Military Life News

Military Life News, Commissary Rewards and Military Discounts

Recipes for a Family-Friendly St. Patrick’s Day Dinner

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Saint Patrick’s Day is one of my favorite days to celebrate! It usually coincides with the start of spring, warmer weather and the color green is everywhere (I love the color green). Now, I’m going to let you in on a little known fact about myself that also brings meaning to the holiday for me, which is…I’m part Irish.

Recipes for a Family Friendly St. Patrick's Day Dinner

Do you have a favorite Irish recipe?

Yes, it’s a shocking truth, even to my husband. How could someone with olive skin, black hair and brown eyes be part Irish? Well, my grandmother on my dad’s side holds the Irish decent. She happened to marry an Italian man that gave my father the more distinct Italian features and of course, the rest is history.

Anyway, flash forward to today, I’m proud of every heritage I hold and Irish is one of them. Let’s not forget the most important part of any holiday celebration and that’s the food.

This St. Paddy’s Day, your family (Irish or not) should try out one of these delicious family-friendly recipes from MilitaryShoppers.

My husband enjoys his meat and potatoes just like the best Irishmen. I blame the Bostonian in him. Our go-to beef recipe is a hearty Guinness Stew. Don’t let the beer ingredient chase you away. The alcohol cooks out when you’re preparing the dish (the longer a recipe with alcohol cooks, the more the alcohol cooks out). This stew simmers for hours. But, if you’re still concerned about the Guinness, substitute the beer for beef broth.

Recipes for a Family-Friendly St. Patrick's Day Dinner

If your family is more adventurous, add Corned Beef and Cabbage to the menu. Make sure you purchase a corned beef brisket with a spice packet already included. That will provide more flavor to the meat while the brisket is cooking. Or you can have Easy Shepherd’s Pie instead, which is usually a hit for families. Feel free to include peas, carrots, or any other veggie to the meat mixture to make it a complete meal.

It’s not a full Irish meal without the Irish Soda Bread (bake this a day in advance, it tastes better). I would add a little bit of dried currants to make it more authentic. You can also bake Beer Bread (Guinness is my go-to beer to bake with, but any stout or ale or non-alcoholic equivalent would work too).

Every St. Paddy’s Day dinner should finish with something sweet! Here is a very festive dessert that is perfect for all ages:

Rainbow Jello “Cake”

  • 2 packages Strawberry Jell-O
  • 2 packages Lemon Jell-O
  • 2 packages Lime Jell-O
  • 2 packages Orange Jell-O
  • 1 can evaporated milk (24 ounces)
  • 9X13 baking dish or pan

Start by mixing one box per given directions and pour into a greased 9X13 baking dish or pan. Set the dish or pan inside the fridge to cool for awhile. Then use the same flavor, but mix it with the boiling water portion first and let it sit in the bowl for a moment and then add ¾ cup of evaporated milk and pour it on top of the first layer. Repeat these steps with every color and feel free to add any additional flavors until it makes a rainbow!

*Note: this recipe takes a lot (and I mean a lot) of patience, as do a lot of these Irish recipes, because of the time spent either waiting on the food to cook or in this case, the Jell-O to mold. Trust me though, it will be well worth it in the end!

Don’t have time (or the patience) to go through each rainbow layer? Whip up a delicious Chocolate Bread Pudding or bake mouth-watering Apple Cake instead.

Do you have a favorite Irish recipe? Share it with the MilitaryShoppers recipe contest.

10 Tips for an Overseas PCS

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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.

10 Tips for an Overseas PCS

Have you been stationed outside of the United States?

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

    10 Tips for an Overseas PCS

    Moving overseas? You’ll want to get a hard copy of your medical and dental records.

  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.

    10 Tips for an Overseas PCS

    Is there a restaurant you’ve always wanted to try? Add it to your bucket list.

  9. 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.
  10. 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?

Commission Recommends Combining Commissaries, Exchanges

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Commission Recommends Combining Military Commissaries, Exchanges

What proposed changes do you support for the commissaries?

The commissary. It’s one of those bread-and-butter military perks that comes with having your military ID. The commissary is where military families, old and young, get their milk, meat and cereal. It’s used by active duty families and retirees alike. Shopping and saving money at the commissary is one of the benefits available to our military community.

The commissary also seems to be one of the first benefits discussed every year when Congress, the Department of Defense and lobbyists are debating ways to trim the defense budget. This year isn’t any different.

Tucked in the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission’s 15 recommendations to modernize the military is a proposal to combine the commissary and exchange systems into a single defense resale organization. The commission’s final report was released in late January. You can read the entire report here.

Currently, the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) operates commissaries that provide groceries to authorized patrons (you and me and anyone else with a valid military ID) at cost with a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. DeCA promotes that commissary shoppers “save an average of more than 30 percent on their purchases compared to commercial prices – savings that amount to thousands of dollars annually when shopping regularly at a commissary.”

On the flip side of military retail coin is the DoD operated exchange system that includes the Army Air Force Exchange System (AAFES), the Navy Exchange (NEX), and the Marine Corps Exchange (MCX). Exchanges have everything from beer to military uniforms and sell their merchandise at a profit. The benefit of the exchange is no sales tax.

Keep in mind that the “gross profits (from the exchanges) are used to support the exchange system, covering operating and other expenses; recapitalize facilities and systems; or are provided as dividends to fund MWR programs.”

When you’re stationed overseas, both the commissary and exchange are vital to your quality of life. Both retail organizations hire military dependents and veterans.

Together, commissaries and exchanges provide goods and services with total annual sales of more than $17 billion in 2013.

Based on an in-depth study that included town hall meetings and quality of life surveys, the bipartisan Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission unanimously recommended a consolidated resale organization.

A consolidated resale organization, with combined resources, increased operational flexibility, and better alignment of incentives and policies, would improve the viability and stability of these systems. It would sustain the benefit while reducing the combined reliance on appropriated funding over time. The increased flexibility and opportunities available to a consolidated organization could enable a deeper level of cooperation to improve quality and drive the efficiencies recommended by numerous studies. The many similarities, overlaps, and redundancies in processes, staffing, and support infrastructures favor the consolidation process. Establishing an executive structure and means of oversight that ensures alignment with the needs and goals of Service members and the Military Services is critical.”

–the 2015 Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission Final Report

The proposal also said that a portion of profits would continue to support MWR programs and the commissaries would keep their current 5-percent surcharge. The surcharge was set at 5 percent in 1983.

This consolidated system would “allow the sale of convenience items in commissaries at a profit, including products and services typically found in commercial grocers.” Food and other “essential items” would still be sold at cost.

The report also said “This expanded commissary product line would include beer and wine, but those sales must align with DoD’s efforts to deglamorize alcohol and reduce its abuse.”

Basically in a nutshell, this proposal is intended to reduce the overhead costs of operating the commissaries and exchanges separately. It’s not expected to affect the costs of shopping at either store and if approved, this consolidated system may make shopping on-base more like shopping at Walmart.

Now it’s your turn: What proposed changes do you support for the commissaries?

How Young is Too Young for Social Media?

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My oldest son is almost 10.5 years old. He hasn’t yet asked about social media although he has asked when he can have a cell phone. I tell him that can happen in junior high. As far as my children having their own social media account? I want to wait on that. Facebook wants your kid to be thirteen but I know some parents make accounts for their kids at a younger age.

The big question is when should you let your child, pre-teen or teenager create a social media account on Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram?

When I think about my child on social media, I think about what they would use it for. For friends, to connect with us and other family members, to be apart of that world. I am not sure I am ready for that kind of connectivity at the ages my kids are. My kids know about the Internet. They use it at home and at school. They know how to look up information about their favorite video games.

They are not really aware of social media even though they do know that there is a place to share photos with Grandma.

I know for myself I would like to use the guidelines Facebook puts out. No Facebook account until you are 13 years old. But with that will come a lot of moderation and rules. I don’t want them just talking to random people. I would want their friends list to be very small and I would need to have access to it. I wouldn’t want to be a spy but I also want to make sure that my children know I can read it at anytime.

I have some friends with teenagers and it seems to be that Instagram is the place to be these days. Facebook is for “old people.” I am not sure what will be popular when my oldest turns 13 but something about a photo-sharing site being where the kids are seems a little scary to me. It isn’t that I would worry about what they were sharing with their friends, I would worry about the outside world following and tracking them.

As a military family they will always have to be concerned about talking about their father’s job, where is he, if he is home or at training or if he is deployed. They would have to be old enough to know what they are allowed to share and what they are not. At 10 years old, I don’t think my son is ready for that yet. It is possible that some 10 year olds are but I would still caution parents on giving a child that age their own social media account.

When I was 16 my Dad got us the Internet for the first time and I found myself talking to strangers on there. The internet was very new and I don’t think my parents realized the danger in that. I think it is important that when you do allow your child their own social media accounts that they come with the understanding that they will follow a set of rules. Without that they could be put in danger. Even more so if they have a family member in the military.

How Young is Too Young for Social Media?

Does your child have an Instagram account? How do you monitor it?

So when should your child have their own social media account? When you as the parent feel they are ready, when your child truly understands what social media is and when they can agree to your rules about using it. I say 13 or junior high is a good age to start.

What do you think? At what age is it appropriate for a teen to have a social media account? How do you monitor their social media presence?

5 Things That Can Destroy a Military Marriage

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Marriage is work and done with the right attitude it’s fulfilling work.

5 Things That Can Destroy a Military Marriage

How does military life put a strain on your marriage?

Despite all the love you and your spouse have for each other, a marriage still challenges the dynamic between the two of you. It’s only natural to experience conflict, particularly with the one person that you are closest to in your life.

I’ve been taking notes from my parents’ marriage for the longest time– witnessing their good and bad times–and seeing that at the end of every struggle, they find resolution and remember the love they have for each other.

I’ve also witnessed and have firsthand experience with the particular obstacles military marriages encounter.

Sometimes I feel like the military is an unofficial third wheel in my relationship.

Based on what I’ve learned so far, there are certain instances that can strain your relationship, especially with your spouse in the military like:

  1. Never comprising. The military forces us to comprise at times (or another phrase I use is “adjust fire”). We have to adjust fire when we get thrown surprise orders or an unexpected duty. Military spouses need to have a flexible mindset or else, it will be a difficult life. Compromise allows you to find a common ground and can offer a sense of comfort. Make it something you both can stand behind.
  2. Lacking understanding. Understanding is another big factor that should take precedent in a military relationship because the type of compromise you want may be difficult to find. For example, my husband goes out of town for professional development a lot of times and asks that I give him space to study. It’s hard for me to leave him alone because I miss him, but instead of getting upset, I use that opportunity to work on my own personal goals.
  3. Thinking only about yourself. I’ve always been taught that a relationship is a two-way street and to expect as much back as you put forward. If it’s constantly about yourself or even your husband, it doesn’t make it fair to each other. As military spouses, we may have to actually consider our spouses’ career on a high level, but I’ve experienced that even your career can be a two-way street with adding a dash of compromise into the equation. Focusing strictly on one person doesn’t help the relationship as a whole because it could feel belittling to the other party.
  4. Forgetting why you fell in love. Deployments. TDYs. Field exercises. There are several factors that separate us from our loved one. During those times, we go on. We learn to live life in a way that keeps us fulfilled. Don’t get me wrong, my husband’s absence does make me feel crazy. When our spouses’ come back, it’s a whole reintegration period that each person experiences, so be patient and remember why you fell in love!
  5. Resenting the military. I admit that I have moments where I raise my fists in the air and ask “why?!” But, what good does that really do? Nothing. It’s just temporary relief. I can’t constantly harp on the military for everything bad. That isn’t resolving the situation. It’s adding stress and unnecessary tension on your spouses’ choice to join the military.

What obstacles do you think military couples face?

Stay tuned for our follow-up article in April, “5 Things You Can Do to Save Your Military Marriage.”

March Madness Deals at the Commissary

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As March Madness (and hopefully the weather!) heats up, the commissary is keeping its deals hot too. There are a lot of great sales and deals on all types of goodies from mouth-watering biscuits to savory sauces.

 

Looking for something quick and tasty to eat while watching your favorite college basketball team? Totino’s pepperoni party pizza (10.2 oz) is just 89 cents! For the finger-food lovers, Totino’s pepperoni pizza rolls are on sale for $2.25 for a package of 40 bite-sized pieces. I’m not much of a basketball fan, but I’ll be grabbing some pizzas to have on hand for the evenings that I don’t feel spending a lot of time in the kitchen.

If you want something more snack-like for the game, a bag of traditional or bold Chex Mix is $1.25. My favorite Chex Mix flavors are also on sale, dark chocolate and turtle. I definitely prefer sweeter snacks and enjoy the chocolate-covered Chex Mix flavors. Yum.

My inner Southern girl is pumped because of the reduced prices in Pillsbury Grands biscuits too. I usually make my favorite recipe of drop biscuits, but sometimes I run out of time to mix together a batch. Pillsbury has a lot of great options for fast biscuit baking. The sale includes the big homestyle or flaky layers butter tastin’ (16.3 oz) for $1.25 and for a bigger family, the butter tastin’ buttermilk or southern style (25 oz)  is $2. Combine this sale with a coupon to save $0.50 when you buy 2 cans. If you’re like me with a smaller family, I’ll still grab the bigger size and keep them in the fridge for longevity and save them for another evening.

Campbell’s has a great product to help you put together a quick dinner on a busy night. For $1.39, you can buy Creamy Garlic Butter oven sauces (12 oz) or Chicken Marsala Skillet Sauces (9 oz). Then, all you need to do is throw some chicken in the mix. If you need a hearty meal for the kids or for the kids at heart, Campbell’s Chicken & Stars, Toy Story or Disney Princess (10.5 oz) condensed soup is 5 cans for $5.

When I find any deals that I can stock up on food, I jump at the chance. Prego sauces are 2 for $3 this month. You can choose from the 14.5 oz Alfredo sauces: Homestyle Alfredo, Artisan Three Cheese or Roasted Garlic Parmesan as well as tomato sauces: Traditional (24 oz), Spicy Sausage, Italian Sausage, Garlic or Heart Smart Traditional (23.5 oz).

Remember last month when the commissary had some fabulous sales for our furry family members?

Purina is running some additional deals till March 15! Whisker Lickin’s Cat Treat (my cat’s absolute favorite treats) are only 99 cents. Seriously, my cat would literally do tricks for their tuna flavored treats. Some other deals for cats:

  • $4.99 Tidy Cats 14 lbs. clumping litter (multiple cats, instant action or 24/7 performance)
  • $9.99 Friskies 24-pack cat food classic pate or meaty bits
  • $4.99 3.15 lbs. Cat Chow cat food (Naturals, Healthy Weight or Indoor)

The sales for our pooches are: $23.99 for 31.1 lbs. Beneful healthy weight dog food and $5.04 for 12-pack moist and meaty dog food (burger with cheddar cheese flavor or chopped burger).

Don’t forget to look through the rest of the March commissary deals by clicking here!

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Frozen Heart? Photos and Quotes to Melt Away Frosty Feelings About Military Life

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Do you ever need a little military life pick-me-up?

Maybe you’re glued to the news about the Homeland Security budget negotiations or you’re frustrated with the proposals to cut military benefits. Your husband’s homecoming is delayed. Again. Your hairdresser is PCSing across country. Your friend asks how your children are  handling the deployment. When you tell her it’s a struggle, she suggests your husband “leave the service so you don’t have to deal with that anymore.”

Sigh.

Despite these real-life struggles, there are many moments to cherish being married to the military. Despite what you see on the national news, there are many happy military couples. Think of that retired service member and his wife who celebrated 40 years and 25 moves. They know their love is rock solid. Think of those newbie spouses who promise to love, honor and cherish and then say goodbye as their husband goes to Korea for a year unaccompanied. Every day apart is building that rock solid marriage. And for everyone in-between, they are using the tools of date nights and frequent communication to keep their spark alive.

Here are some of my favorite images and quotes that illustrate the love between a service member and their supportive spouse. Let it be your military life pick-me-up today, tomorrow or any day that you need it.

Photos and Quotes to Melt Away Frosty Feelings About Military Life

Photo Credit: Kelly Schwark

 Photos and Quotes to Melt Away Frosty Feelings About Military Life

“Why do I do it? Because nights alone aren’t permanent. Because missing him reminds me that I’m lucky to have someone to miss. Because I am not afraid to make sacrifices for true love.”

“It doesn’t get any easier…You just get stronger.”

“I started missing you the moment you said goodbye.”

“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.”

“Love isn’t something you find. Love is something that finds you.”

“I didn’t choose to fall in love with someone in the military. But I choose to love him daily.”

Photos and Quotes to Melt Away Frosty Feelings About Military Life

Photo Credit: Photo Art by Lu

“Love is when he gives you a piece of your soul, that you never knew was missing.”

“Tears last for a moment, but memories are forever.”

“You want to know the best thing about a long-distance relationship? Every kiss is like the first.”

You can’t have homecoming photos without those military brats. Little ones screaming, running and hugging their deployed parent always brings a tear to my eye and a smile to my face.

Photos and Quotes to Melt Away Frosty Feelings About Military Life

Does your military family have a favorite photo showing your love and sacrifice? Submit your photo to MilitaryShoppers’ monthly photo contest for a chance to win a $50 shopping spree.

10 Employment Programs to Help Military Spouses Find Jobs

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There is a constant struggle with finding employment for military spouses. Honestly, that struggle was my biggest fear as I entered the lifestyle. I had a secure job that I absolutely loved, but when my husband received orders to move to another location, I was practically forced out of it because my employer wanted to keep someone in-house. Sounds familiar, right?

At the same time as planning a PCS, I was job hunting and re-evaluating my career path altogether.

I found that lack of consistency seemed to be the classic issue for military spouses. Jobs are difficult to maintain because of the transient lifestyle. National Military Family Association reports that 85% of military spouses either want or need work. To me, that’s a pretty high percentage.

Lucky for us, there is an arsenal full of programs to help ease the job hunt. Researching and utilizing the different programs have helped me understand the job marketplace that’s available to us. So, why not give them a try for your next job hunt?

10 Employment Programs to Help Military Spouses Find a Job

Which military spouse employment programs have you used?

Here are 10 different programs aimed to help military spouses find the perfect job:

  1. Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP): This career portal matches military spouses to appropriate jobs for them. Employers partner with this program, so they already know that you’re a military spouse. Therefore, the job will most likely be one that you can take with you or is friendly to moving with more than one job site. The partnership also provides career advice and education for those that seek it.
  2. Spouse Education & Career Opportunities (SECO): SECO helps military spouses set the career stage meaning it provides guidance and resources to help with mapping out the right career plan for us. If you feel like you need a change of pace or are in a job rut, this program might be something to consider. A counselor can give you the right tools needed to evaluate a career transition.
  3. Veterans Career Transition Program (VCTP): Don’t let the name fool you. VCTP also serves military spouses. The program, run by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University, offers free online courses educating and training students by giving them what they need once they enter the workforce.
  4. Military Spouse eMentor Program: I’ve found that networking is a particularly powerful practice for military spouses because it gives us the opportunity to express our passion directly to potential employers. The Military Spouse eMentor Program is apart of the Hiring Our Heroes, a nationwide incentive to help veterans and military spouses find fulfilling employment. It allows us to connect with a registered mentor that’s eager to assist with anything and everything career-related. As you continue your search, your mentor could point you in the right direction to a serious job opportunity.
  5. Career Spark: Also apart of the Hiring Our Heroes incentive, Career Spark is an organization created by military spouses for military spouses. The program helps build and tailor the ideal resume for you and gets you ready for the workforce by offering tips and advice.
  6. Military Spouse Corporate Career Network (MSCCN): This nonprofit organization offers employment readiness programs and job placement solutions for military spouses. They also provide great live training sessions online that are all designed to make you competitive in the workplace.
  7. National Military Spouse Network (NMSN): This organization was my gateway to networking with other military spouses. I attended their career summit a couple years ago and I was immediately hooked with the idea of military spouses helping each other with career advice, professional aspirations and mentorship. They also have lots of resources and content available online.
  8. The Milspo Project: The Milspo Project launched their Embark career conference last year and will be doing the same this year in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Their goal is to raise awareness about the obstacles military spouses face and providing an event environment to empower. Are you near Fayetteville? It’s worth giving their career conference a shot.
  9. In Gear Career: If it’s not obvious, I’m a huge advocate of military spouse networking. Networking is actually how I landed my job(s). In Gear Career takes networking to the local level by connecting career-minded military spouses together to create meaningful relationships. Don’t see a chapter in your area? They also have a virtual chapter.
  10. Local Installation Employment Readiness Programs: When I first moved to the Fort Belvoir area, I was excited that they hosted local job fairs via the Employment Readiness Program (ERP) for both recently separated military members and military spouses. It’s a great resource that’s local to your installation that can assist with locating a job in your area. Keep a very close eye on base or post for events and/or opportunities.

Which military spouse employment programs have you used? Share your experiences.

How to Work Out Without a Gym Membership

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I recently joined a gym but it was the first time I have been in a place where I could do so. Up until now I have had to find ways to workout from home with my kids around. This was no easy task.

Whether it was because of where we lived, lack of childcare options with a deployed husband or lack of extra funds to pay for a gym membership, I had to figure out ways to do so on my own. I couldn’t rely on going to a gym a few times a week.

How to Work Out Without a Gym Membership

The first thing I did was invest in a few workout videos. I knew I could do these at home and work around my kid’s schedule. I found that once I got into a good habit of watching them I started to see success. There are a lot of different choices on videos and programs you can get for home.

You don’t have to always buy them either. A lot of libraries offer copies and some can even be found on Netflix. You might want to try a few different types of videos before you decide on one that really works for you.

Another way I was able to workout with kids around was by using my stroller. My older two boys are just over 2 years apart so when they were little I used a double stroller. I tried to take them out everyday for at least a half an hour but sometimes a lot longer than that. I found it easy for me to put them in the stroller and go, no matter what was going on. I could do it whether my husband was home or overseas and it didn’t depend on him, which was nice.

I have recently heard about a great program called Stroller Warriors. You can find this program at many different military bases. They host weekday morning runs as well as other physical activities you can take part in. You can always bring your children which is the best part. You don’t have to worry about childcare or what you will do with them when you are working out. Besides group exercise like this is also a great way to make some new friends. Both for you and your children. It is always nice to be able to make mom friends doing something that you enjoy. Stroller Warriors also does a lot of outreach and fundraising which is a great way to give back to your community. You can view a list of their chapters on their website.

How to Work Out Without a Gym Membership

When you first become a mom it can seem very overwhelming to try to balance the needs of your baby with your own needs. After a few weeks, most moms feel like they should get back to a workout schedule but it might be a bit of a challenge to do so.

My best advice would be to see what you have available to you and go from there. Most people have a living room or other area that they can work out in. Come up with a good schedule, find a workout buddy and get back to working out on a regular basis. You will be glad that you did.

What are your cost-saving exercise tips? Share them in the comments section.

Take the Savings Pledge And Promote Military Savings

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Military SavesMilitary 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.

Take the Savings Pledge During Military Saves Week

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.

Take the Savings Pledge During Military Saves Week

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.