To Buy or Not To Buy

The question always seems to be 'should we buy a home now or wait till we retire'? People argue about it both ways, but it's suprising how often I see that question asked in the military community.

My ex and bought a house. It had some issues and we weren't smart enough at the time to realize what we were getting in to. It wasn't the actual buying of the house that was the problem, but the house we bought. We put it up for sale when we separated. It took 2 years to sell. Hubby bought a house at his last duty station. He bought it when he was single, with the intention of selling it when he PCSed.  He rented his spare bedrooms out to single guys to put some extra money in his pocket every month. Eventually, we all lived there as a family. We still have that house. We have it rented and we are making a small amount of change on it every month. He bought the house new, so we haven't had any major issues (fingers crossed). We haven't deceided how long we are going to keep it though. Part of me wants to sell it. We don't plan on buying another house until we retire, so we would just sell it within the next five years or so. The other part of me wants to keep the rental income. It's a relatively safe investment, especially since we can afford the mortgage even if we don't have renter's.

Even in Okinawa, this question comes up. Homebuying courses are offered by the Marine Corps and the Air Force here. I wouldn't think there would be such a demand, but I guess there is since they continue to offer the class.

Many people want to take advantage of their military VA loans and buy a house now. A person either gets sick of living in housing or just wants to be a homeowner. How nice is it to not have to worry about if your yard is mowed or if your boat is parked in the driveway or your neighbors hearing you through your paperthin duplex walls. Others are content to rent or live in housing. It saves the hassle of so much - maintenance, possibly yard work or even not having to pay utilities. It is nice knowing that with hubby deployed, I can call my housing agency if I have a problem. The only thing I've called them for since he has been gone is a clogged toilet and then a total brainfart on my end.

If you do plan on buying a house while in the military, know the area. Know what houses are worth and the condition of the market. You could get the best deal on the house, but if you can't sell it when you leave, it may not be worth being able to paint the walls any color you want. It truly is a personal decision and definitely not one size fits all.

Murphy's Law Is In Full Force

This was my yesterday.

Three or four weeks ago, I got hubby's van fixed.

I knew there was something wrong with it.

It was drivable, but I just left it parked until he nagged me enough to take it in.

Roughly $500 and a tow later, it was fixed. 

Fast forward to last week. 

I was backing my van into my parking space, in my parking lot, and something happened.

The check engine light came on, the drive light on the dash started flashing, even though I was in reverse, and it smelled like something was burning.

Fun.

I did some extensive googling and it may possibly be the transmission.

I let it sit and didn't drive it again until yesterday.

I drove it to base to take it to the shop and have them look at it.

It started doing the same crap again on my way there. 

Took it to the shop and they wouldn't look at it.

How long does it take to hook it up to one of those things to read the codes?

I had to make an appointment. 

For March 28.

Whatever, I left. 

I could tell it was wanting to die when I slowed down, so I made rolling stops all over base.

When I got to the gate, I had to stop. 

There were 2 cars in front of me waiting for the light.

It died on me. 

I started it back up, it died again.

I got out to tell the gate guard what was going on.

 I got it started enough to move it to the side and it died again.

Good thing I get free towing while hubby is deployed!!!

Called the tow truck, it was the same guy.

A friend came and got me and took us home.

I went back to the shop today, just a wee bit pissed.

They'll look at it when they can.

She couldn't give me a day even, but said it would probably be before my appointment on the 28th.

Too bad I can't just have them tow it to another base.

I'm thinking it's not going to be worth fixing.

The van is 16 years old and we bought it for $1K.

It's crappy even for Okinawa.

All the money we've been saving while he is deployed and it's probably going to be spent on a new car.

It was almost to 200,000 km too.

It's been one thing after another the past few weeks.

The first half of this deployment was a breeze and now it's kicking my ass.

States Giving Rebates for Veterans

I've posted about this before, but these are always good for reposting!

Certain states are giving rebates or bonuses for veterans. In most cases, a person must have been a resident of the state at the time of service and at the time of application. These apply for recent veterans and back to WWII.

Iowa
Vietnam Conflict Veterans Bonus.

• Must have served at least 120 days between July 1, 1973, and May 31, 1975
• Payment of $17.50 per month for service in the Vietnam service area.
• Payment of $12.50 per month for service outside of the Vietnam service area.
• Maximum payment of $500.

Massachusetts
Offers a variety of bonus program for veterans of most recent conflicts, including World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, and the Global War on Terror.

• World War II:  $100 payment for one day to six months active service, $200 payment for six months or more stateside service, and $300 payment for foreign service.
• Korean War:  $100 payment for one day to six months active service, $200 payment for six months or more stateside service, and $300 payment for foreign service.
• Vietnam War:  $200 payment for six months or more active duty service, and $300 payment for service in Vietnam.
• Persian Gulf War:  for service of 30 days or more between August 2, 1990 to April 10, 1991; outside the Persian Gulf area, $300 payment, in the Persian Gulf area and awarded the Southwest Asia Service Medal, $500 payment
• Global War On Terror:  $1000 for a deployment to Afghanistan or Iraq, $500 for 6 months of active duty service outside of Afghanistan or Iraq (not including National Guard or Reserve training) and additional $500 bonus for subsequent deployments to Afghanistan or Iraq.

Alabama
Bonus payment to any service member who was a prisoner of war North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia.  This is also available to survivors of POWs who died while a prisoner.
See the Alabama Veterans’ Benefits page.

Illinois
Offers two separate bonus programs, one for World War II and one for Korean, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf Conflict.

• World War II $10 per month for domestic service and $15 per month for foreign service is payable to a veteran who was a resident of Illinois at time of entering service, served at least 60 days on active duty between September 16, 1940 and September 3, 1945, and received an honorable discharge. Survivors are entitled to a benefit of $1,000, if the veteran’s death was service-connected and within the period specified.
• Korea $100 for service between June 27, 1950 and July 27, 1953, and receipt of the Korean Service Medal
• Vietnam $100 for service between January 1, 1961 and March 28, 1973, and receipt of the Vietnam Service Medal or the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Era
• Persian Gulf Conflict $100 for service between August 2, 1990 and November 30, 1995 and receipt of the Southwest Asia Service Medal.

For more information, see the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits page.

New Hampshire
Their Global War on Terrorism Bonus was scheduled to expire on June 11, 2009, but there are provisions for the acceptance of applications after that date.  Since the conflict is still happening, I imagine there is some way around it.

• Global War on Terrorism  Bonus of $100.   Available to anyone who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001 and on or before a date to be determined by the Secretary of Defense, and who earned the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal or Afghanistan Campaign, or Iraq Campaign Medal; and who was discharged, released or has a certificate of service there from, with an honorable discharge, or who is missing in action or who was killed in action.
• There is also the possibility to file for service during the Vietnam conflict or service during the Persian Gulf War.

See the New Hampshire State Department of Veterans Services War Bonus page.

Ohio
 Payments to any veteran on active duty anywhere in the world for purposes other than training between August 2, 1990 and March 3, 1991 or any time since October 7, 2001.

• Up to $100 per month of eligible duty in Iraq (since March 19, 2003), Afghanistan (since October 7, 2001) or the Persian Gulf (August 2, 1990-March 3, 1991, up to a maximum of $1000
• Up to $50 per month of eligible active duty elsewhere during the same time period, up to a maximum of $500
• Total maximum possible benefit of $1500

See the Ohio Veterans Bonus Program Website

Pennsylvania
Offers the Persian Gulf Veterans Bonus program.

• Service in the Persian Gulf from August 2, 1990 to March 3, 1991, and receipt of the Southwest Asia Service Medal
• Bonus payment of $75 for each month (or major fraction thereof) of service.

See the Pennsylvania Persian Gulf Veterans Bonus Program

South Dakota
Offers a $500 bonus for military members who were South Dakota residents for the six months preceding their military service and served during the following dates:

• August 2, 1990 to March 3, 1991 — All active service counts for payment.
• March 4, 1991 to December 31, 1992 — Only service in a hostile area qualifying for the Southwest Asia Service Medal counts for payment.
• January 1, 1993 to September 10, 2001 — Only service in a hostile area qualifying for any United States campaign or service medal awarded for combat operations against hostile forces counts for payment.
• September 11, 2001 to a date to be determined — All active service counts for payment.
• Service both before December 31,192 and after January 1, 1993 may qualify you for two $500 bonuses.

For more information, see the South Dakota Veterans Bonus page.

West Virginia
Offers a bonus to veterans who served in Afghanistan, Iraq or Kosovo.

• Payment of $600 for eligible service members who served in a combat zone and earned the applicable campaign badge or expeditionary medal.
• Payment of $400 for eligible service members who served during the applicable time periods but did not meet the qualifications for the $600 payment.
• Payment of $2000 to the survivor of a military member killed in action during the applicable times.

For more information, see the West Virginia Veterans’ Bonus web page.

Missouri
Offers a bonus to veterans who served during WWII or Korea

• Must have been Honorably Discharged from the military. Persons receiving the bonus may not be paid if the person has receivied a bonus from any other state, is incarcerated for conviction of a felony, or violated the Selective Service Act. 
• $15 per month but not to exceed $400

Info is limited, but check here or here.

Vermont

• Pays $10 per month served, not to exceed $120

For more information, see the Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs page.


Minnesota
Offers a grant of an undetermined amount available to all veterans of the states.

For more information, see the Minnesotans Military Appreciation Fund page.

For more info on all the states, see here and here. 

Military Pay Calculator

Military.com has a new pay calculator.

Basically, you put in your basic information - pay grade, years in, dependents - and then choose the extras. It fills in your base pay and you can then add BAS, BAH, any incentive pay or pay that you would get from a deployment.

This can be helpful if a PCS is in the future. You can pick the location of the BAH or COLA rates, to be able to determine what your pay will be at the next duty station.

It's worth checking out!

Petition for the Proposed Military Pay Freeze

I found a petition in regards to the proposed pay freeze on the military.  Go here to sign it.

I posted about this the other day. I don't think it's the worst idea in the world, but there are much better ways to save money.  If they are going to give the military and all government employees a pay freeze, then Congress (and the Representatives, and Obama, and everyone else) needs one too. They could be considered government employees, right? Like I said the other day, if it's only the annual cost of living raise that is frozen, it's not as big of a deal. Those raises aren't that much. If they take away the promotion and years of service raises, then that is another story. I will scream bloody murder if they want to take those away.

Go through and read some of the comments. Sign it too if you want. I don't think these things make a difference though. The numbers would need to be in the millions before anyone would even look at it. We all know the government does what they want, not what the people want. *Cough, Cough* Healthcare.

The comments prove how uneducated people (I'm not trying to judge, I make stupid comments all the time. Ask my husband. Just know what you are fighting for, before you jump in the fight.) are. A couple comments said things about how wrong it is to take the military's salary away. No one is taking their salary. They can't do that. Other comments said that the pay of professional athletes and celebrities should be frozen. You can freeze them, but that won't help the deficit any.

Other comments talk about how military families struggle on the income now. I don't doubt that, especially the lower ranks. Most military families make it on one income. In some locations, it's hard for the spouse to get a job. I haven't found one worth the time yet here. I did get a job offer, but the pay pretty much equaled the cost of daycare. I'm not going to work to pay for my kid's daycare. However, one comment said her husband had been in 14 years, yet they were on food stamps and not able to afford the necessities. That one, I don't understand. My husband has been in 14 years. We are surviving fine, even on just his income. It would be nice if we had an additional income from me, but we are paying the bills, feeding the kids, and have some left for fun extras.

I could spend all day reading these comments. Most are worth the read. I don't think that this will actually pass. If it does, it will pass without the pay freeze and possibly the co-pays on Tricare. Obama was never a big supporter of the military. He didn't come up with this plan, some Congressmen did. But if this passes, it will really show what the government thinks of our military. Don't bite the hand that kills for you. I feel like I'm contradicting myself. I'm not opposed to the pay freeze, I'm opposed to the IDEA of it.

Glenn Beck's Opinion on Military Pay

Yesterday, I posted my thoughts to the Senate's proposal to put a freeze on all military and government pay.  I missed the first 15 minutes of the show, but Glenn Beck apparently was talking about some of the same things on last Friday's episode. He made some interesting points I had to share.

He pointed out that after 4 years in the Army, the average E-4 Specialist makes $22,676 a year.

The average American makes $50,462.

The average government employee makes $74,403.

The base (starting pay, not average) pay for Congress is $174,000.

He didn't mention anything about the proposed pay cuts (not that I heard anyways), but he did say that Congress is there to serve the people. The people put them there. Therefore, they should not make more or have better benefits that anyone in the service. Congress should have the same annual income. They should go to the VA hospital and get the same care the veterans get. It's only fair, right? Why should the servants make more than the protectors of the people? Beck went on to say that Congress would never stoop so low. They have wonderful health care. Better than any of us could imagine. He did think that maybe a compromise could be made. Meet me in the middle somewhere. We all know that will never happen though.

The whole show was about the military. His audience was all West Point cadets and instructors. I just thought it was funny that he made the point to say this. Not many will come out and say the military is underpaid. He said it. Flat out.

Federal Budget Cuts - Military Included

I keep reading blog posts about how mad everyone is that a few Senators proposed the military's pay be frozen for 3 years. The details of the entire plan are below. I couldn't help but add my thoughts. Keep in mind though, that I am not currently working. Hubby's income is our only source of income. These pay raises effect us too.

For the past couple years, many in the private sector have not had pay raises. They have also had days furloughed and some have had pay cuts. Many reports say that government employees make more than comparable positions in the private sector. This is necessary in some cases, since the positions have special requirements like security clearances.

If only the annual cost of living pay raise is frozen, I don't think it's that big of a deal. Those are teeny increases. The raises one gets for a promotion or years in service are the larger raises. They don't get those raises in the private sector. What does bother me is that it will ultimately effect our retirement pay. If hubby was to retire in 3 years, then it would be based on his base pay then. If the raises were frozen, it would a lower amount than if the raises were still in effect. Talk of reworking the retirement system is in the plan as well. A person would be fully vested after 10 years, but not start receiving payments until age 60. That would only be done to future personnel. It is rare to see a pension plan anymore and that is still a good one. Do ten years or more, get your education, and then a person can get out and do as they want.

The plan also talks about reducing the number of military personnel overseas from 150,000 to 100,000 and closing several DOD schools stateside. These both seem like decent money savers. As well as base pay, BAH will also be frozen. This year, our BAH decreased. Since housing costs have fallen, so did our BAH. It will take a few years for the housing market to recover, so this is not a big issue to me either.

Ultimately, I don't think a pay freeze for government employees is the answer to cutting the deficit. It's a drop in the bucket in the gov't's budget.  Cut the number of personnel overseas, close some schools, maybe cut back the huge bonuses. The gov't needs to get smart though and cut the stupid wasteful spending, not necessary spending. If they really meant business, they would put a freeze on their own pay, but we all know that will never happen!

Plan Details

“MODERNIZE” TRICARE TRICARE premiums and fees would climb for working-age military retirees, except more modestly than proposed earlier by the Bush and Obama administrations. Employers, however, would have to reimburse the government their normal share of health costs if a military retiree on the payroll opts to use TRICARE rather than employer health insurance. The aim is to end a $3 billion a year government “subsidy” of what should be “a normal business expense” for civilian employers.
All TRICARE beneficiaries including active duty family members would face a co-payment for office visits, to reduce their “higher than average usage of health care.” Also, a “modest enrollment fee” would be set for all three TRICARE options, including fee-for-service coverage under TRICARE Standard and the preferred provider network using TRICARE Extra.
Finally, TRICARE would be subject to PAYGO or “pay-as-you-go” budget deficit rules so that any future increases in military health benefits are paid for through higher premiums, co-pays and deductibles.
FEDERAL PAY FREEZE: Military and federal civilian employees would see pay charts frozen for three years “to reflect the current economic and fiscal crisis” that has hit most private sector employees. Only combat pay would be exempt. The freeze would affect basic pay and housing allowances saving $7.6 billion in compensation and tax breaks in 2015. Holding down basic pay also would dampen accrual retirement costs by $1.6 billion a year.
PERSONNEL OVERSEAS: The number of military members assigned to bases in Europe and Asia would fall by a third, from 150,000 down to 100,000, to save $8.5 billion.
STATESIDE SCHOOLS: The Department of Defense would close 58 primary and secondary schools that it still operates for more than 19,000 dependent children in Alabama, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Begun on base when schools in the South were racially segregated, “it is no longer clear why the system is still necessary” at a cost per student of $51,000 in fiscal 2011, rising to $81,000 by 2015.
COLA “REFORM”: A new, more efficient formula would be used to set cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for Social Security and veterans benefits, military and federal annuities and survivor benefits. The co-chairmen said the current COLA formula fails to take into account new consumer choices made for their market basket when other products become too pricey.
FUTURE MILITARY RETIREMENT: The current 20-year system would be replaced, presumably for new entrants, with a plan that vests benefits after only 10 years and delays those annuities until age 60.

Read more: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/nov/12/tom-philpott-debt-panel-eyes-tricare-fee-federal/#ixzz159nMi2e6

13 Birthday Freebies and Discounts

• Aveda: Birthday-club members receive a free product—up to a $25 value—custom blended with the aroma of their choice to be redeemed within two months.
  
• Baskin-Robbins: You’ll receive an e-mail coupon for a free scoop of ice cream and a discount on a birthday cake when you join the Birthday Club.
  
• Benihana: Sign up for the Chef’s Table e-newsletter and you will get an e-mail with a gift certificate for dinner worth up to $30 to be used during your birth month.
  
• Cold Stone Creamery: Sign up for its birthday club and receive a free treat on your special day.
  
• DSW: Loyalty members, who participate in a rewards program, get a $5 certificate that’s good through the member’s entire birthday month.
  
• Express: Customers who are store credit-card holders receive a $10 coupon to be applied toward their next purchase during their birth month.
  
• IHOP: By joining the Pancake Revolution, you’ll eat for free three times—once when you sign up for IHOP’s mailing list, once on your birthday, and once a year after you register.
  
• New York & Company: Store credit-card holders receive a coupon for up to 25 percent off purchases (in store and online), valid during their birth month.
  
• Old Navy: Subscribe to Old Navy e-mails and receive $10 off purchases of $50 or more (online and in stores) for two weeks during your birth month.
  
• Red Robin: Enroll in the eClub or the Red Royalty program and score a free burger.
  
• Ruby Tuesday’s: Sign up for the So Connected list at rubytuesday.com and get a free burger on your birthday and other food and bar redemption offers during the year.
  
• Starbucks: Toast your day with a free cappuccino (or another drink of your choice) when you have a My Starbucks Rewards card. (Pick one up at any location.) The more you use it, the more freebies you can get, including gratis syrups and refills.
  
• Victoria’s Secret: Angel credit-card holders receive either a $10-off coupon for in-store purchases or an e-mailed coupon code good for $10 off online during their birth month.

and…

1 Birthday Gift for Your Pet

• Petco: Register Buster’s D.O.B. (or adoption date) in the Birthday Club and get 10 percent off products during that month.

States Giving Rebates for Veterans

Certain states are apparently giving rebates to veterans. In most cases, a person must have been a resident of the state at the time of service and at the time of application. These apply for recent veterans and back to WWII. Click here for more info. This is great if anyone applies!