Kimber Green MilitaryShoppers Page 13

Save Money This Summer with These Military Discounts

05/22/2015 By Kimber Green

What are your favorite military discounts to use on your summer vacation?

Summer is almost here and that means vacation time is quickly approaching. Save money, time and frustration by planning ahead and taking advantage of military discounts on summer fun. You’ll be able to make the most of your summer with these great military discounts.

Here are a few military discounts you don’t want to miss this summer.

Adventure Island Tampa: Free tickets are available for active duty military and their families; veterans get half off tickets as well.
Aquatica San Diego: Active duty military families receive free tickets and veterans get half off tickets.
Busch Gardens: Active duty service members and up to 3 dependents get complimentary admission once a year. You’ll need to fill out a form online and bring it to the ticket counter with your military ID to get your actual pass. Don’t wait in line at the gate like I did only to find out you have to go back to the ticket counter!
SeaWorld: Free tickets are available to active duty service members and their families. Veterans get a 50% discount.
Sesame Park Place: All active duty military families can get free tickets and veterans receive a 50% discount.
Have you taken your family to Disney yet?
Walt Disney World Resort: Disney is currently offering 3-day military park hopper tickets for $132. See your base ticketing office for details.
Blue Star Theatres: Military families and veterans can enjoy free admission to over 100 theatres around the country.
Water Country USA: Free admission is available for active duty military, reservists and National Guard as well as 3 direct dependents.
Cedar Point: Enjoy $21 off regular admission for all active duty, veterans and their families.
Colonial Williamsburg: Admission is free for military families May 22-25, 2015. Visit your MWR/ITT office to purchase discounted admission tickets the rest of the year.
Colonial Williamsburg is a great to visit. It’s educational and fun.
Dollywood: Active duty, reservists, veterans and their families receive a 30% discount on one day admission. These tickets cannot be pre-purchased and can only be purchased at the front gate of Dollywood or Dollywood’s Splash Country.
King’s Dominion: Free admission is offered May 23-25 and July 4-5 for all active duty and retired military. Active duty and veterans are eligible for discounted tickets, up to 6 with each ID, at the gate throughout the year.
King’s Island: Free admission for military personnel May 22-25 and July 3-5. Active duty military receive discounts for themselves and up to 6 others by showing their ID at the gate throughout the year.
Lego Land: Active duty military get a free one day pass and friends and family receive a discount on admission at the gate.
Six Flags: Most military bases offer discounted admission tickets. Check with your MWR/ITT office.
Universal Studios: On-site hotel vacation packages and discounts on admission tickets are available for military families. Contact your MWR/ITT for details.
Great Wolf Lodge: All active duty service members receive 20% discount and free admission to the water park with their stay.
Museums: Many museums across America including: Museum of Modern Art in New York, the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas, the Southwest Florida Military Museum in Cape Coral and the USS Midway Museum in San Diego offer free entrance or discounts for military families.
Movie Theaters: Many theaters offer military discounts, usually the same price as a senior or student ticket. You’ll need to use the actual ticket counter to get them and to show your ID.
Summer Camp for Children: Many camps across the country are free or discounted for military dependents, particularly if one of the parents is deployed. Check with your local camps.
Major League Baseball: The league offers discounted tickets to many games and each team also has a specific military appreciation day. Check with your favorite team for details.

There are so many fun, exciting and educational things to do with your family this summer and saving money while having fun is always a bonus. If you didn’t see a particular theme park listed here that you are planning a trip to this year, call ahead or check their website for military discounts. Many businesses around the country offer some type of military discount; all you have to do is ask.

What are your favorite military discounts? Tell us in the comments section.

The Ins and Outs of the Tricare Choice Proposal

04/10/2015 By Kimber Green

As military families, we have a love-hate relationship with Tricare. Every military family has an opinion and the topic comes up quite easily in group settings. Prepare for the onslaught of Tricare talk at your next gathering as the program may completely change as early as 2017.

Understanding the Costs of the Tricare Choice Proposal

What do you think about the proposed Tricare Choice?

The Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission recently released its 302-page final report that outlines recommendations to “modernize the Uniformed Services’ compensation and retirement system.” This report includes a complete overhaul of the Tricare program.

Here are the ins and outs of the proposed changes to Tricare.

Currently Tricare offers health care programs, such as Tricare Prime and Tricare Standard. You choose a program and are locked into its rules.

The Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission has decided, based on surveys and town hall meetings, that military families would like more options and to be able to have more say in their medical treatment. The commission’s proposal therefore would completely do away with every Tricare plan except Tricare for Life. Tricare for Life would remain exactly the same.

A new program, Tricare Choice, would replace the current system. According to the report, Tricare Choice would

increase access, choice and value of health care for active duty family members, reserve component members and retirees by allowing beneficiaries to choose from a selection of commercial insurance plans offered through a Department of Defense health benefit program.

This being said, the proposed privatized program would allow families to choose a health care plan from a list similar to that of federal employees. The level of care and costs associated with that would be determined by the plan chosen. Options would include:

traditional fee-for-service plans
those offered by health maintenance organizations
preferred provider network options from some of the biggest names in the industry, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Kaiser Foundation and more.

There would be new benefits such as chiropractic care, fertility treatments and acupuncture that are not covered under the current system; of course each would come at a cost.

The Tricare Young Adult program would be cut and adult dependent children under the age of 26 would be covered under their parent’s Tricare Choice plan no matter their circumstances. Unlike the current program, this would allow these dependents to stay in the program even if they are “married, not living with their parents, attending school, financially independent or eligible to enroll in their own employer’s health care plan.”

Related: Commission Recommends Combining Commissaries, Exchanges

Tricare dental plans would remain the same with a few Tricare Choice options including partial dental care coverage.

What does the Tricare Choice proposal mean to you?

For active duty members, everything remains the same. Active duty and reserve family members as well as retirees would choose a plan during annual open enrollment and be able to pick the doctors they prefer including military treatment facilities if the plan allowed it. They would pay 5 percent of premiums initially and it would increase each year until it topped out at 20 percent of costs or until they become eligible for Medicare or Tricare for Life. Co-payments would be made, even when visiting a military treatment facility. They would also pay an annual enrollment fee. The report estimates that “retirees with families would see their average total out-of-pocket costs increase from about $2,000 a year to $3,500.”

How will these new costs be covered?

The commission recommended that a basic allowance for health care, BAHC, be created to completely cover premiums, cost-shares and co-payments. The money would be directly paid to the insurance company in part and the rest would go straight to the service member. If a plan is chosen that costs less than the BAHC, the family could actually make money.

The government, of course, could potentially save money as well. The Defense Department currently has a $49 billion annual health budget. The MCRMC report estimates that this new plan would cut personnel spending for the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs by $12 billion a year.

The report is now headed to Congress where they will decide the future of Tricare. There are 9.2 million military beneficiaries who will be waiting to hear the outcome.

What do you think about the proposed Tricare Choice? Are you willing to incur an additional expense for more health care options?

Free Wi-Fi Coming to a Commissary Near You

03/30/2015 By Kimber Green

The commissary at Naval Air Station Oceana here in Virginia Beach has just become the first commissary to test free Wi-Fi. I was very excited to hear that it was one of the commissaries near me so that I could drive over and test it.

I often forget to load my commissary rewards card and end up sitting in my car scanning through them on my phone quickly as my 19-month-old baby repeatedly chimes from the back seat, “I go bye-bye. Groceries now, groceries now mama.” Finally being able to access the Internet inside of the commissary is great. I know my son does not want to sit still any longer than he has to and now I won’t have to keep him in the car that extra time. Of course I always tell myself I will remember next time to look at the coupons at home, but as all parents know, that doesn’t always happen.

I will make a better effort to digitally clip my rewards card coupons at home, but it is nice to be able to access them while in the commissary if I do forget. Some of the recipes I use are online so being able to glance back at them and make sure everything is on my grocery list is another great perk. I’m sure there are many reasons that people will happily find to utilize the free Wi-Fi. Entertaining your child with cartoons on YouTube so everyone can shop in peace is what one of my friends beamed about.

Having access to Wi-Fi is so mainstream now that not having it comes as a surprise to many new patrons, especially young military spouses. For those of us that have been shopping at commissaries for years without it however, this is an exciting new feature. NAS Oceana is the first to test free Wi-Fi, but once preliminary test is complete it will be rolled out to 102 commissaries stateside that already have the existing infrastructure that would be needed to support customer traffic.

A specific timeline for the program has not been determined yet. Once DeCA is able to calculate the test results here at Oceana, they will decide how quickly they can roll out free Wi-Fi to other commissaries. For those locations that will need updates to their systems to support customer Wi-Fi, it may be awhile. At this time DeCA has not made any plans to expand the offer of free Wi-Fi to commissaries overseas unfortunately.

There are so many reasons to shop at the commissary and adding free Wi-Fi just makes it that much better. What other perks would you like to see at your commissary in the future?

Not All Commissaries are Created Equal

03/16/2015 By Kimber Green

I enjoy shopping at the commissary. Every fort and base I’ve lived near, as an Army brat and now as a Navy spouse, has had a good commissary and I’ve always shopped at them.

I am completely bummed that we are moving this summer to a location that does not have a commissary.

When we drove up for a short house-hunting trip, I made sure we drove to the next closest base to see what their commissary is like. A friend had told me it has a small commissary. How small? There were only 6 isles and 3 cashiers.

Not all commissaries are created equal is an understatement.

I was so disappointed. It was instantly obvious that I would not be able to do our weekly grocery shopping at the commissary. I really am bummed. I like my routine and the money we save by shopping there. When it snowed here recently and the bases were closed, I bought our groceries out in town and the bill was $75 more than my usual bill at the commissary. That was an eye-opener.

Every move has its challenges and ever military installation is different. Here in Virginia Beach I am within a 20-minute drive of 3 commissaries. They are each a bit different. The one on JEB Little Creek-Fort Story has a more open floor plan than the others and it is right next to the Exchange, which is very convenient. It is my preferred commissary to shop at, especially since it has more than 20 checkout lanes.

Cellphone reception for some reason seems to be universally poor at commissaries. I’m excited that NAS Oceana Commissary is the first one to test free Wi-Fi. That is so helpful with keeping up with the electronic coupons on my rewards card as I tend to forget to load them ahead of time.

I don’t use the deli, but I have had delicious birthday cakes made at the bakery. Some commissaries do not have a deli or bakery while others have really big and popular ones. Some embrace technology and have a kiosk for customers to order their deli and bakery items while others I’ve shopped at still only have the option to take a number and wait in line. NAS Oceana’s deli actually has its own Facebook page.

It will be strange not to have any of these options on our next assignment. The commissary’s slogan “it’s worth the drive” has always been something I agreed with. There is one more base just within driving distance so I might make a monthly trip there if it turns out to have a good commissary.

I’m sure I’m not alone in facing disappointment on the size difference of commissaries. Naval Base San Diego boasts DeCA’s largest commissary. Its 126,000-square-foot store offers 22,500 items; that’s 2,000 more than the store held before it was remodeled. Imagine if you came from a tiny commissary and walked into that one? You would probably be quite overwhelmed. Bigger isn’t always better to everyone.

I would like to try the coffee kiosks in one of the newer commissaries. You get to blend your own beverage. I haven’t been to one that has such a thing, nor have I been to one that has a health and wellness department. The commissary at Naval Base San Diego has both of those. Perhaps one day we’ll be stationed near a commissary that has one.

Stating that all commissaries are not created equal is truly an understatement. Where’s your favorite commissary? What does it offer that keeps you shopping there?

10 Tips for an Overseas PCS

03/11/2015 By Kimber Green

Is it PCS season already?

Everyone I know seems to be moving in the next few months and that includes my family as well. A few of my close friends are going on to great adventures in Spain. We, on the other hand, are only moving up to Maryland, not quite as exciting. While I’m simply house hunting online and slowly decluttering, my friends with an overseas PCS are running around town trying to get so many things done. PCSing overseas takes a lot more prepping than simply moving one state over.

When we move this summer, it will be to my 17th house. For some people that may sound like a lot of moving around and for others it might not. I’ve lived in Germany and Australia and all over America as well. While I would love to be moving overseas again, I am happy to not be feeling the stress these women are as they race to check so many things off their list before the big move.

I spoke with three of them today and collectively we’ve come up with a few tips to make your upcoming overseas move easier.

Have you been stationed outside of the United States?

Ensure you have all the paperwork you need to complete for the move and know when it is due. Double-check with your family sponsor that you have everything together so you aren’t running around last-minute trying to get things done.
Make a PCS binder to keep important documents in such as: a copy of the military orders, birth certificates, your marriage license and car titles. Take this binder with you. Do not let the movers pack it in your household goods shipment.
Get your passport in advance. It can take some time to get them back so go ahead and apply for one the moment your spouse starts talking about orders.
Schedule doctor and dentist appointments as soon as possible. If you have a military provider, it may take a while to get an appointment. You’ll need to make sure all your shots are up-to-date and have proof of it. You’ll want to get a hard copy of your medical and dental records as well and if you have prescription medication, you’ll want to ensure you have enough to make it until you get an appointment at your next duty station.
Moving overseas? You’ll want to get a hard copy of your medical and dental records.
Sell unnecessary belongings. The less you have to pack and unpack the better. Will you really need the items that you’ve stored in your garage or those that you never unpacked from the previous move? It’s time to declutter. There are many Facebook online yard sale pages you can go through; you can sell items on Craigslist, eBay or through the paper. If it doesn’t all sell, you can always donate items to a local charity and on-base thrift store.
Be prepared to sell or store your car. Do you really want to take your Toyota Tundra to Spain? Just imagine trying to drive that giant truck down the narrow street and forget about parking it. You’ll want to look into storing it, selling it or trading it in.
If someone is registered with the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), you’ll want to make sure all of their information is up-to-date in the system. You can follow these tips to make an EFMP folder with all the pertinent information such as: an individualized education plan (if applicable), school paperwork and medical documents.
Find out about the military installation you’re moving to. MilitaryShoppers has a Best Bases section where military families have provided their opinion on different locations and offer recommendations on where to live or not to live.
Is there a restaurant you’ve always wanted to try? Add it to your bucket list.
Make a bucket list of things you want to do before you move. Have you really seen all the sites in the town you live in now? Is there a restaurant you’ve always wanted to try or a park you’ve wanted to stroll through? Take some time, if you can, and soak up the local atmosphere. You might not get the chance to do it again.
Make arrangements to visit friends and family before you go. Saying goodbye to friends is part of military life unfortunately. Make sure you take a moment to say a proper goodbye and let them know how much you have appreciated their friendship. Moving of course doesn’t have to mean that friendship is over; I have many friends from different bases. It’s a good time to let them know how you feel though. If you can, make a trip home to see your family. For some, it might be a long time before you see them again.

These are just a few recommendations based on previous and current moves we’ve all made. Hopefully these tips will help you prepare and you will feel confident and excited about your move.

10 Tips for Military Families Moving Overseas

Are you ready for PCS season?

Have you been stationed outside of the United States? What tips do you have for an overseas PCS?

Take the Savings Pledge And Promote Military Savings

02/20/2015 By Kimber Green

Military Saves Week 2015 is February 23-28 and is a great time to assess your military savings plan. This is a weeklong initiative of the DoD’s Financial Readiness Campaign to promote military savings within the military community with thousands of businesses participating. Events are being held on military installations around the world during this time to help service members set a goal, make a plan and save automatically. Installations, organizations and businesses will be promoting positive military savings and offering opportunities to learn how to save and build wealth, not debt.

The campaign aims to motivate service members to save a portion of each paycheck, develop a personal financial plan, establish good credit and enroll in programs such as: Thrift Savings Plan, Savings Deposit Program and Group Life Insurance to encourage military savings. Banks, credit unions and financial services organizations are all participating by offering special deals and information sessions during this time to help educate the community about the importance of military savings.

Take the Savings Pledge During Military Saves Week

Military Saves slogan is “Start Small, Think Big.”

Many military installations will be offering workshops and seminars. If you’re stationed at Darby Military Community, Italy, you could learn about military savings while shopping. “Take an adventure in learning basic thrift and savings skills while shopping. The outing includes trips to several consignment and second-hand stores in Livorno and Stagno.” Yep, you win.

Whether you go on an awesome outing in Italy, sit in on a financial savings seminar in Jacksonville or simply scroll through militarysaves.org, you’ll be taking a step in the right direction of moving toward better savings.

So how do you actually save money?

It all starts with making a plan and a commitment to stick to it. You don’t have to be tough on yourself and pinch pennies; make a savings plan that is easy to follow and realistic. It’s easier to have short goals, such as saving $10 a week, rather than telling yourself you need $500 by the end of the year for an emergency fund. This is exactly what I thought of when I read their slogan: Start Small, Think Big. Not only is it catchy, but it’s a great way to look at savings. Many people become intimidated by the big picture and don’t know how or where to start.

You could begin by visiting their website. It offers tips and strategies for saving, lists events hosted on each base and has a long list of resources. Then sit down with your spouse and discuss what your savings goals should be and if you would like to attend an event or make an appointment to speak with a financial counselor. Each step you take strengthens your financial future and having healthy finances and an open line of communication are key to reaching that goal.

Related: 3 Easy Ways to Spend Less Money in 2015

Include children in this week’s activities as well. Military Youth Saves is a program designed to motivate children and teenagers to develop good savings habits early. It teaches them to create their own savings plan and to save a little bit of money each month to reach a goal. This is a great time to start a piggy bank or open a savings account for your child.

Don’t pinch pennies; pick up loose change! It really adds up.

Be a good role model. Whether you know it or not, your children are watching and learning from what you do. If you drop your loose change in the piggy bank by the door, sooner or later they’ll start snatching up loose coins too and putting them in their piggy banks. Show them that saving money for the future is important.

If you’re on a tight budget, you might think it’s hard to start a military savings plan, but it is possible. Military Saves Week can give you the tools you need to make it happen. It’s up to you to take advantage of them. Take the Savers Pledge and start saving today.

Military Saves Week activities teach service members and their families to build wealth, not debt.

What events are going on at your installation for Military Savings Week? Have you taken the Savers Pledge? Tell us in the comments section.

How to Spend Your Tax Refund Wisely

02/12/2015 By Kimber Green

It’s that wonderful time of year: tax season.

I’m always such a procrastinator when it comes to taxes. I don’t wait until the last minute, but I put it off as long as I can. The first time my husband and I filed taxes together he insisted on going to a tax preparation business out in town. I’ve always done my own taxes so I was quite mad when we finished up and I saw our bill. I’m still annoyed by it so I continue to procrastinate every year.

My husband is adamant that we use a tax preparation company since they offer a guarantee that if something is wrong, they will fix it. Having special military pay and working in tax-free zones for part of the year can all add up to some tax confusion so having the comfort of knowing a professional is doing the paperwork is a bit of a relief.

Recently I discovered that H&R Block has offices on more than 100 military bases offering free tax services. You have options for filing your taxes for free too. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program offers “no-cost tax advice and preparation, return filing and other tax assistance to military members and their families” and through Military OneSource, you can use H&R Block At Home Online Tax Return Preparation. If you want help, you can go in person or call their help line 24/7 until June or if you want to do it yourself at home you can too. You don’t need to spend money to file your taxes.

However you choose to file your taxes, you have to do it before April 15. Hopefully you’ll be receiving a refund. We can all hope.

Once you file your taxes you still have one big decision left to make, what are you going to do with your tax refund?

There are 5 options of how to wisely reinvent your tax return.

Pay off credit card debt: Take this opportunity to pay off, or at least lower, your credit card debt. If you have student loans, vehicle payments or mortgage payments, you could put your return toward that as well.

Invest in your future: Financial planning, while not very exciting, is important. Meet with a financial adviser and see what types of investments are right for you. Perhaps it’s time to start a Roth IRA if you don’t already have one.

Invest in your children’s future: If you have children and hope they will go to college one day, setting up a college fund now can help offset tuition and other expenses down the road.

Buy a new vehicle: Have you been dreaming of a new car? Your tax refund might give you the additional income desired to put down a significant down payment.

Take a vacation: Everyone needs a little down time. Take some much needed time with your family, or just yourself and get away for a while. While you are vacationing, don’t forget to ask for a military discount at hotels, museums, attractions and restaurants. You can also book a vacation at a military resort if you want to stretch your tax refund dollars a little farther.

No matter how you choose to use your tax refund, do something that will make you happy. While your neighbor is showing off his new shiny car, you might be smiling having invested in your children’s 529 college savings program. It might not be flashy, but it will have a great reward one day when your children head off to college.

What are you planning to do with your tax refund?

Delicious Sweet Potatoes Recipes You’ll Want to Try

02/11/2015 By Kimber Green

February is National Sweet Potato Month. It’s a great time to introduce your family to this delicious and nutritious vegetable. If you have picky eaters, this might be one vegetable they’ll actually eat.

Sweet potatoes are very flavorful and sweet enough on their own that you won’t need to add other ingredients to get your family to eat them.

My son loves sweet potatoes. I still laugh at the memory of his face the first time he tried them at 7 months old; it was priceless. Two seconds later he decided he loved them. From that moment on he would cry when I ran out of sweet potatoes. It didn’t matter how much I made; he just loved them so much. He’s almost a year and a half now and he still loves them. I don’t need to hide them under cheese, like I do with broccoli, or anything else to get him to eat them either.

I love that sweet potatoes are packed with nutrients such as vitamin A and beta carotene. Vitamin A promotes eye and skin health and also protects against infections. Beta carotene has been shown to help in the prevention of specific types of cancer such as lung cancer. Sweet potatoes also have other important nutrients including vitamin C, potassium and fiber.

These health benefits are all great reasons to add sweet potatoes to your regular menu. Make sure when you’re shopping at the commissary to look for ones that are firm, deep orange and not discolored and when you get home, store them in a cool, dry and well-ventilated area. Also make sure that you choose the right kind of sweet potato for the recipe you plan to use.

Related: Use Food to Boost Your Mood

Did you know all sweet potatoes aren’t the same? In fact, sweet potatoes aren’t potatoes at all. They come from a completely different family of plants. While sweet potatoes and yams look similar, they too are not related. To make things more confusing, many grocery stores in America market sweet potatoes as yams. How can you tell the difference?

Yams have a cylindrical shape with blackish or brown, bark-like skin and white, purple or reddish flesh. Sweet potato skin color can range from white and yellow to red, purple and brown, while the flesh can be white, yellow, orange or even orange-red. These vegetables have an elongated shape with tapered ends.

There are 2 main types of sweet potatoes in America: Firm ones have golden skin and a paler flesh than soft sweet potatoes, which have copper skin and orange flesh. They cook differently as well. Firm sweet potatoes will remain firm after cooking and a bit waxy while soft sweet potatoes will become creamy, fluffy and moist. Soft sweet potatoes are often labeled as yams and they are the ones Americans typically use at holiday dinners for casseroles, baked sweet potatoes, sweet potato pies and more. Make sure you check with your recipe to see which type of sweet potato you need before you shop.

Need a sweet potato recipe? Celebrate National Sweet Potato Month throughout February with these delicious recipes.

Sweet potato fries make a great snack. Follow Amy Chow’s tips for easy fries.

Fluffy sweet potato biscuits are always a welcome sight. Try Paula Deen’s version. You can also try this sweet potato muffins recipe.

Mashed sweet potatoes are simple to make and are a delicious side dish to any meal. Follow this recipe and add a touch of cinnamon for a little something special.

Have leftover mashed sweet potatoes? Make sweet potato pancakes!

Of course you can always just poke some holes in a scrubbed sweet potato and pop it in the microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes and enjoy the simplicity of the vegetable. That is how I usually serve them at home; no fancy recipe needed. If you really want to get your children excited about dinner, let them drizzle some maple syrup on their baked sweet potato or add a dash of cinnamon. Sweet potatoes reheat pretty well, so if they don’t love them tonight, add them to a new recipe and try again tomorrow.

Does your family love sweet potatoes? Share your favorite sweet potato recipes with MilitaryShoppers.

5 Sweet Valentine’s Day Care Package Ideas

01/21/2015 By Kimber Green

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and if your love is deployed, sending a care package ahead of time will help them celebrate the day no matter where they are serving. Romantic holidays such as this can be a very emotional time and planning a sweet surprise can help turn the day into something special. Sending a well thought out care package is a fantastic way to let your service member know that they mean the world to you. Here are 5 ideas for sweet Valentine’s Day care packages.

Sweet Beginnings

Pictures and mementos from when you first met are always a great way to bring a smile to your loved one. Start this Valentine’s Day care package by decorating the box. You can make it quick and easy by just drawing hearts and xoxo’s or make it an elaborately decorated box with scrapbook paper, stickers and more.

Add sentimental items that will draw emotion such as a small stuffed animal your service member won for you at the fair, ticket stubs to a concert he/she surprised you with or something you kept from your first date.

Then add a sweet card followed by some actual sweets. Sweet tarts, chocolates (if you aren’t sending this care package to a hot climate), brownies and cookies are a few ideas.

Never Ending Love

This care package would be ideal for a romantic person. Decorate the inside of the box and fill it with hearts. Add in romantic movies such as Love Actually, Sleepless in Seattle and Gone with the Wind. The Never Ending Story, while not romantic, goes with the theme and they might need a light-hearted classic after all. Write a love letter, a real love letter letting your significant other know your true emotions. Write about how you felt the first time they said “I love you” or when you knew you were in love. Put in a picture of the two of you from a romantic moment, maybe when they proposed or just watching the sunset together. Finish the box with sweets for him/her to snack on while reading your letter or watching a romantic movie. This could include Hershey Kisses (if you aren’t sending this to a very hot climate), Cherry Lovers Hearts, candy sweetheart roses, strawberry and cherry gummy hearts and sweet conversation hearts. You might even include a travel size Kleenex packet.

Hot & Spicy

For the wild, hot and spicy couple this box is for you. Fill the box with spicy candy such as Red Hots, Fireballs, Big Red gum, cinnamon hearts and spiced tea. Check what customs allows for food to be sent and if it’s allowed, include a jar of hot peppers. You can put in a few heat wraps for sore muscles as a nice gesture. Decorate the box with chili peppers, zebra stripes or flaming hearts. Add a few hot pictures of yourself, nothing X-rated mind you. Make your own card with some of the same decorations and write about some of the wild nights you’ve shared together and the ones you’re looking forward to having after the homecoming.

You Complete Me

This is a great Valentine’s Day care package for young love or young at heart. Include a few puzzles. You can create personalized puzzles with your own pictures on Shutterfly. Send ping pong paddles and balls with a note attached that says “You are the ping to my pong.” A few boxes of Kraft macaroni and cheese with a note saying “You are the cheese to my mac” is also cute and funny, not to mention delicious. Movies are always welcome gifts and you can choose your favorite and add a note saying “You are the Harry to my Sally,” or the main characters in your favorite romantic movie. Make sure you put in a letter saying how you both complement each other. Fill the rest of the box with sweet treats that you can’t have just one of such as: Twix, KitKats, M&M’s, Reese’s Pieces, jelly beans and gummy bears.

Love in Photos

With the ability to take digital pictures and instantly post them to social media or send them directly to anyone, physical pictures have become scarce. There’s just nothing like having a physical picture to hold however. Go through old photos and new ones and have them printed. This could include pictures from when you first met, your wedding or special occasion, the birth of your child and family vacations. Decorate the box with photos of just the two of you at significant times in your life. Put in a few scrapbooks and make them as simple or elaborate as you want. Add a few personalized sweet treats to complete the care package. Did you know you can put your own picture on M&M’s? You can also put a picture on candy tins and add your own sweet treats.

These are just a few ideas for Valentine’s Day care packages. What have you sent to your loved one in the past?

What’s This Surcharge on My Commissary Receipt?

01/19/2015 By Kimber Green

There are many great reasons to shop at your military commissary and saving money on groceries is usually No. 1. The commissary is able to sell products on average for 30 percent less than those at civilian grocery stores because all items are sold at cost. This is a great savings for customers, but some still question the real savings when they see the 5 percent surcharge added at the checkout.

Why is there a surcharge at the commissary and what does it cover?

It goes right back into the stores, paying for new construction, renovations and repairs, equipment and store-level information technology systems such as the checkouts. This provides modern facilities for service members at a reduced cost to taxpayers.

According to the Defense Commissary Agency, “the surcharge does not diminish commissary savings, because it is included in our savings calculations along with any state sales tax applied at the retail grocery stores, to show how much our customers actually save at the register.”

The surcharge isn’t new. In fact, Congress set the surcharge in 1952 at 2 percent in order to make commissaries more self-sustaining and less reliant on appropriated funding. It was raised three more times over the years and has stayed at 5 percent since 1983. This surcharge covers all stateside and overseas commissaries now.

The law requires the surcharge to be added to all items sold at the commissary and is therefore applied to the total purchase before coupon deductions are made. For example, if you have $50 worth of groceries before coupons then the 5 percent surcharge would be applied as $50 x .05 = $2.50. If you then have $10 worth in coupons the total at the end of your bill will be $50 + $2.50 surcharge = $52.50 – $10 =$42.50

The next time you buy groceries at the commissary look at your receipt. That surcharge is the amount you personally contributed to improve your commissary.

What changes have you noticed at your local military commissary? Do you have questions about the commissary? Ask us in the comment section below.

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