Here is a guest post by Anna Kavich. Republished with permission from Offers.com:
From fast food chains and flower delivery to travel and college tuition,
you’d be surprised at how many companies offer discounts for those on
active military duty and veterans. Considering their sacrifice to
protect our country, it seems like the least we can do to say thanks.
According to ConsumerCredit.com,
93% of military personnel have a mortgage and 91% have at least one
credit card. These looming monthly payments can be difficult to make –
especially with members deployed all over the world with sparse
communication.
In fact, the Center for Responsible Lending determined
in 2005 that 20% of active military members had taken out a payday
loan. With soldiers, veterans and military families struggling to make
ends meet, it’s no surprise that discounts and offers are widely used.
Check out our collection of top military discounts, including:
A word of advice, though, from Austin army spouse and Offers.com graphic
artist Kristen Burroughs: “Just be sure to check with any company
before expecting to receive a good deal.”
Many stores and websites will
offer a “military discount” that is actually much higher than the
regularly advertised price. Though hard to fathom, military discount
scams are actually a frequent occurrence. The Better Business Bureau Military Line warns against some of the most common cases.
Military Discount Scams:
Military Discount Scams:
How does one avoid these sticky situations? “Discounts change by
store and location all the time,” Burroughs said. “You learn how to
ask.”
Burroughs has been saving here and there with military discounts for
four years while her husband, Dave, has been a sergeant in the army. He
is currently assigned to the air defense unit and has been deployed
twice – once to Korea and then to Kuwait. They currently live in
Killeen, a town about an hour outside of Austin where Fort Hood is
located.
“I have a 68.9 mile commute every day to work in Austin,” said Burroughs. “I definitely take advantage of oil change discounts at
Jiffy Lube and Firestone.” Burroughs and her husband also use an
exclusive military discount on their Verizon phone bill as well as the
occasional retail shopping experience. “Old Navy usually has a 10% off
military discount in store on Mondays.”
What are the best military discounts?
Although shopping and utilities savings are great, Burroughs confirmed that the best deals she's found have been for travel. As you can imagine, military families spend a majority of their time circumventing the globe. Whether it’s to move to the next post or to visit far-away family, many like Burroughs are often on the go.
She
said saving on airfare is
huge and companies like Southwest, Delta, and American Airlines always
offer military discounts. Burroughs also said that pretty much any hotel
will offer a 10-20% discount.
Car rental is
another top category for military discounts. Burroughs recalled a time
when she and her husband were visiting family in Pennsylvania and needed
to rent a car. It was going to cost a whopping $400 for the week, but
with her USAA discount the total came to a much more affordable $150.
Although
they don’t currently take advantage of too many restaurant or shopping
military discounts, Burroughs said that this will definitely change when
they have children.
“Especially with the back to school season, I can imagine using discounts to save money that we can put toward school supplies.”
“Especially with the back to school season, I can imagine using discounts to save money that we can put toward school supplies.”
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the 2008 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award semifinalist MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Navy thriller LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS. Phyllis is the co-founder of the digital marketing company Miller Mosaic LLC, which works with clients to utilize integrated online marketing. Read her book-related posts at www.PhyllisZimblerMiller.com
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