Using USAA Discounts

A fellow military spouse just reminded me about the great car rental discounts that can be found at USAA, and it made me think that I should probably highlight the variety of discounts that USAA offers.

If you go to the USAA homepage, then click on Products & Services, there is a button for Shopping & Discounts.  If you go to that page, you will find USAA's discounts on diamonds and other jewelry, travel savings, bargain Avis, Budget & Hertz car rentals, 20% off all Teleflora orders, huge discounts on FedEx services, and ADT home securitysystems and monitoring.   You will have to log into your USAA online account to access the discounts, but it is surely worth your time.

Free and Inexpensive Things to Do In Hampton Roads

I'm in Virginia Beach, Virginia, today, for SpouseBUZZ Live Hampton Roads.  At the Fleet & Family Support Center table, I picked up this great little brochure called "Free and Inexpensive Things to Do in Hampton Roads."  I thought that I would include the list here, but it is a lot longer than I expected when I picked up the brochure.  There are sections for Museums, MWR, Virginia Beach City Recreation Centers, City Parks & Recreations Departments, Parks, Historic Houses, Beaches, Miscellaneous, and other places of interest.  If you are in the Hampton Roads area, either living, visiting, or TDY, I suggest you stop by the FFSC and pick up this jam-packed brochure.  You'll keep your free time full of neat activities, and your wallet will stay full, too.

Lessons from a Non-Paying Tenant

Most people agree that a non-paying tenant is a bad thing.  It is, but I've learned a lot from my current experience with a non-paying tenant and I think you will find these lessons valuable as well.

My family owns a rental property in the Hampton Roads area.  We chose to rent it instead of selling because it is in a big Navy area, it is in a great neighborhood, and the rent is high enough that we can pay the mortgage and all repairs with the money we receive in rent.  It helps that we bought it as newlyweds, so it is small, easy to rent, and the mortgage is small as well.

We've been renting out this house for 13 years, minus the three years that we were back in Norfolk and lived in our house.  We have been extremely fortunate that it has never been empty for more than two weeks, and it hasn't required a lot of repairs because it was new when we bought it.  The current tenant is lovely...she takes good care of our house and has renewed her lease several times because she likes it there.

So what's the problem?  Our tenant is a real estate agent, and business has been pretty bad for the last year or so.  While she had always paid her rent on time, payments have been getting later and later.  Sometimes she'll fall nearly a month behind, just to catch back up for a month or two.  However, she hasn't paid her rent on time since December, and though she has been bringing in small amounts regularly, she is currently more than two months behind on her rent, plus she has a large amount of late fees to pay as well.

photo by:  spyffe

My property manager and I have been in constant communication during this time, and I've given him permission to let it get to this point.  As long as she is talking to us and still paying something, I keep hoping that she'll miraculously have several good closings one month and suddenly all will be well.  Last week, however, my property manager and I decided that we didn't see this bad cycle coming to an end and that we were going to have to take action.

I did not want to start eviction proceedings because they cost everyone money and are very unpleasant.  In addition, I do not see this tenant as a deadbeat who is never going to pay what she owes.  Her security deposit would be able to make up a big chunk of her costs.  I feel confident that whatever happens, I will eventually be paid.  She is liable for rent until the end of the lease, or until she is evicted.  Eviction would make her eventual bill even higher, since she is liable for those costs, and leave me with an empty house, and leave her without a place to live.

Instead, I suggested that we talk to our tenant about putting the house on the market in hopes of finding a new tenant to take over the rest of her lease.  This is  a better option as it keeps the house occupied while it is being shown (meaning a nicer looking house) and allows her to continue living there until a new tenant moves in, which only seems fair since she is still liable for that rent.  Our tenant agreed to this plan and my property manager went out this week to inspect the property, put a sign in the yard and list the property in the Multiple Listing Service.  This isn't an ideal solution, but it seems the best plan possible under the circumstances.  I was glad that we were working towards some type of long term resolution.

This morning, my property manager called me and said that he had just talked to the tenant.  It seems that her teenage children didn't know about their mom's situation and were very upset when they saw the sign in the yard and realized what was happening.  They had a family pow-wow and were committed, as a family, to finding a way to stay in the house.  The tenant was wondering how much money she would need to produce before we took the house off of the market.

After some discussion, my property manager and I decided that we would take the house off the market if she could pay one and a half month's rent.  I don't know how this is going to work, but I feel good about our decision.

I have learned so many lessons from this experience.  Some lessons are about myself, and some I have learned from watching my tenant struggle through this real estate downturn and her own financial challenges.

First, I am thankful that my family has structured our budget so that we can still pay the mortgage without receiving our rent.  It has meant dipping into our emergency fund, but we can do it.  If our house were vacant for a long period of time, we would have to make some changes, but we could still get by.  One of the reasons is that our mortgage payment is only a small portion of our family's budget (less than 10%).  Like I said, it is a little house.  We would have had a lot of trouble if the mortgage payment were a quarter, a third, or even half of our monthly budget.  When we made the decision to rent and not sell this house, that was a big factor.

I guess this brings me to the second lesson, having an emergency fund.  Emergency funds are important for everyone, but doubly important for landlords.  Even with good tenant screening, you can't tell when unexpected things are going to happen in your tenant's life.  In a perfect world, I would have six months of mortgage payments in a separate account for just this reason.  In my imperfect world, I have tapped into our general emergency fund.  I don't really care that where the money comes from as long as I can still pay my bills.

The third lesson is the importance of requiring an appropriately sized security deposit.  I have often been tempted to lower my security deposit requirements because I know how hard it can be to come up with a security deposit and the first month's rent at the same time.  However, if our situation ends badly, that security deposit will make a significant difference in how much money I will lose.  I now have a much better understanding of why security deposits are required.

Fourth, one of the reasons my tenant is struggling is because of the nature of her work.  She works for commissions, and when houses aren't selling, she isn't making any money.  I've never been in a position where our family's entire budget is based upon inconsistant pay.  (That is a huge benefit of the military!)  I don't know all her financial details, if she had an emergency fund or how big it might have been, but I can see that having savings is very important if your income isn't guaranteed.  I wouldn't even know how much to save, but I'm thinking something like a year's worth of expenses.  That is a lot of money!  I don't know how I would save that, but I think it would be necessary.

Fifth, try not to put all your eggs in one basket.  By that I mean, figure out a way not to be completely dependent on one source of income without a plan B if that income disappears or decreases.  Admittedly, our family lived solely on my husband's military income for several years while our children were young and I was not working.  It wasn't perfect, but it was more secure than most, and I could always go get a job if needed.  As we get older, I see the value in having a variety of income streams and not raising our standard of living along with the income.  As we receive rent, and I have returned to work, we're trying to keep spending nearly the same amount as before and use the rest to pay off our debts and save more.  We're doing an OK job of it, but I can now more clearly see how important it is.

Sixth (and most importantly, I think), talk to your kids if your life is changing.  I understand why my tenant didn't want to talk to her kids.  I would want to shield my children from financial difficulties, too.  I bet it wasn't any easier once they saw the "for rent" sign in their front yard.  It honestly never occurred to me that her kids didn't know what was happening until I heard about their recent conversation.  It sounds like her teenage children are talking about getting jobs and finding other ways to pitch in during their family's challenging time.  I don't want to second guess, and I don't know their family, but maybe things wouldn't have gotten this bad if they'd been working as a team before now.  (Goodness knows, kids don't like to figure out stuff later.)

I wish this whole situation weren't happening, but it has been a good education for me.  I've learned six valuable lessons, some of which were new lessons and some of which were good reinforcement of stuff I already knew.  Maybe you'll learn a little bit, too.

Becoming A Landlord? 6 Ways to Prepare

There are lots of reasons that you might be considering renting out part or all of your home.  Maybe you are PCSing and your house won't sell, maybe you want to hold on to a starter home while you move up to a larger house, or maybe renting out a room will help you cover your bills each month.  Whatever the reason, becoming a landlord involves a lot of decisions and preparation.

Here are the top six things that you need to consider when you become a landlord:

photo by:  james.thompson

1. Learn everything you can about being a landlord, landlord-tenant law, and other associated information.  Become educated about every aspect of the process before you begin.
2. Budget realistically.  Expenses will probably be higher than you initially estimate.  This could be a huge problem if your tenants don't pay on time or the house requires repairs.  It can be hard when you are a new landlord, but try to put aside a few month's rent for expenses and repairs.  Eventually you will need it!
3. Talk to your insurance company.  Make sure that you have the right insurance coverage for your home - it is a "fire" policy versus a homeowners policy.  It is a good idea to require that your tenants to carry homeowners insurance.  Consider an umbrella liability policy in case your tenant or their guest were to be injured while on your property.
4. Think about whether you want to hire a property manager or manage the property yourself.  In my experience, hiring a property manager was nearly essential.  We were thousands of miles away from the property and did not want to rely on friends or family to help with emergencies.  My property manager has been wonderful, but it took me 5 property managers in two years to find the right fit.  (He's in the Hampton Roads area, if you need a referral.)  Keep in mind that some property management fees might be negotiable - it never hurts to ask.
5. Put everything in writing.  Have a solid lease reviewed by a lawyer.  If you are using a property manager, read through the agreement thoroughly before you sign, and make sure that you have factored all the costs into your budget.
6. Consider the tax implications.  You will need to report all income and expenses to the IRS on a Schedule E, Rental Real Estate.  You can claim an immediate tax benefit if you depreciate your house as an asset, but that will affect the taxes that you pay when you finally sell the house.  Also, the rules for excluding capital gains on home sales changed in 2008.  Previously, you had to live in the home for 2 out of the 5 years prior to selling in order to be able to use the $250,000 per person capital gains exemption.  Now, your exemption will be prorated based on the amount of time that you lived in the house during the five years prior to selling.  For many of us, the amounts are big enough that it doesn't matter (2 people times $250,000 equals $500,000 of exemption, times the percentage of time you lived in the house, still equals a lot of exempt capital gains.)  However, if you purchased your home before the real estate boom and it's value has increased a lot, you will need to consider this carefully.  (Note:  don't forget that military members can defer their sale by up to 10 years if they meet certain qualifications.)

This hits on most of the major topics that you need to consider if you are renting out your home, but there is so much more to it.  Talk to your insurance company, do your homework, and consider hiring a property manager.  Renting your home can be a good choice in many situations, but without all the information, it can easily turn into a big headache.

Here's a link to CNBC segment  in which Carmen Wong Ulrich discussed the issues surrounding renting out your real estate:  http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1022101685

5 Affordable Moving Announcements

Moving gets expensive.  I don't think I need to explain that much.  You need to tell your family and friends your new address, but you don't need to spend a fortune to do it. 

1. Over at Northern Cheapskate, guest poster Susan writes about her experience making her own change of address cards (with a little help from Office Max).  I had no idea that it could be so easy!
2. You can use a free month at Blue Mountain to send out eCards with your new address on it.  There are other companies that also offer free eCards for change of address.  Google "free change of address eCard" for a full list.
3. Use VistaPrint to print affordable postcards or business sized cards with your new address.  That's what I did last time and they were cute, affordable, and fast!  I got a lot of compliments on my cards.  The only downside is that the minimum order was way more than I needed, and I've still got change of address cards from two years ago hanging around my desk.  (I should probably recycle those now.)
4. Enlist your kids to create a sketch of your new place, then include it in a newsy Christmas-style letter.  This is especially good if you missed getting out cards last holiday season.
5. Call people!  If you are in the US, and you unlimited long distance, take a half hour each day to call people and tell them your new address.  This has a multitude of benefits:  it's free, it gives you a chance to catch up with your friends, and you can tell them to write it down "right now!"

I'd love to hear if my readers have any other creative ideas.  I know that we can keep in touch without spending a lot.  So share, okay?

photo by:  RBerteig

How I'm Going to Meet My Financial Goal for 2009

I've been trying to make some new goals for 2009.  It is so hard!  Well, making the goals isn't hard.  What is hard is making goals that are managable, then working out a plan for accomplishing those goals, and then doing the things that you've planned.  But really, a goal isn't very valuable without a plan for accomplishing it.

What are my goals for 2009?  My primary goal is to pay off all non-mortgage debt.  Step one was to make sure I knew exactly how much I needed to pay off.  Then I divided it by 11 to figure out how much I needed to pay each month.  11?  I figure that December is an expensive month anyway, and that it would be better to pay it off before December.  Also, if I get a little behind over the course of the year, I'll have December to catch up and still be successful in paying off all my non-mortgage debt by the end of 2009.

Now that I know how much I'll have to pay each month, then I need to figure out how I'm going to do it.

Photo by:  Mosieur J

There are a couple of ways to attack this, but I think that they all require starting with a list of income and expenses.  After checking out my numbers, it looks like I should be able to pay off this debt without adding any income.  (If the two numbers were close, or (gasp!) my expenses exceeded my income, then more drastic measures might be needed.)  Seeing that my list shows that I should be able to pay this with our current income makes me wonder - what's missing on my list?  And how much unnecessary spending is happening in my family?

Armed with this information, I'm going to make a strong spending plan for 2009.  I know from past experience that tracking my spending is the best way to keep my finances in line.  I might even use the "envelope" method as that has worked well for me in the past.  I'm not in a good position to change any fixed expenses this year (mortgage, insurance, property taxes) but I can make sure that I'm making wise choices about variable expenses:  food, clothing, entertainment, utilities.  Every month, I'm going to try to take small steps to decrease the amount of money I spend in each category.  It is really tempting to go crazy and try to cut all our expenses at once, but I know that the results will probably be short lived.  I know that food is a big one for my family, so I'm going to start there. 

In addition, I will keep my eyes out for ways to add little bits on money to my debt repayment.  I don't really have any time to add another job (plus my husband is deploying, so that might not be the best idea anyway).  However, I can eBay some extra stuff, take unused clothes to the consignment shop and maybe even have a garage sale.  This will help me declutter and make some extra cash at the same time.

If i complete my main goal before the end of 2009, then I'm going to concentrate on putting as much money as possible into my husband's TSP.  Usually, we try to balance our contributions to my IRA, his TSP, and his IRA.  Since he will be deployed for most of 2009, it makes sense to stash more in TSP for this year and take advantage of the fact that it will be forever tax free.

What are your goals for 2009, and how do you plan on accomplishing them?

8 Ways to Save at Restaurants

As much as I try to limit our restaurant eating, there are three events that seem to increase the number of times we eat out:  birthdays, traveling, and moving.  With four kids and two adults, eating in restaurants gets expensive pretty quickly.  There are a couple of strategies that we use to make sure that our final bill doesn't exceed our budget.  Check them out:

Photo by:  markhillary

1. Choose your restaurants wisely.  Ask around, search the internet, or check the local family magazine for good choices.  Our family is fond of Friendly's (mostly because the kids get ice cream with their meals.)  Look for special nights such as half price burgers or all-you-can-eat pasta.
2. Drink water.  We do let the kids get drinks if they are included in the kids' meal, but the grownups usually stick to water, with the occasional splurge on iced tea or coffee (free refills!).
3. Check for deals.  Resort towns usually have a lot of newspaper offers, especially in the freebie mags in the hotel foyers.  You might find early birds or similar promotions in regular newspapers. Many restaurants, especially chains, offer printable on-line coupons at their websites.
4. Keep an eye out for "kids eat free" offers.  I usually google the name of the town plus "kids eat free."  There are a couple of websites that are trying to put together a comprehensive list of kids eat free offers:  Kids Eat 4 Free, MyKidsEatFree, and Coupon Diva's Kids Eat Free page are the best country-wide sites I've found so far.  Always call ahead to verify that they're still offering the deal.  Most end at age 10 or 12, and they usually have a limit of one or two free kids' meals with each adult entree purchased.
5. Join restaurant birthday clubs.  Many restaurants offer birthday deals, and you can sign up for the chain restaurant's lists online.  Freebies4Mom has a comprehensive list on their Birthday Freebies page.  Some offers will have short expiration dates, but others will be good for a long time.  I sign up each member of my family, and keep the offers in my glove box when we travel or move.  Sometimes we are only able to use one or two coupons on a visit, but I've been known to get lucky and use four at a time!  (I always ask to use all that I have - the worst they can do is say "no."
6. Consider purchasing an Entertainment book, which offers 2-for-1 dining and a variety of other substantial discounts.  The books are good from their publishing in August through the following November, for a total of 15 months.  They are a little pricey, at a regular price of $25-$40 per book, but the price starts to go down before Christmas and continues to drop through the summer.  Check this list to see if books are available for the area in which you live, travel or move to!  From this page, you can look at the offers available in each individual book and see if it would work for you.  I have heard people say that they would never get their money's worth out of an Entertainment book, but I can't imagine how that is true.  My local book retails for $30 (but I can get it for $20 if I wait a couple of months) and includes $20 in local grocery store coupons on the front page.  Add in one nice restaurant meal and I've paid for the book already.  In addition, I find that the Entertainment book offers for hotels and rental cars are often the best deals I can find.
7. Order wisely.  Even if you're just getting pizza or driving through a fast food place, take a moment to consider your options.  Would three medium pizzas be cheaper than two large?  Can you split an entree, or order an appetizer for your meal?
8. Hit the buffet line.  Chinese buffets are a favorite in my family, but other kinds of buffets can also work well.  While you won't find the most elegant food on your average buffet, they do usually include a nice variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, plus enough variety to please even your pickiest eater.  Lunch buffets are less expensive than dinner buffets, and children's prices are almost always based upon age.

As you can see, there are many ways to keep restaurant dining affordable.  Combine a couple of strategies to make sure that your next trip, celebration or move doesn't break the bank.

Financial Readiness Challenge Events

Would you like a little in-person financial education?  Do you have specific questions and wonder who to ask?  Well, the Department of Defense has something just for you!  In conjunction with installation commanders, the DOD has begun offering Financial Readiness Challenge Events at locations across the country.  Available to military members and their families, these events will provide both workshops and individual financial counseling.

From the DefenseLink news article:

"Hands-on workshop sessions will provide information on debt elimination, investing, car- and home-buying strategies, the Thrift Savings Plan and retirement planning, building a better budget and spending plan, paying for college, identity theft, credit reports, and what to do in today's economy, officials said."

At some locations, special children's programs and child care may be available with pre-registration.

This is the current schedule:

TODAY:  Lackland Air Force Base

January 7th:  Beale Air Force Base (child care available)

January 24th:  Fort Belvoir, Virginia

February 23rd:  Naval Base Kitsap, Washington

February 25th:  Norfolk, Virginia

March 7th:  Fort Polk, Louisiana

I'm sure that more are being planned, but I couldn't find any exact dates for other locations yet.

Registration is available through MilitaryHomefront. The site also includes flyers, agendas, and other information as it becomes available.  What a great program!  I can't wait to attend - I'll be sure to tell you all about it.

Gas Savings Really Add Up

I've always had a "two credit card" plan, but this summer I found an offer so good that I thought it was worth adding another card to my stash.  Pentagon Federal Credit Union's Visa Platinum Gas Cash Rewards card offers 5% cash back on gas purchases, and the reward is credited monthly.  On our trip to visit Grandmom and Granddad this summer, (when gas was rreeaallyy expensive), we received nearly $100 back on our huge gas bill.

This card also offers 2% back on grocery purchases and 1% on other purchases, but for my family this is a "gas only" card that can be used at any gas station.  While it has no annual fee, this 13.99% APR is higher than my NFCU and USAA cards and therefore I wouldn't ever want to carry a balance on this card.  You might want to see if Penfed's offer would work for you.

USAA Educational Foundation: An Amazing Resource

Do you know about The USAA Educational Foundation?  Created in 1989,  The USAA Educational Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides consumer information publications to military members and the general public.  It is sponsored by USAA, but it does not endorse the products of any particular company.  The Foundation offers online information, downloadable publications, and free hard copy publications on a variety of topics including:

• Choosing, Buying, Selling, Leasing, Insuring and Owning a Vehicle
• Home and Personal Safety
• Insurance
• Financial Planning and Management
• Buying, Selling or Renting a Home
• PCS, Deployment, and Leaving the Military
• Preparing For, Financing, and Succeeding in College
• Elder Care Issues
• Estate Planning and After-Loss Changes

I've enjoyed several of The USAA Educational Foundation's publications and I've found them to be helpful and easy to read.  Click on over to their site and take a look around.  I imagine that you'll find something helpful!

The Case for Separate Credit Cards

Today, I'm going to tell you why I think that you and your spouse should have separate credit card accounts.  I know that there are some people who will disagree with me, and others who believe that you should never have any credit cards at all.  It is my opinion that a properly used credit card can be a useful tool, and that the benefits are increased if each spouses maintains their own accounts.

Here's why:

1. While it is easier to just pay one bill each month, having separate accounts will make your life much easier if your wallet (or entire identity) is stolen.  Last year, someone took my husband's things from a gym locker.  After canceling his cards, he had to get a new drivers license, over the internet because we don't live in the state from which his driver's license is issued.  Ordering the license required a credit card and because we have separate accounts, he was able to use my credit card to get a new license.  Were our accounts together, canceling his card would have inactivated mine until new numbers were issued.  It was a minor inconvenience, but imagine if this had happened while we were traveling or PCSing.  What a pain that would have been!  I know that there are ways to pay for hotel rooms without a credit card, but mid-move isn't the time that I want to figure out how to manage that.  Extend this small example of a stolen wallet to a widespread case of identity theft and I believe it is easy to see how helpful it would be to have your account separate while you are sorting out the chaos of someone using your personal information.
2. If you have already established a good credit history, opening and closing of accounts will negatively affect your credit score.  Eventually it will recover, but it may take a long time.  You particularly do not want to close your oldest accounts, as the length of that account makes up a sizable portion of your credit score.
3. If you are separated, divorced or widowed, your financial situation may be very challenging for a while.  The tumultuous times of divorce or death are not the right time for you to be trying to build up a credit history.  It is not fun to think about, but unless you and your spouse were to die at the same time, all of us will be managing our own money for some period of time.  When my grandmother was widowed, she was very unpleasantly surprised to discover that she didn't have any credit in her own name.  All of the family's credit accounts had been issued in my grandfather's name.  She was very fortunate that she had the time to slowly build up a credit history without any large life events, such as the purchase of a new home, in the meantime.
4. As long as we're on unpleasant subjects, maintaining separate credit can provide you with some safety in the event your spouse were to suddenly begin making bad financial decisions.  Depending on your exact situation, you may not be liable for credit card bills run up by your partner if you are not attached to the account.

I have friends who are convinced that having separate credit card accounts shows a lack of trust or even some bigger issue.  For me, it is a sensible and useful way to make sure that both partners are building positive credit histories, as well as helping to make our lives run as smoothly as possible.

What do you think?

Snacking on the Road

My family has spent a lot of time in the car this summer.  One PCS, one visit to the grandparents, one visit to Dad, who was TDY, plus various shorter trips to see other relatives and friends.  Along the way, there have been a lot of meals and snacks.  I understand that eating is necessary.  However, I get frustrated because it tends to be expensive.  We've been experimenting with various ways to have tasty, easy and enjoyable food on the go.  There are three basic choices:  bringing food with you, buying restaurant food, or buying fresh foods.  Let's explore each one:

FOOD FROM HOME:

Pros:  Can be inexpensive.  Can use food that might spoil while you're gone.  Doesn't require stopping while driving (though you may choose to stop).

Cons:  Requires preparation.  May need to be refrigerated.  Takes up space in the car.  May result in car trash (ugh!)

Ideas:  Sandwiches, fresh fruit & veggies, dried fruit, nuts, popcorn, crackers, rice cakes, pretzels, bagels, granola bars.

Thoughts:  We finally purchased a small cooler that plugs into the car.  It has kept our cold things cold and made bringing our own food more practical.  It does take up room in the car, however, and you have to be careful to make sure not to run down your battery.  (Yes, I've done that.)

BUYING RESTAURANT FOOD:

Pros:  Can provide a break from the car.  Doesn't require preplanning.  Easy to please a variety of tastes.  Usually clean restrooms.

Cons:  Expensive.  Time consuming.  Often unhealthy.  Disagreement over restaurant choices (in populated areas) or difficulty finding a restaurant (in less populated places.)

Ideas:  Local restaurants can provide variety to the usual fare.  However, picky kids can be comforted by familiar choices.  The choices are endless:  national chains, Chinese buffets, pizza parlors, BBQ restaurants, delis, or local favorites.

Thoughts:  Whether a sit-down restaurant or a speedy drive-Thur, restaurant food can be expensive and unhealthy.  Consider picking one meal a day for your big break from driving.

BUYING FRESH FOODS:

Pros:  Fresh food.  Doesn't require refrigeration.  No preparation before leaving home.  Excellent variety available.

Cons:  May require supplies (utensils, cutting board, knife, napkins.)  Can still be expensive.  Time consuming if you don't have a plan.

Ideas:  Veggie trays, salad bar items, cheese and crackers, fresh fruit, yogurt or cottage cheese, sushi,  ice cream treats.

Thoughts:  My family love to go groceries for snacks or meals.  I think that we usually make good choices and don't rely too much on junk-type food.  Splurge on Prue-cut fruits and vegetables or single-serve size products.  Consider keeping a stash of paper goods, a cutting board & a good knife in the car.

I'm sure there are lots of ideas that I haven't even considered.  Please share your frugal strategies for eating on the road.  Together we can keep those meals from breaking the budget.

Rent, Buy, or Base Housing: A PCS Question

Every PCS, military families are faced with the same questions: Should we live on base? Should we try to buy a house? Should we rent a house off base? Occasionally, the choices are limited - maybe the wait for base housing is longer than your tour, or maybe you aren't in a position to buy a house. Other times, you have to carefully consider all three choices and figure out which is going to work out best for you.

Admittedly, civilian families have to make the same choices when they move. However, they don't tend to move as often or as far as military families. Society seems to emphasize home ownership as economically sound and immensely rewarding, but there are many factors that can make buying a home more expensive and more stressful than renting or living on a military base. There are numerous online calculators that can help you crunch the numbers, but what other things do you need to think about before you choose your new home? There are a million questions to ask yourself; here are a few to get you thinking.

What is your housing allowance?

How much is rent in your new community?

How much do houses cost in your new community?

Do you have savings? Will you still have savings after a down payment?  Do you have debt?

How long will you be in the area? How sure are you?

What are taxes? How much will they rise? What about other fees & mandatory utilities?

If you have children, how are the schools?

How far is it from work?

Will you be absent frequently? What about security?

Do you enjoy privacy or a neighborly atmosphere?

Do you know how to do maintenance? Do you enjoy it?

Do you have pets?

How much room do you need? Could you use less? Could you use more?

Do you have a large family? Are you single? A couple with no children?

Do you like to entertain large groups?

Do you like amenities such as a pool or exercise rooms?

What kind of military housing is available? Where is it located? Is it near your work? Is it in a safe area?

These are just a few of the questions that you need to ask yourself before you make a decision. There are many websites that discuss the pros and cons of each, but so far I haven't found any that address military member's unique situation. Even with the guidance of such sites, the choice is a very personal decision based on so many factors. My family has chosen each option at least twice in the 9 places we've lived and we have to make a new decision each time we move. I would love to hear what you think!

Packing for the Road

Whether a cross-country PCS or a fun weekend trip, traveling is more fun (and a heck of a lot less expensive) when you're not stopping every hour to buy something that you've forgotten. I've been scouring the internet for packing lists and I've found a few good ones at OneBag.com, Rick Steve's website, at About.com, and at a site appropriately called Packing List Advice.

Here's my own personal list of things that I regularly forget (or purposely don't pack and know that I'll have to buy as soon as we arrive): zip-top bags, beach toys, a cutting board and knife, a wine opener, nail clippers, and paper towels and/or baby wipes.

Over the years, I have randomly begun working on various packing lists but have never made a good one. I can't even begin to figure how much time and money I've wasted wandering around some mega-store searching out last minute items. In the future, I think I'll just print off one of these lists and adapt it to my own needs.  Maybe that way I'll spend more time in the sun and less time in the stores!