It’s not a secret that many military families live paycheck to paycheck. We see it in social media when a family needs to borrow diapers, groceries, or formula for a couple days because an emergency came up and they need help. Of course there are other times when money runs out because we don’t realize what we’re spending.
I’m not going to lie. I don’t have a budget and haven’t had one for years. Sure, we set aside money for savings most months, but we live in a world of generalities. I’ve often thought about taking the time to sit down and figure things out, because I know we could do more with our money… but then life gets in the way and we move onto a new season in our life.
Does this sound like you? Would you like to get a better snapshot of spending patterns? To learn how to make a budget and stick to it? Or maybe you’ve always wanted to crack the code and figure out how to read an LES?
Great news! MilCents is a new program highlighting the best tools out there and best of all – it’s free! While the program officially started on October 12th, you can join and catch up to the other participants.
It’s a one-of-a-kind online financial education program that combines information, online events, social media conversations, and free resources into a 10-week program designed to empower military families to get their money in gear.
I know 10 weeks sounds like a huge commitment, but let me tell you, I’ve demo’d the program and most of the activities take just 3-5 minutes. It’s faster than checking Facebook each day, so even if you think you’ve got a good handle on your finances, I guarantee that you’ll learn something new. And you can even win an iPad or Amazon gift card!
- Learn how to read a leave and earnings statement (LES)
- Get your credit score and learn how to improve it
- Categorize your spending and saving
- Create a budget
- Find out how to avoid predatory lenders
- Join a social community where you can interact with other program participants and financial experts, sharing your successes and asking questions.
Please sign up to get more information and register for the program. No one is going to force you to be there, so just check it out and if it’s not for you, you don’t have to participate further. But I have a feeling you’re going to get hooked!
