Super Savings for Military Moms

Posted by Mary Davis on Dec 13, 2011 in Blog, Financial Tips, Guide | 0 comments

photo provided by o5com

It’s tough being a mom, and military moms often have the added challenge of balancing work, managing the house, and taking care of the kids while their spouses are deployed. Just Military Loans understands that juggling all these responsibilities isn’t easy, which is why we’re providing more than military lending – we’re helping you maintain your superhero status with these valuable tips for military moms on a budget.

• Tip #1:  Eat in! Eating out on a regular basis adds up to a lot of money very quickly. Often times it’s much cheaper (and healthier!) to prepare meals at home. Making your family’s meals does take a bit more time – a precious commodity for moms – but it’s completely doable with a little planning. To solve the weekday time-crunch problem, make large meals on the weekend and freeze the leftovers; in a few weeks you’ll have a freezer full of homemade meals that are ready in a snap. Another idea is to set up a meal swap with a neighbor. It doesn’t take that much more effort to make additional servings of a meal, and this set-up gives you a night off from cooking every week!

• Tip #2:  Create a budget and stick with it. By allotting a certain amount of money for groceries, entertainment, bills, and other expenses, you can keep unnecessary spending under control. You can also discover places you can save money by tracking all your expenses in a spreadsheet or by using an online program.

• Tip #3:  Save on your grocery bill. Before you head to the grocery store, make a list (to discourage you from buying things you don’t need!) and check the weekly ads to find out which stores are offering the best deals on what you need. You can also subscribe to the Sunday edition of your city’s newspaper, which usually costs less than $2 per week and contains numerous money-saving coupons. Many stores’ websites, such as CVS and Target, will email you weekly coupons if you sign up to receive updates on store sales and promotions. There are also numerous coupon websites where you can swap, sell, and buy coupons.

• Tip #4:  Take advantage of military perks. Visit the commissary to do your weekly shopping – it’s usually much cheaper than the grocery store down the street. Planning a vacation? Remember to take advantage of your Space A privileges to save on airfare. If you need a new home appliance, gardening supplies, or even cleaning products, Depot and Lowe’s both offer 10% off to military families. You can also take advantage of military discounts from GM, Scion, and Toyota if you’re in the market for a car.

Are you a super military mom? Do you have another suggestion about how moms can save their family money?