Marriage and Money

It is commonly reported that financial issues are one of the top reasons that couples disagree or fight.  Certainly, money is a topic that can bring much stress to a relationship.  Add the craziness of a modern military marriage, with its limited communication and frequent separations, and the possibility for problems increases dramatically.

Fortunately, there are ways to prevent disagreements and misunderstandings about money.  While it is easy to summarize the overall battle plan as "communication," there are specific tactics that can ensure that the communication is effective and efficient.

1. Share information.  Both partners need to know about your assets and liabilities, your cash flow, and your overall financial picture.  The level of detail that an individual feels they need to know is up to that individual - their partner should respect their wishes for information.

2. Work together.  Financial plans have the best chance of succeeding if both parties have had a chance to create the plans.  The doesn't mean that one partner makes the plans and the other partner is coerced into agreeing, but rather that there is actual back and forth discussion before agreement.

3. Set big, long-term goals.  Do you want to buy a house?  How long do you want to keep working?  What type of lifestyle appeals to you?  For newlyweds, some common goals might include starting and funding IRA/TSP/401k account, buying furniture, paying off student loans or credit card debt, or saving a small emergency fund.  Once those goals have been accomplished, move on to other goals.  Having a big goal makes it easier to stick to your plans.

4. Consider setting rules for yourselves, such as not making any purchases over a certain amount without consulting the other party, or never carrying a balance on your credit card. 

For more suggestions, read Let's talk credit:  8 must-have couple conversations, by CreditCards.com and Ten Ways to Improve Financial Intimacy in Marriage by Bible Money Matters.  If you communicate and work together as partners, you can alleviate much of the stress that surrounds financial issues.  Your marriage will be stronger and happier because of it.

The Bad Side of Being Your Own Boss

Self-employment often looks good to military spouses looking for a flexible and mobile careers, and to military members looking to supplement their military income and possibly prepare for a job once they leave the military.   There are many benefits to self-employment, but there are also many negatives as well.  The Happy Rock has put together an enlightening post called 29 Reasons Why Being A Part-Time Entrepreneur Sucks.  I agree whole-heartedly with everything in the article, and I have a few more that I think apply to military families:

1. Moving is disruptive.  Even if your business is online, you'll still have downtime as you physically move.  A physical business will surely suffer with every move, as you will basically have to build a new business at each new location.

2. Small businesses don't like deployments.  If the deployed service member is the business owner, the deployment can kill the business, or at least have a huge impact.  If the military spouse is the business owner, the spouse will find the usual demands of entrepreneurship more challenging, especially if the couple has children.  The temporary single parent and small business owner combo is really, really hard - we all still get just 24 hours in the day.  (And as I write this, my 9 year old has stumbled out of bed to ask, "When are you going to bed?")

3. Running a home-based business can affect your housing situation.  If you are living in already-small government quarters, running a small business (if allowed) will eat into your living space.  If you live on the economy, you will be looking for a space that will work with your business, making house-hunting more challenging.

I don't mean to suggest that entrepreneurship is a bad idea for military families, but rather to point out that there are challenges with any small business, and some of those challenges can be compounded by the military lifestyle.  It can be a lot easier to deal with these potential problems if you are aware of the challenges before you start, or if you know that you are not alone in facing those challenges once you've gotten into it.  Being your own boss can be a great choice for a military member or spouse who has the right skills, ideas and attitude to persevere in spite of the obstacles.

What's An "Average" Family Spend?

I found this excellent chart at Visual Economics (thanks to ericabiz at Twitter).  It breaks down the spending of an "average" US economic unit.  Fascinating stuff.  Do you notice anything odd?

Graph by Visual Economics.  click on the picture to make it larger and easier to read.

Here's what I think is unusual about this chart:  there is no mention of savings.  Now, we know that people are saving.  But where?

Six Ways to Find Books at a Bargain

My family loves books.  We love to read them, we love to buy them, we love to terrorize the movers with the sheer volume of them.  One thing that this family's Chief Financial Officer doesn't like, however, is the price of them.  Seriously, it is insane how expensive books can be.

Fortunately, I've discovered a couple of excellent ways to keep the prices of books down:

photo by:  chillihead

1. Half.com - this is my absolute favorite way to buy books (and movies and music, too.)  At Half.com, individual sellers list their new or used media at excellent prices.  Most books I've purchased have been less than $5.00 including shipping and handling, and by ordering more than one book from the same seller you can save even more.  Popular or specialty books can be more expensive, but still usually quite a discount off retail.  Depending on the purpose, I can order a brand new book (like for a gift) or a slightly used copy.  I've been delighted with the prices, the service, and the books usually come quite quickly.  IN addition to the great prices, Half.com has a phenomenal selection of rare and out-of-print books, plus searching online is quick and easy.

2. Scholastic book clubs - if you have a child in public schools in the US, you may have seen the Scholastic book club order forms coming home.  Scholastic's books are often at a great discount off of the regular retail price.  If your child's school doesn't participate or you homeschool, you can register online at Scholastic to access their excellent prices and nice selection.  In addition to traditional children's books, you can find excellent values on popular titles that aren't age specific:  Harry Potter, the Chronicles of Narnia, etc.

3. Yard Sales - these can be hit or miss, but occasionally I'll run across a yard sale with a nice selection of books that interest me.  Prices are usually fantastic (25 or 50 cents a book).

4. The library - most libraries have a small area where they sell books that have been removed from circulation or books that have been donated to be sold.  If you are lucky, you might stumble across last year's bestseller for a dollar or two, plus proceeds benefit your library.

5. Thrift shops - most thrift shops have a book section.  The selection is sometimes questionable but the prices are usually quite good.  Look for half-price days, dollar days, or bag sale days for even more savings.

6. Used book stores - check your area for used book stores and pay them a visit.  Quality, selection, prices and service vary widely between used book stores, so don't quit looking at used book stores just because the first one (or couple) don't feel right to you.  Many offer credit for selling your old books, which can help clear out books that aren't being loved and make room for new titles.

Loving and buying books doesn't need to break your budget.  Use these six strategies to keep your shelf full of fresh reading material without emptying your wallet along the way.

Quotable: Henry Ford

"Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently." 

I Sold My Old Gold!

We've all heard the ads on the radio:  "Do you have old gold and silver?  Bring it to Joe's Jewelers and we'll turn your unwanted items into cash."  The number of stores and companies advertising that they buy gold has been increasing over the last year or so, and so are stories of scams and bad deals.  Is selling your gold and silver a good idea?  Is it safe?  Will you get a decent price for your items?

A few weeks ago, I decided that my jewelry box needed a thorough cleaning.  It was full of mismatched earrings, broken jewelry and items that I'll never wear.  After sorting out the trash, items for the kids' dress-up box, and things that need repair, I had a few items that I didn't want but seemed like they might be valuable.  The small pile included four mismatched gold hoop earrings, my high school class ring, a charm, two odd rings that I'd never liked, a broken bracelet, and four broken necklaces.  I put them in a baggie in my drawer and figured that I would deal with them some other time.

Being uptight, as I am, I figured that I would do a ton of research before talking to anyone about selling these items.  I was afraid that a disreputable dealer would take advantage of my lack of knowledge about jewelry, and I didn't want to make a bad decision.  I read a bit online, where the advice included knowing the karat of your jewelry, weighing it before you went in, and knowing the daily cost of gold.  Consumer Reports recommends this online calculator to figure out how much your gold should be worth, then trying to get at least 85% of the calculated value when you sell the items.  I saw several problems with these suggestions:  I don't have a jewelry scale, not all of my jewelry was readily identifiable as a certain karat, and I'm pretty overwhelmed trying to manage a family while my husband is deployed.  Non-essential items need to be dropped, and honestly, all that stuff seemed pretty non-essential to me.  I figured the jewelry would continue to clutter up my drawer indefinitely, if my high school ring is any example.  I haven't worn my high school ring in at least 20 years and I've been moving it around all this time.

Then I saw an advertisement for an old, established local jeweler that mentioned that they buy old gold jewelry.  I was going to be in the area this afternoon for another errand, so I dropped the baggie in my purse and stopped in.

When I entered the store, the salesperson greeted me and I said that I was interested in getting rid of some old jewelry.  I feared that I would be treated a little poorly, but he was very cordial and cheerful, and invited me to a desk off to the side of the sales floor.  He looked at all my jewelry carefully, first checking with a jeweler's loupe to look for any identifying stamps and sorting the jewelry into different carat weights.  A few chains and the charm were returned to me as not being solid gold but it was done in a very polite and friendly fashion.  He then tested the pieces that he couldn't identify visually, using a small kit that contained a dark stone and several mild acidic solutions.  When he was finished, we had three small piles:  10K (my class ring, a small thin ring, and a broken chain), 14K (two hoop earrings, one thin ring and a broken necklace), and 18K (one broken bracelet and two hoop earrings.)  He weighed each pile and then multiplied the weight by today's selling price, as listed on a small flyer-type piece of paper.  After finishing the calculations, he presented me with an offer of a little over $200 for the items.

I'll be honest, I didn't know if this was a good price or not.  However, I was considering the money to be a bonus for cleaning out my jewelry and getting rid of some unwanted or unusable pieces, and I appreciated the ease of the transaction, so I accepted the offer.  If I had been seriously interested in the financial side, I would have taken his offer home and done more homework to see if I could find a better deal elsewhere.  I have specifically NOT calculated the value of what I sold because I don't really want to know.  I'm happy with the deal I made and I don't want to be made unhappy at this point.  The entire process took less than a half hour, it was convenient and pleasant, and I've cleared some clutter out of my life.  The money is a pleasant reward but not my primary motivation.

I'm not really sure I'm qualified to tell you the best way to sell your gold for the maximum profit, but I  suggest you consider the following questions:

• What are your reasons for selling your gold?  Are you looking for the most money, or just to clear out some unnecessary items?
• How much time do you have to devote to this endeavor?
• Is there a reputable jeweler in town who buys jewelry?  Do you want to deal with someone more local or are you willing to go outside your home area?  How do you feel about working through the mail or the internet?

 

Considering your goals, your personal time constraints and your own preferences will help make selling your old jewelry a positive, and hopefully rewarding, experience.

In-State Tuition - Hurrah!

Good news!   Beginning July 1, 2009, states are required to offer in-state tuition to active duty military members, their spouses, and dependent children, who reside or are permanently stationed in their state. In addition, once enrolled and paying in-state tuition, they will not lose the in-state tuition rate if the service member is reassigned outside the state, as long as they remain continuously enrolled at the institution.  This is a great change for military families across the country. 

This change is a part of Higher Education Opportunity Act (H.R. 4137), which extends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), and applies to all public institutions that receive funds under the HEA program. 

The Department of Education has worked with the states and their university systems to ensure that they are aware of the changes in the law.  If service members or their families find that their school is unsure about the law, they should contact the financial aid, registrar’s, or Veterans Affairs’ office at the institution. If they are unable to resolve the situation at the school level, they can contact the Department of Education’s Ombudsman’s office (toll-free at 877-557-2575) or utilize the online Ombudsman Assistance Form: www.ombudsman.ed.gov/OmbudsmanWebApp/do?action=getRequest. 

As a military spouse who has paid out-of-state tuition on more than one occasion, I am delighted to see this change occur.  This will remove one more barrier to pursuing further education and improve the quality of life for many military families.

Defend Yourself Against Bank Fees

Saturday's Wall Street Journal online featured this excellent article:  Ten Ways Banks Take Your Money.  Most of these fees can be avoided by using a good credit union or banking with USAA, but some small fees may start appearing on good accounts as banks and credit unions adapt to the changing economic environment.  Knowing the places to look is your best defense against paying unnecessary fees and charges.

How Much is a Trillion Dollars?

I ran across this neat visual explanation of what a trillion dollars would look like:  What does one TRILLION dollars look like? I knew that one trillion dollars was a lot of money, but I didn't really quite grasp just how much it is.  I'm not entirely sure that I've completely digested it yet, but the picture really helps me a lot.

New Landlord-Tenant Laws in Virginia

The Virginia State Legislature has made a few changes to the Landlord-Tenant laws in Virginia and those new changes are effective as of July 1st.  The most important change is a requirement that landlords notify their tenants, in writing, if the mortgage on the rented property has gone into default or if a pending foreclosure notice has been received.

In the past, renters have been surprised to discover that their rented home has been subject to foreclosure proceedings.  If properly applied, this change will benefit renters greatly.  The potential problem is that most landlords aren't familiar with the landlord tenant laws, and it seems likely that some landlords won't adhere to this new law.  When facing a foreclosure, the landlord is probably dealing with multiple problems at one time and talking to the tenants might be the last thing on their mind, or that they want to do.

You can read the complete changes to the law at HB 2080.

Regardless of what state you live in, there are some common thoughts on foreclosure and tenancy:

How can a renter protect themselves from a surprise eviction due to a landlord's mismanagement?  First, keep an eye on the mail and the local papers.  Foreclosure proceedings are published in the newspapers, and foreclosure notices may be sent to the property address.  If you have reason to suspect that your landlord might be facing foreclosure on your home, call your local courthouse and ask them how to check.

What if you discover that your landlord is facing legal action?  Check with an attorney who works in your area.  One possible choice is to make your rent payments into an escrow account held with a third-party (someone other than you or your landlord.)  This way, the payments are still being made, but you aren't just handing the money over to a landlord who isn't paying the bills.

For links to state specific information, see What If Your Landlord is Foreclosed Upon?

Also, be aware that the military does pay for moves due to landlord foreclosure.  See Some Relief for Military Renters for more information.

Quotable: Benjamin Franklin

"He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money."

One Small Step to Improve Your Finances

One place where I occasionally make a mistake with my finances is paying the credit card bills.  We have two cards that we use regularly, plus we have a couple of cards that we don't use - a military Star card, my husband's American Express, and I have an extra Mastercard (I don't know why.)  I pay all the bills online by making manual transfers.  Once every couple of years, I will forget to make the payment by the due date.  In the past, this was a minor inconvenience, as our cards are all with reputable companies and they've never assessed any nonsensical fees because of my slips.  One time, however, my husband's interest rate went up from 7.9% to 9.9% because I didn't pay his bill on time.  I hadn't set up automatic payments because I like to pay the whole balance, but I'm not always exactly sure that there is going to be enough money in any single account.  This is especially true if we are traveling or PCSing.

Fortunately, I've figured out a solution that works.  I have set up all my credit cards to automatically debit the minimum payment from my checking account on the due date.  The minimum payments aren't much, so I'm not in danger of overdrafting my account by making the minimum payment, but it makes sure that a payment is made.  So far, it has worked great!

We've Been Noticed

The Paycheck Chronicles has been noticed a few places around the internet this week:

• The Carnival of Personal Finance, hosted by Green Panda Treehouse, features Want A New Car?  Try This Plan.  It looks like I need to implement this plan at my house, because my car is really showing its age lately. 
• The Money Hacks Carnival, hosted by The Canadian Finance Blog, selected Another Twist on the Income Debate.

Both these compilations include many fantastic and informative articles.  I encourage you to click over to read more good stuff.

Military Report

Financial news from the Military.com Military Report dated June 29, 2009:

Special Duty Assignment Pay Revised

Deal of the Week: Military Coupons

AF Increases Special Duty Pay

Tuition Assistance Overview and Benefit Pay Out

How to Lay Old Glory to Rest

New Military.com GI Bill Calculator

What Comes After SGLI?

Featured Job: Government Law Enforcement

How Much Can You Afford on a House?

New Online Housing Referral Network

Website Opens for Post-9/11 GI Bill

AFFES Helps Deployed Troops Call Home

Navy to Issue PCS Orders

Air Force Modifies PCS Policies

Navy Suspends Bonus Program

Exchanges Offer Firestone Car Centers

Special Duty Assignment Pay Revised
The U.S. Navy recently announced revisions in special duty assignment pay (SDAP), which take effect July 26. More

Deal of the Week: Military Coupons
Military.com has hundreds of discounts exclusively for servicemembers, veterans, retirees, and their families. More

AF Increases Special Duty Pay
Pentagon officials recently increased Special Duty Assignment Pay (SDAP) for Military Training Instructors (MTIs). More

Tuition Assistance Overview and Benefit Pay Out
Armed Forces Tuition Assistance (TA) is a benefit paid to eligible members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. More

How to Lay Old Glory to Rest
We raised our flags September 11, 2001 and flew them proudly. Our flags stand tall as we leave our mark on foreign soil. More

New Military.com GI Bill Calculator
The new GI Bill offers several new benefits above and beyond anything previously offered. However, there are limitations as to how and where these benefits can be applied. More

What Comes After SGLI?
Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance coverage ends 120 days after you leave active duty service. Do you have plans for how you are going to meet your life insurance needs once your SGLI expires? More

Featured Job: Government Law Enforcement
Use your military experience to get an exciting career in law enforcement. More

How Much Can You Afford on a House?
The rule of thumb is that a military family can comfortably afford a home that is up to three times their average annual household income. More

New Online Housing Referral Network
The Department of Defense implemented its new Internet-based Automated Housing Referral Network to facilitate the long-distance house-hunting process More

Website Opens for Post-9/11 GI Bill
The Defense Department signed off June 22 on policies and procedures servicemembers will use to transfer their unused Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to their spouses or children. More

AFFES Helps Deployed Troops Call Home
Just in time for the Fourth of July, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service's "Help Our Troops Call Home" phone card program keeps American troops in touch with their families back home. More

Navy to Issue PCS Orders
The Navy announced it will resume issuing permanent change of station (PCS) orders following a three-month delay due to a budget shortfall. More

Air Force Modifies PCS Policies
Air Force officials modified two permanent change of station (PCS) policies to give Airmen more flexible assignment options and better force development opportunities. More

Navy Suspends Bonus Program
Based on the number of Sailors who enlisted this year under the selective re-enlistment bonus program the Navy reached its congressional authority funding limit for this fiscal year. More

Exchanges Offer Firestone Car Centers
The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) is teaming up with Firestone Complete Auto Care to provide services at 30 Army posts and Air Force bases. More

It Pays to Ask

I hate wasting money, but it happens sometimes.  There are three places where I tend to lose money in large chunks:  not sending in rebates, not getting reimbursed for stuff, and making reservations or registrations that I don't use or forget to cancel.  Ack!  Just in the last week, I have a receipt for a taxi that I need to submit for reimbursement, a rebate for a computer purchase that needs to be sent, two hotel reservations to cancel, and a child that decided that that she absolutely, positively would not participate in the track program that she absolutely, positively wanted to do the week before.

I'd love to say that I took care of all four items, but I only did two.  Cancelling the reservations was quick and easy, but I am so proud of myself for how I handled the sports registration.  I've never asked for a refund for a kid's sport because I have always felt like it was my child's choice not to participate and it wasn't the program's fault that she changed her mind.  However, this was $125 and I told myself that it wouldn't hurt me to ask.  I emailed the head of the track program and explained that we'd tried it one time and that my daughter was overwhelmed by all the kids, and would it be possible to get a refund?  I only wrote to him last night, and I was delighted to discover that I already had a refund this morning!  Amazing!

The lesson I've learned today is that it doesn't cost anything to ask, and it might save you some money.  I'm going to remember this in the future and make a little more effort to save myself some money where I can.  And I'm going to hit those other two items on my to do list!

Quotable: Kahlil Gibran

"Money is like love; it kills slowly and painfully the one who withholds it, and enlivens the other who turns it on his fellow man."

GI Bill Transfer Details Announced

The transfer portion of the new GI Bill has been very exciting for many people, and lots of questions have now been answered.  The Department of Defense has released the final details of the new policy to allow the GI Bill benefits to be transferred to a spouse or eligible child.

Military service members are eligible to transfer their Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to a spouse or child if:

• They have at least six years of active service (including active duty and selective reserve) and agree to serve an additional four years, or
• Have at least ten years of active service, are unable (by policy or statute) to commit to an additional four years, and agree to serve for the maximum allowable service by said policy or statute.
• For service members eligible to retire between August 1, 2009 and August 1, 2012, there is a phased-in requirement for continued service, up to three years.

The full Pentagon policy is located here.  This is an amazing benefit for military members so be sure to learn all the details and figure out the best way for it to benefit your family.  Whoohoo!

Want a New Car? Try This Plan

A family member recently told me that she was going to buy a new car.  She still owed on her old car, and she was asking me the best way to organize the financing of the new car with the existing loan on her old car.  I know this has become a popular and common practice lately, but it is a bad idea.  So this is what I suggested to her:

Figure out how much your new car payment will be (it's rarely less than your current car payment) and make that car payment for a year.  (Six months if you are impatient.)  If you have an existing loan, you will have paid it down significantly, or hopefully you will have paid it off.  If you are currently without a car payment, it will help you accumulate a significant down payment for your next car.

Obviously, there are situations where you can't do this, but it is a sound strategy for most usual circumstances.  Not only are you playing smart with your existing money but you are also proving to yourself that you can afford that new, higher car payment without making yourself broke.

Operation Homefront Scholarship

Operation Homefront has announced it's 2009 Military Spouse Scholarship Program.  The scholarship offers 37 awards between $10,000 and $1,500 and the application deadline is July 15th.

The scholarship award is available to spouses of military service members for study at  a four-year college or university, graduate school, accredited trade school, certificate program, vocational school or community college. The applicant must be the spouse of a military member currently serving on active duty, whether active duty, Reserve or a member of the United States National Guard (Reserves or National Guard qualify if they have served 180 combined days of full time military duty since January 1, 2007).

Selection for the scholarship will be made by a panel of judges and the award will be scored in three areas: the applicant’s response to the essay question, his or her commitment to volunteerism and grade point average.  Applications are available at Operation Homefront (the link is about half way down on the right hand side).

Another Twist on the Income Debate

Lots of people at various stages of their lives are considering the choice to lower their income, whether you are retiring from the military and deciding what to do next, or considering one person leaving the paid work force to care for children or parents, or any number of other reasons.

I just read an excellent post by Philip Brewer at Wise Bread, talking about how he needs a lot less income than he thought.  Philip makes some excellent points about taxes and savings, but I find most interesting his thoughts on time and spending.  One of the things I've been battling with is the economy of using my time to save money versus using my time to make money.  Both are viable options, and I've had the wonderful opportunity to experience both sides of the equation.  I've learned some really powerful things along the way, mostly stuff that Philip mentions in his article.  When I'm working, I'm not able to do serious comparison shopping, I rarely use coupons, and I'm sure as heck not doing some amazing price-matching, double-couponing, mail-in-rebating triple play that results in me getting money back for buying stuff.

Traditional "can you afford to stay home" calculations always include taxes, and they usually includes stuff like work clothes, commuting costs, and day care, but they rarely include the value of being able to use your money wisely (except for a brief mention about picking up dinner after a work day.)  Using your time as a dollar-stretching tool can make the difference between needing to work and having the flexibility to do what you want to do.  Of course, this make the assumption that you have an interest in this type of work:  tracking down bargains, searching out deals, and pinching pennies is hard work.

While this certainly doesn't make any income related decision much easier, it is another useful piece of information to add into the equation.

Quotable: Tolstoy

"Money is a new form of slavery, and distinguishable from the old simply by the fact that it is impersonal—that there is no human relationship between master and slave. "

Military Report

Here's the weekly roundup of financial information from the Military.comMilitary Report :

TRICARE Prime Travel Access Standards Changes

Deal of the Week: Free Trial of Men's Health

Your New GI Bill Tuition and Fee Rate

Navy COOL Program Helps Sailors

What to Look for When Buying a New Home

Navy Mutual Offers $1M of Coverage

Maryland Guard Education Benefits

New GI Bill Advice: Get It In Writing

Test Software Available

Free Entry to National Parks

Special AAFES Offers for Good Students

Many Colleges Pass On GI Bill 'Ribbon'

Military.com provides you with news you can use!

A Frugal Fitness Update

As I mentioned back in April, I've been on a mission to get thin, wealthy, and organized while my husband is deployed.  I can't really comment on the last two (though I'm doing OK on the middle one) but I can say that I'm having pretty good success with my first goal.  And it has been free!

I'm about 1/3 of the way through my weight loss goal for the year, which I think is pretty good considering that I didn't really get serious until two months ago.  The thing that amazes me is that it really hasn't been that hard.  It was just a matter of finding the right tools to help me.  I'm a little addicted to the computer - I'm always on it, working, playing, or talking to my husband (or hoping to).  I was so lucky that a commenter at SpouseBUZZ mentioned myfitnesspal (MFP).  It has truly changed my life.  MFP offers a few tools - a food diary with calorie calculator, an exercise diary (also with calorie calculator), a place to keep track of your weight and measurements, a reports section that shows how you've progressed, and an online community section, where you can share frustrations, successes, recipes and exercise thoughts.  You can participate as much or as little as you like, and it is all free.  I haven't received any spammy emails or other questionable contact because of my registration at MFP, but I have lost a nice chunk of weight, I'm eating great, and I'm exercising more than ever.  Best of all, it is free!

If you are looking for some motivation to start on a fitness goal, or need a little extra push to keep moving forward, you should check out myfitnesspal.  It has been a great blessing to me, and I'm sure it will be a good tool for some of you as well.

Random Free Stuff

As usual, there is a selection of free stuff to be found on the internet today.  I'm always amazed at people who find gobs of free stuff - it if doesn't come right across my email, I don't usually find it.

Here are today's offerings:

White Castle is offering One Free Original Sliderwith a printable coupon.  The coupon is good until July 12th.  Thanks Bargain Briana!

A&W Restaurants is celebrating their 90th Anniversary with Free Floats and 99 cent Papa Burgers.  (Also from Bargain Briana.)

TGIFridays is giving away a free appetizer or dessertif you sign up for their Club.  Also at TGIFridays, you can print off a coupon for Buy One Get One Free Entrees, good until June 22nd.

If usually see these offers and think "I'll never take advantage of that, so I'm not going to print out/sign up."  Then I find myself at one of these restaurants and think, "Oh, I should have snagged that coupon!"  I should print these out right now and add them to the restaurant coupon stash in my glove box.  Sometimes like is unpredictable!

Three Ways to Keep Track of Your Credit Card Purchases

For those of us who do choose to use credit cards, keeping track of your purchases is important.  I'm not good at it at all, so I've been researching and brainstorming ways to keep track of my purchases.  Here's the best of what I've found:

1. Keep all the reciepts, and log them (paper, computer, whatever) at home.
2. Keep a folded index card wrapped around your credit card, and write down each transaction before you sign the credit card slip.

3. Keep your credit card(s) in a checkbook cover with a checkbook register in it.  Use the checkbook register to keep a running tally of your purchases each billing cycle.

I'm sure there are more good ways to keep up with your charges, other than just waiting to pay the bill at the end of the month.  What do you do?

Ordering Checks? Options Abound...

I am nearly out of checks.  Really nearly out, as I've been nearly out for weeks.  And I need to order new checks today.  I know that there are lots of places to buy checks and I am overwhelmed by the options.  Where to start?

I began at Walmart Check Printing because I think that is where I bought my last batch.  The check prices seem pretty good, $13.97 for 300 duplicate checks, but the trackable shipping and handling was $7.70, bumping the total price up to $21.67.

I clicked on over to Navy Federal Credit Union, where the account is located.  Because it is an Active Duty Checking Account, basic (boring) checks are free.  However, you can only order 150 at a time, and trackable shipping is $9.95.  There is a bulk rate, non-trackable shipping that is free.  How do I feel about that?  Checks are the sort of thing that you probably want to keep track of, especially while they are traveling through the mail.  Hmmm....  They also have cute checks for $25.06 for 300, and shipping is $22.25!  Shazaam!

I wasn't sure where to check next, so I googled "checks."  A bunch of options popped up.  Many of them concerned me because I've read reports of people taking advantage of great "first time customer" offers only to find out that they've actually ordered from them before, sometimes even when the company had a different name, and then being charged high prices for their cheap checks.  One of the top listings was VistaPrint.  I've always had good luck with VistaPrint, so I looked to see what they were offering.  I found a cute check that I liked, for $14.23 for 300 checks. Shipping and handling is 10.26.

I quickly investigated a few other places and decided that these three were the tops for price, plus I feel comfortable sharing my personal information with these companies and I was a little skeptical of the other companies because I don't know them.  VistaPrint and Walmart are offering basically the same product and Walmart is a little bit cheaper.  The "free" Navy Federal checks end up being about the same price as the Walmart checks, when you include shipping and handling costs.  So I guess it is Walmart for me.

I've ordered from them before and I was quite happy.  I did spend a silly amount of time comparing my options, but I wanted to be able to share the results with you, so I feel like it was time well spent.  I'll let you know if there are any interesting updates to report.

New GI Bill Calculator: It's Ready to Use!

Military.com has some exciting news:  Our new GI Bill Calculator is ready to go.  This calculator will allow military members and veterans, spouses, guidence counselors and anyone else to figure the details of the new GI Bill, and compare the benefits of the post 9/11 GI Bill with the older Montgomery GI Bill.  I'm sure there are many of you who will find this new tool very valuable!

This new calculator is part of the overall effort to constantly improve the Education section of Military.com.  The team has been working hard to make it a clear and complete guide to all the educational benefits that can come from your military service.  The new GI Bill has dramatically increased the value of your education benefits - be sure to use them!

Quotable: Bob Thaves

"Money talks — but credit has an echo. "

NMFA E-news 9 June 2009

The National Military Family Association's 9 June 2009 E-news bulletin contains lots of useful and interesting information.  The financial relevant items are:

Association Testifies at Senate Military Family Hearing

Congress Holds Hearing on Support for Family Caregivers of Veterans

TRICARE Announces Change to MTF Access for Retirees

Military Youth Saves Contest

Be sure to check it out.

Reader Help Requested: Cell Phones and Deployment

A reader, we'll call her Sharon, recently wrote with questions about cell phones and deployment.  I'll be honest, I don't know anything about cell phones on deployment.  We briefly looked into whether or not my husband could use his phone while he was overseas, then decided that it was too much hassle and expense.  So I'm asking my readers to help Sharon.

Here's her situation:

I need help finding a cell phone/carrier that will be affordable and allow lots of good communication between me and my deployed hubby. He's probably going to Afghanistan but we don't know for sure yet. We currently have Blackberry phones. Do they work in Iraq and/or Afghanistan? Does an iPhone work? (i have been jonesing for one and if it's the better phone by golly, I'll switch!!)

I am looking to you for expert advice. Which carrier is best for military? Which phones do you recommend?

Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated!

So, folks, what do you know?  Share the knowledge and I imagine that we'll help more than just Sharon.

Thank you!

 

(Re)Finding My Focus

I'm finding myself in an unusual situation lately.  With my husband deployed, and me working, we're meeting our 2009 financial goals without much pain.  I know that I'm lucky to be in such a situation, but it still makes me uncomfortable.  During the times when money is tight, I am great at squeezing the most out of every dollar.  Now that we are managing to live comfortably, I'm finding myself getting lazy and spending unnecessarily.  I need to get back to the basics of good financial planning and stick to them.  Where should I start?  Actually, it is pretty easy:

1. Assess the current situation.  That should be pretty painless, since I've been (trying to) use the monthly updates for my husband.

2. Update our budget.  We've used serious, down-to-the-penny budgets in the past.  While I'm happy to round to the nearest dollar or even five dollars, it is hard to be successful without following some sort of spending plan.  I've used everything from a simple sheet of paper with expenses to a complicated, Mary Hunt-style Freedom Account scheme, and they all have their advantages and disadvantages.  However, in my current chaotic "let's just get through today" mindset, my idea of a spending plan is that I'm fine as long as I don't bounce any checks.  That is really not making good use of our money.

3. Pick your battles, focus on your priorities, and keep it manageable.  There are a million ways that I could take serious control of our money.  I could unplug every lamp and alarm clock when I'm not using it, I could make sure everyone showers at the pool so that we don't use any hot water at home, and I could make my own laundry soap.  Realistically, though, none of those things are going to happen right now.  So where can I make changes?  There are lots of places to choose, but I'm going to try and focus on just one general area:  food.  I can start making menus again, to make sure that we use all the food we buy and that we aren't tempted to get Chinese because I have no idea what to cook.  I can start making grocery lists again, so that I don't end up with 16 boxes of couscous but no soup.   I can get the dust off my slow cookerand ensure that 5 pm isn't panic time.  I can take the time to cut coupons and teach my kids to help.  Why do I choose food?  First, in most families, food is the second biggest expense, after housing.  Second, I enjoy saving money on groceries.  I love the thrill of a good triple coupon extravaganza.  Third, having meals planned is good for my family's health and brings us together at the table regularly.  (Priceless!)

Keeping your family on financial track isn't painless, but it shouldn't be drudgery either.  Keep your eye on the goal and figure ways to make it fun, and you'll be successful!

Tricare Prime at your MTF

Faithful reader Marv, in Delaware, pointed out this interesting post in a recent MOAA email newsletter:

You could be Bounced from TRICARE Prime.

A new DoD policy aimed at “cleaning up” TRICARE Prime enrollment at military treatment facilities (MTF) could mean some significant changes for many Prime enrollees.

TRICARE has long had established travel access standards to help beneficiaries receive timely health care. The standards require that enrollees shouldn’t be assigned a primary care manager (PCM) at a military hospital or clinic that’s more than a 30-minute drive from the beneficiary’s home address.

As a practical matter, DoD never really enforced that policy. But it will be enforced now.

If they want to continue to be seen in the MTF, current Prime enrollees in the U.S. who live farther away than a 30-minute drive from the MTF will have to request a waiver of the drive-time standard from the MTF commander or the TRICARE Regional Office. Drive times will be determined by a computer program similar to MapQuest. Approved waivers will have to be renewed annually from now on.

Unless they apply for and are granted a waiver before October 1, enrollees who live more than 30 minutes (but less than 40 miles) from the MTF will be assigned a civilian primary care manager closer to their residence. Absent a waiver, those who live more than 40 miles from the MTF will be disenrolled from Prime and revert to TRICARE Standard as of October 1.

TRICARE contractors are mailing letters to all affected beneficiaries, providing detailed instructions on the waiver process.

I did a quick search on Google Maps and discovered that I live 26 minutes from my MTF.  While I do have occasional gripes with my MTF, I really don't want the hassle and inconvenience of changing my family's medical situation right now.  This is sure to be an interesting topic - keep your eyes out for more news as this develops.

Frugal Summer Fun for All Ages

I was wandering around the blogosphere today, and I stumbled across this excellent list of free summer activities at Couponing 101:  Free Fun All Summer Long.  Stephanie's compilation includes museums and parks, workshops, movies, books, and other fun stuff.  There is so much to do, I don't think that summer is going to be long enough.

If nothing on that list excites you, call or stop by your local base recreation or community services offices.  I'm always amazed at the number of events going on each month.  Between the military community and the civilian world, you are sure to find something to suit your situation.

Quotable: Jean Petit Senn

"Money dishonestly acquired is never worth its cost, while a good conscience never costs as much as it is worth. "

More Frugal Father's Day Fun

 

Thanks to Sarah at SpouseBUZZ, I heard about this neat-o kid craft event at Michael's craft stores this Saturday, June 6th.  From 10 am to 1 pm, your local Michael's will be helping kids make Father's Day cards, with plenty of time to mail them even if Dad is far away.  Plus, it's free!

10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget

Those crafty and clever authors at my favorite personal finance site, Wise Bread, have put together a fun and fantastic book:  10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget.  Chock full of great ideas on topics including travel, healthcare, groceries, housing, decorating, kids, clothing, you are sure to find great ideas for trimming your budget and living well.  The book is bargain priced at $10.17 on Amazon.com, and if you sign up as a new Ebates member, you'll get a $15.00 rebate.   If you add another book and go over $25.00, you'll get free shipping as well.  If you are wondering how to start being frugal, or need a little extra motivation to move ahead, this book is a great resource.

Work that Works for Military Spouses

Myscha Theriault, my friend and author at Wise Bread, has put together a nifty article about careers that suit military spouses:  Married to the Military:  Maintaining a Career as a Tag-Along Nomad.  Myscha has broken down the most prevalent career categories and discussed the pros and cons of each.  Check out her article and add your experience and ideas in the comments.

A Frugal Father's Day Gift for the Mid-Sized Set

With Father's Day coming up on us all too soon, I've been trying to think of yet another crafty gift that the kids can make for their dad, and Home Depot has come to the rescue.  Thanks to Bargain Briana who let me know that this weekend's kid workshop at Home Depot is a Hardware Sorter.   It is a rectangular box with six compartments.  It is designed to organize hardware, but I can think of several uses:  office supplies, the junk drawer, fishing gear.  I also happen to know one dad who has way too much uniform stuff and always needs a better way to store it all.

The Home Depot Kids Workshops are designed for kids 5 to 12 years old and a parent must remain with them during the workshop.  They run from 9 to 12 on the first Saturday of each month and online preregistration is required.

Another Amazing Benefit from USAA

Just when I thought that USAA couldn't think of any more ways to support their members, they came up with a new one.  USAA is reimbursing the overseas transaction fee for deployed military members who use their USAA credit cards while they are overseas.

From the press release:

Deployed Servicemembers to Save Money on Credit, Debit Purchases Overseas
USAA bucks industry trend, refuses to pass costs on to military members

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – USAA military members deployed overseas will be reimbursed a foreign transaction fee for MasterCard and Visa credit or debit card purchases made overseas. While MasterCard and Visa will continue to charge USAA these fees, USAA will not pass on the costs to its deployed members.

The new benefit applies to USAA members for up to 12 months from when they notify USAA in advance of deployment to an overseas location. It is in addition to the many products and services USAA provides its members that demonstrate their commitment to serving those who serve our nation.

“Waiving these fees for our service men and women deployed abroad is clearly the right thing to do,” said USAA Bank President David Bohne. “Those on duty around the world, already sacrificing time away from family, friends and the comforts of home, should know that they won’t be further burdened for serving their country when it takes them overseas.”
USAA constantly looks for solutions to help address the unique financial needs of its mobile membership--especially when they’re deployed. Visit usaa.com: USAA / Deployed Member Benefitsto learn more about the special auto, homeowners and life insurance, investment, and banking benefits USAA offers to support deployed members and their families.

What an amazing way to support the troops.

Quotable: Mme. Riccoboni

"Money does not change men, it only unmasks them."

The Freezer Menu

Let me guess...at least one night in the last month, you have ordered pizza, driven through a fast food place or picked up take out when you hadn't planned to, right?  That is pretty common.  Life is moving fast and sometimes the thought of preparing dinner is just overwhelming.  Eating out or ordering in is expensive and not very healthy.  What's a solution?

Here's what I do...I have what I call our "freezer menu."  It is a list of five or so days of meals that are quick and easy to make, and will last a long time in the cupboard or freezer.  I'm the first to admit that they aren't the most healthy or glamorous meals, but they are better than nearly everything from a restaurant and the price is right.  What kind of things might you put on a freezer menu?  Here's what we have:

• Frozen chicken patties and frozen french fries with frozen edamame
• Boxed scalloped potatoes, frozen green beans and a ham slice.
• Macaroni and cheese and fish sticks with a veg
• Spaghetti with jarred sauce and turkey meatballs.  Add frozen bread if you want to be snazzy.
• Kielbasa or Smoked Sausage with boxed rice:  spanish, saffron, whatever you like - Yum

 

I'm pretty sure that you all have some variety of freezer menus in your minds, or maybe even in your freezers.  Please share your ideas!  For those of you who haven't tried this trick, give it a try.  If it is too much to buy a week's worth of meals at once, just add one meal a week.  The first time you manage to avoid Dominos or Burger King, it will pay for itself.  Your wallet and your waistband will thank you!

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