Marine Corps Community Services, depending on your branch.

These classes teach service members how to “save and invest their money, how to establish savings goals, debt elimination strategies and saving for emergencies.” When we were stationed on Okinawa, the Marine Corps Community Services offered a homebuyer’s workshop. This workshop explained VA loans, how much money to save for a down payment and how to calculate how much house your family can afford.

These classes are also available for individual counseling sessions.

3. Military Saves Campaign

The Military Saves campaign is a component of the nonprofit America Saves and a partner in the Department of Defense’s Financial Readiness Campaign. Besides its annual savings campaign in February, Military Saves “seeks to motivate, support and encourage military families to save money, reduce debt and build wealth,” according to its website. The Military Saves website has information about credit reports, how to make financial goals and saver stories to inspire you to spend less and save more money.

4. FINRA Investor Education Foundation’s Military Financial Readiness Program

Started in 2006, this program, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense Financial Readiness Campaign, aims to help “military families manage their money with confidence.” Visit SaveandInvest.org/military for calculators and worksheets, along with educational videos and quizzes to test your financial knowledge.

No matter what your financial goals are for 2016, remember that service members and their spouses shouldn’t pay for financial classes. There are plenty of free resources available either on-base or online to give you the tools you need for financial success in the new year.

What are your financial goals for 2016? How do you plan to reach these financial goals?

How to Start a Babysitting Co-op on Your Base

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Can’t afford the on-base child development center? Do you have a doctor’s appointment and don’t have anyone to watch your toddler? Want to go grocery shopping without the kids while your husband is TDY? Craving a date night with your spouse, but can’t find a babysitter?

How to Start a Babysitting Co-op on Your Base

Do you participate in a babysitting co-op?

Military families looking for affordable and flexible child care should consider joining a babysitting co-op.

What is a babysitting co-op?

A babysitting co-op is a group of parents who agree to exchange babysitting time and most operate on a point system. When you watch someone’s child, you earn points that you trade in when someone else watches your child. It’s an alternative to traditional child care and it’s free.

Babysitting co-op members can choose to watch other people’s children at their convenience. During the day, the child is dropped off at the sitter’s house. In the evening, typically the sitter comes to the children’s house.

When we were stationed in Monterey, Calif., there was a babysitting co-op for military families. But it was only for families who lived in government housing. Since we rented a house off-base we weren’t eligible to participate. But I was definitely interested in it and heard good things about it from my friends.

Let’s say you recently moved to your duty station and you’re wondering if there’s already a babysitting co-op, the easiest way to find out is through the local military spouses’ Facebook group. You can post the question there or search the files section to see if it’s already listed there.

For bases with a babysitting co-op, there is usually a separate closed Facebook group for its participants. For example, the one in Colorado Springs gives this information on its Facebook group,

A group where fellow military wives in the Colorado Springs Area ONLY! can come together to have a close group where we watch each others children, dogs, houses on a point system. To earn points-simply help another member out by watching their kids, dog, or house. If you try to join this group your profile MUST be open and information MUST be available to show that you live here.

But what if there isn’t an existing babysitting co-op? How do I start a babysitting co-op on my base? Here are 3 things you need to do to start a babysitting co-op at your military installation.

Establish Boundaries

Who can join this group? Will you limit the amount of members? Will you require an application for membership? What are the rules for joining or leaving the group?

Like I said before, there was a group at the base in Monterey. But it wasn’t open to everyone in the military. It was only for families who lived on base. Don’t be shy about establishing narrow boundaries for your babysitting co-op. You want the families involved to trust each other and have a good comfortable level.

Establish a Point System that Works for Your Group

There can be unstructured babysitting co-ops, but I think the system works better with guidelines and boundaries. That way every participant knows what is expected of him or her.

The next step in start a babysitting co-op is deciding how you will record and track babysitting points. Some groups use a spreadsheet on Google docs that every participant has access to. There’s an honor system used and members can update that document with their points. Other co-ops have cards that they hand out to parents after they babysit. They can later redeem these cards for babysitting. Search online for templates and printables before designing your own. It will save you a lot of time.

Have a Plan for Handling Disputes Among Members

A good way to avoid drama among the members of the babysitting co-op is to have a plan for resolving disputes. Every group will have parents who haven’t earned as much time as they have used. How will your group handled that? Members need to know how much notice they need to give when requesting child care. Is it 24 hours notice? Or 7 days? Other issues that may come up are bedtime, snacks, taking the children to a playground or park, television and discipline.

I think a babysitting co-op would be a great way to earn free babysitting as a military family. With initial planning and organization, the group can run effectively and efficiently for the parents and the children.

Have you participated in a babysitting co-op in the past? What’s been your experience?

25 Reasons to Give Back This Holiday Season

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When my sister-in-law asks for my kids’ Christmas wish lists, I sigh. I look around our living room and I see piles of toys that were once loved, but have since been forgotten. The kids don’t want to pick up their toys and put them away. And they are always whining for the newest and greatest toy that the neighbor has and they want. Desperately.

My sisters and I love to buy each other gifts. But around the holidays, there’s a mad dash to find a thoughtful, useful and personal gift when I simply don’t have the desire or energy to shop. I would rather be with my sisters than shopping for my sisters.

This Christmas I am considering a different approach to gift giving. Instead of using our money to buy, buy, buy, we could use our money that we allocated for our holiday gifts by making a donation to our favorite charities through the Combined Federal Campaign or CFC.

The CFC is the world’s largest annual workplace charity campaign and it is available to all federal employees, including service members. The CFC offers a convenient way to make a donation to your favorite charity through direct withdrawal from your paycheck. You can do a small amount every pay period or a one-time donation.

Haven’t heard about the CFC at your military installation?

You can connect with your CFC campaign here. The 2015 CFC solicitation period ends December 15.

Are you thinking about scaling down your Christmas budget this year? Are you considering a Christmas that is more about giving to others and less about giving gifts?

Here are 25 reasons why I’m considering making donations to my favorite charities through the CFC instead of buying gifts this holiday season.

Here are 25 reasons why I’m considering giving gifts that give back this holiday season.

  1. I don’t want the Black Friday craziness. The day after Thanksgiving I don’t want to be battling for an electronic device in a big box store. I want to be at home, listening to holiday music and spending time with my husband.
  2. Giving is a teaching opportunity. When we donate money to charities through the CFC, it’s a teaching opportunity for our children. We can talk to them about children who have been diagnosed with a life-threatening medical conditions and what a blessing their health is. We can watch videos on Make-A-Wish’s website so that the girls can see how their donation (instead of gifts) helps a child have their wish granted. Donating to charities, like Make-A-Wish is a teaching opportunity for gratitude and empathy.
  3. Giving back helps me put my life in perspective. I like to tell myself that my children are ungrateful and I am not. But if I really listen to what I complain about (I want a bigger house, a new purse and top-of-the-line tablet), I find that I’m losing perspective on what’s important in life. If I’m not careful I focus on things instead of people. Making the decision to give a donation instead of buying a gift helps me remember that things won’t lead to my happiness.
  4. Wrapping paper and I don’t get along. I really, really don’t like wrapping presents. It’s not my thing.
  5. Buying less leads to a greener Christmas. The majority of the toys we buy our children aren’t manufactured in the United States. By buying less and trying to buy a few locally made items, we can help reduce our carbon footprint this holiday season.
  6. This gift won’t break, tear or need batteries. Aren’t we all disappointed when a toy doesn’t last more than few months? When we give the gift of giving back through the CFC, we know that this gift won’t be tossed in the trash. This gift will be making a difference in someone’s life.
  7. We don’t need anything and others do. We have life’s necessities and more than a few luxuries. Instead of getting more stuff, we can give more to others who need it more than we do.
  8. Making donations through the CFC empower us when we feel powerless. When I watch the news, my heart breaks. I see children who need help. I see women who need help. And I feel powerless to help. I want to be right there in Nebraska after a tornado serving food to families who lost their homes. But I can’t; instead I make a donation to the American Red Cross. Supporting organizations that help people after natural disasters helps me not feel powerless.
  9. There are no shipping costs. I like to shop online so I spend a small fortune on shipping fees to get presents to my family during the holiday season. This year, when I make donation to the CFC instead, I won’t waste money on shipping fees.
  10. My donation is a thank you gift. Thank you USO for offering my family a place to relax and recharge when our flight was canceled.
  11. We can honor our family members who we miss this holiday season. Before he died, my grandfather, a Korean veteran, was able to take an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. He was very grateful for this experience. This year, when I’m missing him and remembering the box of chocolates I used to give him every Christmas, I can instead make a donation to Honor Flight through the CFC.
  12. One donation gives back all year. When you make a donation to an organization like Serve Our Willing Warriors, you know that your donation is helping ill and injured service members and their families throughout the year. It’s a gift that goes beyond December 25.
  13. A donation is a one-size-fits-all gift. I don’t have to worry about sister-in-law returning this gift. I don’t have to worry about nephew already having this gift.
  14. My gift can help a community close to my heart – veterans.  Here are 21 military and veteran charities that I highly recommend.
  15. Less stuff means less stress at PCS time.We know we are going to move again. It’s part of being a military family. When the time comes to move, I can get pretty stressed out with all the stuff we have and trying to make it fit in the new house. With less stuff, my stress levels aren’t as high when I unpack after a PCS.
  16. Gifts that give back reduce my guilt. I would love to volunteer with a few organizations that I really love, but right now, I don’t have that time. (I’m looking forward to doing that when I retired.) Since I can’t give my time, I can give my money and stop feeling guilty about not volunteering.
  17. These gifts aren’t hard to find. When I was a child, I wanted a Cabbage Patch doll like every other 5-year-old in the early 80s. But unlike every other kid, I didn’t get one. They were sold out everywhere.
  18. Gifts that give are the perfect gifts for that person who has everything. You know that person (cough my husband, cough) who has everything and you still feel obligated to give them a gift. Skip the jelly of the month club membership and make a donation through the CFC instead.
  19. I could be done with my holiday shopping today. I’m always annoyed when I see a friend post on Facebook on October 15 “already done with my holiday shopping, now I can concentrate on what really matter this holiday season.” Meanwhile, I don’t even start thinking about the holidays until after Thanksgiving dinner. With a few clicks on the CFC website, I could be done with my holiday shopping. It’s so tempting.
  20. There’s not a temptation to overspend. Every year, I make a holiday gift budget and I vow to stick to it. Then I’m shopping and I get excited about everything I see. My budget goes out the window. When I pledge donations through the CFC, I stick to my budget.
  21. No more waiting in lines. Every December I waste a lot of time standing in line. Standing in line at the store. Standing in line to take a photo of my kids with Santa. Standing in line at the post office.
  22. Take the competition out of Christmas. Even when my husband and I pledge to not buy each other gifts, I get sucked into the holiday competitive spirit. I want to give him some amazing gift to show how much I love him when in reality his love is a gift to me.
  23. Gifts that give back help my military family. We know that for many military families this time of year isn’t the happiest time of year. Organizations like Trees for Troops help military families  by providing free fresh Christmas trees to service members and their families. Another option is Snowball Express. This charity provides “hope and new happy memories to the children of military fallen heroes who have died while on active duty since 9/11.”
  24. These gifts help us to never forget. Through the charity, Wreaths Across America, we placed wreaths at the tombstones at Arlington National Cemetery 3 years ago. This event was the perfect opportunity to talk our children about remembering and honoring those who came before us.
  25. I want to celebrate a meaningful Christmas filled with experiences, not gifts. When we talk about past Christmases, my kids never remember the toys they unwrapped. Here’s what they remember:
  • Putting out reindeer food on Christmas Eve
  • Going to the Nutcracker ballet with their cousins
  • Watching The Sound of Music while snuggled under blankets
  • Sledding with their friends at Lake Tahoe

This year, I hope that I can give my children a meaningful Christmas once again. I hope this Christmas will be a time of reflection about what we have instead of what we think we need.

Has your family stopped giving gifts for the holidays? How did you do it?

Why the Breastfeeding Soldiers Photo Went Viral

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Military culture is changing a little bit every day. The military is no longer a man’s world. Military culture unites women and men, gay and straight under the same oath to serve the United States of America.

A recent photo that went viral on social media illustrates those changes in military culture. The photo, taken by former airman and military spouse, Tara Ruby, shows 10 female soldiers breastfeeding their babies in uniform at Fort Bliss, Texas. Ruby, who normally takes family portraits, said “her aim for the photo was to normalize breastfeeding in the military” and she planned to donate the photo to a new nursing room at Fort Bliss.

When she posted the breastfeeding soldiers photo on her Facebook page, she had no idea how popular it would become.

Ruby’s breastfeeding soldiers photo went viral when it rack up 2.5 million views on her Facebook page.

But why? Why did this photo go viral? Why did a photo of breastfeeding soldiers become a source of discussion on CNN and Fox News?

Here are the 3 reasons why I think that breastfeeding soldiers photo went viral:

3 Reasons Why the Breastfeeding Soldiers Photo Went Viral

Why do you think a breastfeeding soldiers photo went viral?

National Movement to Normalize Breastfeeding

There are many organizations working to normalize breastfeeding. These organizations encourage mothers to post photos of themselves breastfeeding their children with the hashtag #normalizebreastfeeding on social media. When Ruby posted her photo, she used that hashtag and I think that contributed to its popularity. Individuals who support breastfeeding are looking for that hashtag and ways to show their support on social media.

Movement to Normalize Female Service Members

While there’s a central and concentrated effort to normalize breastfeeding and support mothers who choose to breastfeed, there isn’t the same direct public relations campaign to showcase women in the military.

But it’s there.

There is a grassroots movement, especially among women like Ruby who are former active duty, to show that women can be soldiers, wives, and mothers all at the same time.

“Breastfeeding their babies doesn’t make them less of a soldier, I believe it makes them a better one. Juggling the tasks and expectations of a soldier, plus providing for their own in the best way they possibly can, makes (these) ladies even stronger for it,” Ruby told CNN.

Ruby said on Facebook that she thinks this is the first group photo to show support of active-duty military mommies nursing their babies.

One interesting aspect of this photo is the female service member’s eyes. They aren’t looking at the camera. They are looking into the eyes of their babies.

Civilians Are Intrigued with Military Life

As less and less people serve in the Armed Forces, more and more people know very little about military life. Their knowledge of the military comes from the media and let’s face, there aren’t any military movies showing a female soldier as the protagonist. Wait, correction. There’s one. G.I. Jane.

Therefore, when something like this photo hits Facebook, civilians are intrigued. They post comments on Facebook saying things like “soldiers can’t breastfeed in uniform!” when in fact they can or “oh boy, I bet the Army won’t like this” when the photographer worked with public affairs officer specifically for this photo shoot. Remember the Ruby’s intent was to donate this photo to hang in the nursing room at the Fort Bliss headquarters building.

Civilians don’t expect to see mothers as soldiers simply because they don’t see it in the movies.

In contrast, today’s service members aren’t surprised by this photo because they know that female soldiers pump breastmilk and deliver it to their babies at the child development centers. They know that female Marines return to work 6 weeks after giving birth. They know that female airman work with their supervisors to ensure that they are given an empty office in order to pump during working hours. They know mothers are soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen.

Now it’s your turn: Why do you think this breastfeeding soldiers photo went viral?

Author Donates His Book’s Proceeds to Veterans Organization

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The author of the new book Looking Through Water has pledged to donate the novel’s proceeds to a veterans organization dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled service members and veterans through fly fishing.

Looking Through Water Author Donates to Veterans Organization

Looking Through Water is Rich’s fifth book and first novel. He decided to donate the book’s proceeds to veterans in honor of his father’s memory.

Author Bob Rich Jr. said Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. was the natural choice for his book’s proceeds.

“A main theme in Looking Through Water is getting out into nature to confront challenges and ultimately see them as opportunities. For me, the open water has been very transformative so I thought it would be very fitting to partner with Project Healing Waters,” he said.

Since 2005 Project Healing Waters has been providing basic fly fishing, fly casting, fly tying and rod building classes, along with fishing trips to wounded service members and disabled veterans. Participants include people who have never fished before to those who are “adapting their skills to their new abilities.” Project Healing Waters provides all the fly fishing and tying equipment and fishing trips to participants at no cost.

Project Healing Waters is “much more than a one day fishing trip,” according to the organization’s website.

“For many participants, particularly disabled veterans, the socialization and camaraderie of the classes are just as important as the fishing outings, and provide them a new activity,” Project Healing Waters said.

Bonding while fishing is a theme in the novel Looking Through Water.

Looking Through Water is a multi-generational look at family relationships, told by a grandfather to his grandson during a fishing expedition.

“Fishing is frustration and heartbreak set amidst incredible beauty that for me is a fitting analogy for life and our closest relationships. The small numbers of people on a fishing boat —two or three at a time—naturally lends itself to more personal conversations. A lot of veneers are stripped, and you find yourself sharing information that you might not have on land,” Rich said.

The suspenseful novel starts on an Adirondacks lake and wends its way through Manhattan to the Florida Keys. Its main character, William McKay is neither a sinner nor a saint. He is just a man trying to make sense of his life, Rich said.

“He never set out to be a teacher, but was thrust into the role during which time he taught and learned as well. It’s an adventure story and a love story with a hopeful ending,” Rich said.

“The novel covers five generations in a very short time, and the reader will get drawn into the characters as they lose their way and ultimately find a path back to redemption. A grandson becomes a grandfather and reaches back into his past to share with his troubled grandson the events of a week that would forever change the man’s life,” Rich said.

Looking Through Water is Rich’s fifth book and first novel.

He decided to donate the book’s proceeds to veterans in honor of his father’s memory.

“In his role as Milk Administrator, Rich Sr., learned of successful research using the soybean to create a non-dairy milk alternative. That idea spurred his entrepreneurial vision that led to the ultimate founding of our company in 1945,” he said.

Rich served in the United States National Guard from 1963 to 1969 and was a member of the Army Reserve Officer School Staff. His family’s company, Rich Products, recently team up with Pizza 4 Patriots to get pizza delivered for troops serving abroad.

“We are so pleased to give back to our servicemen and servicewomen who sacrifice so much for all of us,” he said.

Looking Through Water is available for sale at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. Purchase your copy today.

10 Q’s to Ask Before Making a CFC Donation

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The first time my husband brought home the Combined Federal Campaign’s booklet listing hundreds of nonprofit organizations, I didn’t know where to begin. We knew we wanted to donate some money to a cause that we believed in, but which organization was the right cause for us? Was it only one organization or did we want to divide our donation between several different charities?

10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Making a Donation Through the CFC

The 2015 CFC solicitation period lasts until December 15. Make your 2015 CFC donation today.

Here are 10 questions to ask yourself and your military spouse before making a donation to a charity through the CFC.

What are your passions?

When I was the CFC key worker for my office in Okinawa, I always told each person that I couldn’t advise them on which organizations to give money too. Instead I would ask them:

  • What are your passions?
  • When you watch the news, which stories grab your attention?

Your answers will lead you to charities working on those social causes.

What tugs at your heart strings?

There are 2 organizations that my husband and I always give money to: Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Autism Speaks. The reasons are simple. My grandmother died from breast cancer when she was 62 years old. My 13-year-old nephew was diagnosed with autism when he was 3 years old. Both of these diseases, breast cancer and autism, have personally touched our lives. We pray that a cure is found for both diseases. In addition we donate money for research working to find these cures.

Who do I want to help?

When you think about populations that are in need of assistance, which are the groups that you want to support? For example, you may be sympathetic toward homeless veterans. Then you would want to search the term “homeless” in the CFC’s 2015 Universal Giving Charity Listing. You can easily browse a list of potential charities you will want to donate money to through the CFC.

Which nonprofit organizations have you personally utilized?

I listen to National Public Radio. Every. Single. Day. It’s a service I utilize and therefore, I feel obligated to donate to this organization.

Which charities have been you used in the past? Did you love the Budget for Baby class offer by the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society? Do you always hang out at the USO lounge during layovers at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport? Send a little love to these charities that helped you in the past so that they can help you again in the future.

When was the last time you Googled this organization?

All the charities participating in the CFC have been screened by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and must be registered 501(c)(3) charities. They are also reviewed annually “for evidence that they are providing services on a local, state, national or international level and meeting the standards of public and financial accountability.”

But this federal paperwork doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been a recent scandal involving your favorite charity. Take 2 minutes and Google each potential charity before finalizing your donation.

How is this charity managing their donations?

One of the things I love about Charity Navigator is that you can examine the financial health of CFC-participating charities. Charity Navigator says that “the majority of charities listed on our site-seven out of ten nonprofits-spend at least 75% of their expenses directly on their programs. That means the organization should spend no more than 25% of their total expenses on administrative overhead and fundraising costs combined.”

For me, that’s critical. I want to know that the majority of the money I donate is going to help people, not support a six-figure salary for the charity’s CEO or a national advertising campaign.

Do you want to donate locally or globally or somewhere in-between?

If you’re stationed overseas, you may want to consider donating to your installation’s Family Support & Youth Programs (FSYP) funds through the CFC. These undesignated contributions go directly toward programs that aim to improve the experience of service members and their families living overseas. FSYP funds free sport programs for military children and language classes for spouses. Donating to the FSYP is a great way to give locally and give back to military families. You can only give to the FSYP if you’re stationed overseas.

For the rest of us, think about if you want to donate to international organization like UNICEF or a local organization like the Fort Hood Fisher House. Not sure? Go back and review your passions.

One quick note: this year is the second year that the CFC is conducting what it calls Universal Giving. This means that you can donate to any local charity listed in the CFC charity list. In the past CFC donors were restricted to local charities at their duty stations. Universal Giving allows service members to donate to a local charity in their hometowns when they are stationed across the country.

If you’re considering a local charity, is this an organization you would rather donate your time than your money?

Nearly every charity is looking for volunteers and perhaps that’s a better route for you if you’re living paycheck to paycheck. You can still research these charities through the CFC to ensure that you are volunteering with a legitimate organization.

Which charity did you donate to last year?

I know several service members who asked themselves these first 8 questions and researched their CFC charities the first time they donated a percentage of their paycheck. The next year, they didn’t reinvent in the wheel. They simply renewed their donations through the CFC to the same charities the next year. They know that long-term support to their favorite charities is a great feel-good investment.

How much do you want to donate?

The CFC offers a convenient way to make a donation to your favorite charity through direct withdrawal from your paycheck. You can do a small amount per period ($5) knowing that your donation will add up to a significant impact. You can also do a one-time donation. The choice is yours.

The 2015 CFC solicitation period lasts until December 15. Make your 2015 CFC donation today.

How did you decide which charity to donate to through the CFC?

10 Commissary Rewards Card Coupons

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Each of us has our own rules for life. My sister never eats dessert after 8 p.m. My husband will only eat a banana before a 5k race. I have a very predictable routine in the morning that hinges on one simple rule: Don’t talk to me until I’ve had my first cup of coffee.

When it comes to coupons and saving money, I also have a few guiding principles. For example, a coupon must be worth my time to redeem it. I don’t get excited about 25 cents off 1 product coupons. But I’m always finding a way to use a $1 off coupon. That’s my $1 coupon rule.

There are items that I need to buy, but I won’t buy without a coupon. Those items include deodorant, razors refills, shampoo and conditioner, nail polish, hair products, face and body wash. I have learned that these items regularly have coupons available for them and I’m a fool if I buy without a coupon. It’s my plan-to-save-when-I-buy rule. (Confession: This was a tough rule to teach my husband.)

My final rule is never-buy-without-scanning rule for the commissary. Remember how I browse the list of available digital coupons offered through the commissary rewards card each Sunday night. That’s only the first step to savings.

Next, I need to remember to follow my rule of always remembering to hand my cashier my commissary rewards card. Without scanning my commissary rewards card, I can’t save money. You can’t save if you don’t scan.

Here are 10 commissary rewards card coupons every military spouse should clip before shopping at the commissary this month.

1.Save $3 on one 13-pound or larger bag of Purina Beneful Dry Dog Food. It can be any variety. Purina Beneful dog food is also on sale this month at the commissary. Use this commissary rewards card coupon to buy the original Purina Beneful, Healthy Weight or Healthy Puppy dog food.

2. Save $1 on any Mars brands candy. Must purchase 2 bags. Halloween is right around the corner. Save money this Halloween by buying M&M, Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Twix or Milky Way Fun Size for the trick or treaters in your neighborhood.

This is my first Halloween living in base housing. Here’s the math problem currently rolling around in my head: There are 60 kids living in my neighborhood. How much candy should I buy to ensure that I don’t run out of candy on October 31?

The answer? A lot.

3. Save $2 on any OPTI-FREE Solution. Contact solution! Eye drops! Both of those items are included in plan-to-save-when-I-buy rule. Whenever there’s a coupon, I stock up on contact solution so I’m paying full price for something that I use daily.

4. Save $0.75 on  MorningStar Farms Chikn Nuggets. Yes, I know this coupon is for less than $1, but I still added it to my commissary rewards card last night. Have you tried MorningStar Farms’ chicken nuggets? They are delicious. My children love them as much as the chicken nuggets at McDonalds. This commissary rewards coupon requires one purchase of a 8-count or larger package.

5. Save $1 on Newmans Own Frozen Pizza. Like MorningStar Farms’s chicken nuggets, Newmans Own Frozen Pizza is convenient cooking that tastes good. Usually convenience and flavor don’t find themselves together, but when they do, I’m the first mother to buy this product for my family.

6. Save $6 on Venus Razor Blade Refills or Gillette Blade Refill Package. It’s his and her savings, thanks to your commissary rewards card. Last month, you saved money when you bought the razor, this month you save on the refill pack. This commissary rewards coupon only applies to 6-count or larger refills and can’t be applied to trial or travel sizes.

7. Save $1 on Tide PODS, Gain Flings, Downy Fresh Protect, Bounce Bursts, Dreft Blissfuls or Gain Fireworks. Laundry detergent is another item that I wait to stock up on until there’s a sale or I have a coupon. The best combination is when I have both for extra savings.

Want to know the weekly manager’s specials at the commissary? Sign up for MilitaryShoppers newsletter.

8. Save $2 on any 6 Gerber Organic or Gerber Graduates Grabbers Pouches. These baby food pouches are the best invention for parents who need to travel with small children. When we flew from Japan to the United States with our 18-month-old daughter, the Gerber Graduates Grabbers Pouches were a lifesaver. They are easy to open, delicious (according to my toddler) and don’t require a spoon. I love that I don’t need to (and therefore, don’t forget) to pack a spoon and my kid can still feed herself. Now we use them on road trips as our no-more-messes-in-the-car snack.

9. Save $2 on Pampers Easy Ups Training Pants or UnderJams Absorbent Night Wear or Splashers Swim Pants. After diapers, the next step is training pants and just like diapers, they are expensive. Always check your commissary rewards card app before buying Pamper Easy Ups.

10. Save $1 on any 2 packages of Hefty cups. Make clean-up at your next potluck a snap with these convenient cups.

What are your rules for using your commissary rewards card? Share them in the comments section.

Should Women Be Included in the Draft?

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Women are invading a man’s military, or at least that’s the perception you’ll get if you read some online comments on news articles and Facebook posts regarding DOD’s decision to allow women to serve in all combat roles.

The decision has been made: Women will be able to be Army Rangers or Navy SEALS if they can pass the same standards as their male counterparts.

Should Women Be Required to Register for the Military Draft?

Women have never been drafted in the U.S. military because they couldn’t serve in combat. Will that change in the future?

But like all great decisions in our military’s history (think President Harry Truman’s order of racial integration in the 1940s or the more recent elimination of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy regarding homosexuality), the policy decision is only the first step. The fallout of these policies and how they will be applied are equally as historic, yet they lack headline appeal.

Let’s examine the current issue—women in the military.

Since women will soon be able to serve in all aspects of the military, is it time for women to be required to register for the draft? Is the act of requiring 18-year-old women to register with Selective Service the final step in gender integration of the U.S. military?

One New Jersey teen thinks so. A class-action lawsuit filed by a 17-year-old through her mother asserts that the Military Selective Service Act violates the civil rights of women aged 18 to 25 by making them ineligible to sign up for the draft registry.

“With both males and females available for such roles today, the two sexes are now similarly situated for draft registration purposes and there is no legitimate reason for the government to discriminate against the female class, so equal protection applies,” says the complaint, cited by Courthouse News. “Further, with both males and females available for such combat roles, there is no reasonable basis for infringing the associational interests of the female class by preventing them from registering.”

In this class-action lawsuit, the young woman reports that she tried to register for the draft on the Selective Service website, only to be rejected when she checked the “female” option. Under current law, only males are required to register for the draft.

Here’s my favorite line in the lawsuit:

If the two sexes can fight and die together, they can register together; if not, then no one should have to register.

This lawsuit isn’t the first of its kind.

In 1981, the Supreme Court reversed a U.S. District Court’s decision that the Military Selective Service Act’s gender-based discrimination violated the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment (Rostker v. Goldberg, 453 U.S. 57).

Since that decision the idea to include women in the draft has been discussed several times, but Congress hasn’t amended the Selective Service law to include women.

The reason? Because women weren’t allow to serve in combat they shouldn’t be required to register for the draft.

But that argument has been flipped on its head since former Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta’s announcement that DOD would end the direct ground combat exclusion rule for female service members.

Should Women Be Required to Register for the Military Draft?

Is the act of requiring 18-year-old women to register with Selective Service the final step in gender integration of the U.S. military?

We know that while the United States has the ability to draft for military service, we don’t use the draft unless we have to and future presidents will be very reluctant to initiate a draft with or without women registered in it. We are proud of our all-volunteer force. But in a worst-case scenario shouldn’t we consider having women registered for the draft?

I believe this requirement will be the last step in gender integration for the U.S. military. Once women are required to register with the draft, women will finally be viewed as equals both on and off the battlefield.

Do you think women should be required to register for the draft, like men?

21 Military and Veterans Charities to Consider Before Making a Donation

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In my opinion, the military community tends to be self-sufficient. When one of us has a baby, our on-base neighbors deliver meals for a week to ease this transition. When our marriage is struggling, we are advised to meet with the command chaplain for counseling. When it comes to donating money to nonprofit organizations, we tend to select military and veterans charities that we know will give back to our military community.

21 Military and Veterans Charities to Consider Before Making a Donation

There are more than 400,000 military and veterans charities in the United States.

As we’ve discussed before deciding which military and veterans charities to give back to isn’t an easy decision. There are more than 400,000 military and veterans charities in the United States. That number –400,000– can be daunting and overwhelming.

Here are 21 military and veterans charities that you should consider donating to during this year’s Combined Federal Campaign. These military and veterans charities are a starting point for charities that give back effectively and efficiently to the military community. These nonprofit organizations have received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and the information about each one comes from Charity Navigator.

21 Military and Veterans Charities to Consider Before Making a Donation

What are your favorite military and veterans charities?

21 4-Star Military and Veterans Charities You Should Consider

  1. DAV (Disabled American Veterans) Charitable Service Trust: This trust targets physically and psychologically injured veterans. Programs supported by the trust typically include: providing food, shelter and other necessary items to homeless or at-risk veterans; accessibility or mobility items for veterans with vision or hearing impairments; therapeutic activities; physical and psychological activities for rehabilitation; and other forms of direct service for veterans and their families.
  2. Homes for Our Troops: This military charity assists severely injured servicemen and women and their immediate families by raising donations of money, building materials and professional labor and then coordinating the process of building a new home or adapting an existing home for handicapped accessibility. The finished home is then given to the veteran at no cost to him or her.
  3. Wounded Warriors Family Support: Wounded Warriors Family Support provides support to the families of those who have been wounded, injured or killed during combat operations. Its retreats are provided free of charge to eligible family members.
  4. Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund: The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund provides immediate financial assistance and lifetime support to post-9/11 wounded, critically ill and injured service members of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, and their families. This military charity helps defray the expenses incurred during hospitalization, rehabilitation and recovery; assists with the expenses associated with the purchase of specialized equipment, adaptive vehicles and home modifications; and educates the public about the special needs of our injured service members and their families.
  5. Special Operations Warrior Foundation: The Special Operations Warrior Foundation provides support and assistance to the military’s special operations community. Its mission includes providing a full college education to the surviving children of those who lose their lives while serving in the U.S. military special operations community and providing immediate financial assistance and support to ensure that severely wounded personnel are able to have their loved ones at their bedside during recovery.
  6. Association of Graduates of the United States Air Force Academy: The AOG’s three-part mission is: to work in partnership with the academy to produce and foster graduates with an enduring commitment to integrity, excellence, and service to country; to provide leadership, communication, and support to all the academy’s graduates, and promote camaraderie among them; and to promote the academy’s heritage, common tradition, and the accomplishments of its graduates.
  7. West Point Association of Graduates: The West Point Association of Graduates is the alumni association of the United States Military Academy.
  8. Freedom Service Dogs of America: Freedom Service Dogs is a nonprofit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by rescuing dogs and custom training them for individual client needs. Clients include children, veterans and active duty soldiers.
  9. Hope For The Warriors: This national organization provides comprehensive support programs for service members, veterans and military families that are focused on transition, health and wellness, peer engagement and connections to community resources.
  10. Puppies Behind Bars: Puppies Behind Bars trains prison inmates to raise service dogs for wounded war veterans and explosive-detection canines for law enforcement. Service dogs are placed free of charge with wounded veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The dogs learn special commands to help mitigate the effects of PTSD and traumatic brain injury.
  11. Operation Homefront: Operation Homefront provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors. Payments are made in the form of grants, not loans, for some of the most basic kinds of needs, such as food, rent and utilities.
  12. Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society: This military and veteran charity provides financial, educational and other assistance to active duty and retired members of the Navy and Marine Corps, their eligible family members and survivors.
  13. Air Warrior Courage Foundation: The Air Warrior Courage Foundation focuses on active duty, National Guard, Reserve and retired military personnel and their families needing financial assistance for medical, educational, and other extraordinary expenses not covered by other military, veterans or charitable institutions.
  14. Operation Support Our Troops- America: This organization’s mission is to support the morale and well-being of American forces by providing comfort, resources and education to them and their families both while they are deployed in harm’s way and after their return. This military charity sends care packages, along with personal letters, cards and notes of support from the community at large to deployed service members.
  15. Travis Manion Foundation: This military and veteran charity engages with veterans and families of the fallen in all stages of their personal journeys and offers them unique opportunities to empower them to achieve their goals.
  16. Honor Flight Network: Honor Flight Network transports senior and terminally ill veterans to Washington, D.C. so that they can visit and reflect at the memorials.
  17. Fisher House Foundation: Fisher House Foundation is best known for a network of comfort homes where military and veterans’ families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment. There is at least one Fisher House at every major military medical center to assist families in need and to ensure that they are provided with the comforts of home in a supportive environment.
  18. Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors: TAPS has provided comfort and care, 24 hours a day, seven days a week through comprehensive services and programs including peer based emotional support, case work assistance, crisis intervention and grief and trauma resources. Its National Military Survivor Seminars and Good Grief Camps have been conducted for 19 years and are complemented by regional seminars across the country.
  19. Our Military Kids: Our Military Kids provides substantial support in the form of grants to the children of National Guard and Military Reserve personnel who are currently deployed overseas, as well as the children of injured service members in all branches. The grants pay for participation in extracurricular activities and tutoring programs that nurture and sustain children while a parent is deployed or recovering from injury.
  20. Snowball Express: The Snowball Express provides hope and new happy memories to the children of military fallen heroes who have died while on active duty since 9/11. This military and veterans charity brings children together from all over the world for a four-day experience filled with fun activities.
  21. USO Metropolitan Washington: With the help of nearly 5,000 devoted volunteers, USO-Metro provides programs and services for active duty troops and their families at area military hospitals, five USO Centers, four USO airport lounges and a Mobile USO. Its signature programs include Turkeys for Troops and Project USO Elf.

Obviously this list of military and veterans charities is not comprehensive. But it’s a starting point for CFC donors looking to donate to military and veterans charities.

What’s your favorite military and veterans charity? Do you donate your time with this charity? Or prefer to make a financial donation through the CFC?

10 Commissary Rewards Card Specials

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As a child, my mom and I had a Sunday ritual. After Sunday dinner, we would sit at the kitchen table together. She would clip coupons from the Sunday newspaper while I discarded the expired ones from her coupon envelope and added in the newest additions.

While recently reflecting on this weekly ritual, I had to chuckle to myself. This routine seems so old-fashioned in today’s high tech e-coupon world. I don’t buy the Sunday newspaper. I don’t clip paper coupons. I don’t have a coupon envelope that I carry in my purse.

Instead I use my commissary rewards card app to conveniently download digital coupons every Sunday night.

With the commissary rewards card, I don’t have to remember to bring my coupons with me, just my card.

I don’t spend time sorting through the paper coupons to find the one I need for each product in the commissary. I simply hand the card to the cashier and the discount is taken at the time of purchase. And best of all, I don’t waste time digging through coupons checking the expiration dates. The commissary rewards card automatically removes the expired ones from My Coupons List.

This Sunday, I logged onto my commissary rewards card account to load digital coupons on to my card for this week. This week, like every week, there are some terrific money-saving coupons available through the commissary rewards card that paired with September’s commissary specials will remind you that the commissary is worth the trip.

10 Commissary Rewards Card Coupons that You Should be Clipping Today

1. Save $0.75 on any 2 Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs. Requires a minimum purchase of 2. Even though the summer barbecue season is over doesn’t mean your family can’t enjoy hot dogs as a quick dinner on Tuesday nights. In my house, hot dogs are a staple for a kid-friendly meal year-round. If you don’t have a commissary rewHow often do you add digital coupons to your commissary rewards card?ards card yet, you can download and print that $0.75 Oscar Mayer Hot Dog coupon here.

2. Save $1.50 on any 3 Classico® Red Sauce Products. Requires a minimum purchase of 3. Speaking of quick and easy dinners that your children will eat without complaining, let’s talk spaghetti. My kids are obsessed with pasta and would it every night, if we let them. Stock up and save on Classico sauce in September.

3. Save $6 on any 1 Nasacort® Allergy 24HR 120 Spray or Larger. Act quick to take advantage of this coupon available through the commissary rewards card. This offer expires September 20.

4. Save $5 on any 2 Gerber® Graduates® Formulas. Requires a minimum purchase of 2. Baby formula along with diapers are the two most expensive items that you buy for your baby. As a mother I would jump for joy when I found a coupon for formula. Then I would use it immediately. If you don’t have a commissary rewards card yet, you can digitally clip a $3 Gerber® Graduates® Formulas coupon here. There’s also a $3 off coupon for Pampers Cruisers or Extra Protection or Baby Dry Diapers.

5. Save $0.50 on any 1 Windex® product. Use this coupon as your motivation to wash your windows and shine your bathroom mirrors.

6. Save $3 on 1 Feline Pine™ Cat Litter. Enough said.

10 Commissary Rewards Card Coupons that You Should be Clipping Today

Use the commissary rewards card app to save even more money at your commissary.

7. Save $3 on 1 Gillette or Venus Razor. Smooth savings for you and your husband.

8. Save $2 on any 2 AVEENO® products. Aveeno is my favorite. I use the baby wash with my daughters. I use the sunscreen. I use AVEENO® Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 on my face every single morning and I can’t live without my AVEENO® Daily Moisturizing Lotion. The same $2 coupon can be digitally clipped here.

9. Save $1 when you buy any 1 Starbucks VIA® item. Instant coffee=instant happiness in my house. If you buy two, don’t forget to clip this e-coupon. You can save $2.25 when you buy 2 Starbucks VIA items.

10. Save $1 on any Glad® Food Protection Item. Through my church I used to deliver meals to new mothers, sick people and people who were recovering from surgery. I never wanted the person receiving my homemade meal to worry about returning my Tupperware to me, so I stock up on Glad food storage containers whenever they are on sale and I have a coupon. Then I can afford to deliver the meal without worrying about if I’ll get the container back.

This list are the coupons that I downloaded onto to my commissary rewards card last Sunday. I’ll log on again next Sunday to check for more coupons.

Want to know about the commissary rewards card? Here’s how and why every commissary shopper should be using a commissary rewards card.