The Navy Wife Life

How we Budget

2013-08-08T10:11:00.005-07:00

Hi all,

How my husband and I budget our money is a little bit complicated but its the only way we have tried that works for us. And we have tried many different methods. We first saw the budget/bank accounts posts from Jordan Page at The Fun Cheap or Free Queen blog last year and decided to take her method and customize it to fit our needs/lifestyle. I have linked to her blog at the bottom of the post. We started this method at the very first of the year and have managed to save more in the last 8 months than we had expected to save for the entire year.

A little bit of background on us. As of right now, our household consists of 2 adults (both work full time), 1 100 pound dog and 2 cats. We own our home and 2 cars. Our debt consists of a mortgage and a car loan.
Our savings goals include paying off the car loan, saving for our "4 years after the wedding honeymoon" (which we just met our goal for! Yay St. Lucia!) and padding our savings as much as possible as we are going to start trying for a baby in October.

Our primary bank is USAA. We have 2 checking accounts, 2 traditional savings accounts, 1 529 savings account, 2 Roth IRA accounts, 1 credit card, 1 mortgage and 1 car loan as well as our life, homeowners and auto insurance with them.

Our secondary bank is American Express. We have 1 credit card and 2 high yield savings accounts with them.

We also have a Target Red credit card and a Kohl's credit card.

Bank accounts and credit cards:

Primary Checking: Account where my husband's pay is deposited.
Pay Out Checking: Account where all of the bills are paid from.
Medical Savings: Savings for anything medical related for the household, including pets
Slush Savings: Savings for vacations, large "fun" purchases, etc
Emergency Savings (High Yield): Savings for emergencies, also where my paycheck is deposited.
General Savings (High Yield): Savings for specific categories like house, car, pet, etc, (see the Sample General Savings Spreadsheet below)

Credit Cards:
American Express Blue Sky Credit Card: This is our primary credit card. We put everything that we can on this card. Most of our family lives out of state so we selected this credit card for the travel reward points. Really wish we could put the car and mortgage payments on here!
USAA Mastercard: This is our back up credit card. We have run into a few places that did not accept Amex and we did not want to miss out on rewards by using the debit card so we use this card if Amex is not an option. This card has cash back rewards I believe.
Target Red Card: We use this card for all Target purchases. We get 5% back for each purchase and free shipping from their website. I coupon here a lot so this was worth it for us.
Kohl's Credit Card: We use this card for all Kohl's purchases. We have this card because card holders get exclusive coupons that are up to 30% off the entire store. We only shop here with a 30% coupon. We buy a lot of our clothes and household goods here.

Budgeting:

We budget groceries and non-bill items by week rather than by month. We try try and stick to $25 per person per week for groceries and $100 per week for "other" items.
I use a little notebook that I keep in my purse to track my weekly purchases.

Each calendar week has a page with a column for groceries and a column for "other". (Sorry these 2 pics are sideways. My computer did not want to cooperate).
The rules here is that we can borrow money from side to side but not from week to week. Meaning that each Sunday, our budgets for these two categories reset and we start fresh. Now if during the week we go over our budget for groceries for example, then I would move the difference over from the "other" budget and have less to spend on "others" for that week. So if one week we can get a really good deal on a grocery item and want to stock up, then we would sacrifice some of our "other" budget that week to make up the difference and perhaps not go out to dinner that week or something like that. If for some reason we manage to exceed the $150 total for the week, the extra would have to come out of our slush account but if we are ever under our $150, we move the left over money to the Slush account. So it really helps to have a goal for your slush money as that will give you an incentive to try to limit your spending.

Each Sunday (ish) I go in and total up the amounts spent on each category and transfer the money from Primary checking to Pay Out checking. I also move any left over to Slush or move money from Slush to Pay Out checking if we went over.

I also have pages in the back for each month's monthly charges.

These charges include car repairs, home repairs, pet food, vet or doctor bills and any other non regular monthly charges. I have these categories separated out in our General Savings account on this spreadsheet: Sample General Savings Spreadsheet. Any time we have a charge that comes out of one of these categories, I write it on that month's sheet and transfer the money out of the General savings account to the Pay Out checking account at the end of the month in preparation to pay the credit card bill.

I also use a spreadsheet to track our other expenses on a monthly basis. The link below is a sample of the spreadsheet that I currently use.
Sample Budget Spreadsheet
I use this spreadsheet to watch for any discrepancies in any bills. These include charges like the cell phone bill, mortgage payment, insurance payment, etc. After we have balanced our spreadsheet, I transfer over money from the Primary checking to the Pay Out checking for all of the bills that were paid on the credit card. Our credit card cycles end at the end of the month as well so once I have transferred all of the money from each section, I have enough in Pay Out checking to pay the credit card bill.

I hope this is somewhat helpful to some of you!
Please leave any questions in the comments.

http://www.funcheaporfree.com/2012/10/the-7-bank-accounts-every-family-should.html

http://www.funcheaporfree.com/2012/08/video-of-how-i-keep-track-of-my-budget.html

OPSEC

2013-08-07T08:07:00.003-07:00

Have you ever heard the term "Lose lips sink ships"?

OPSEC means Operations Security and it is something that is just as important on the home front as it out in the field. OPSEC is what brings our service members home in one piece. OPSEC is keeping important information off the internet and phone waves.
Here is how this works. The "bad guys" are able to pick up pieces of information from many different sources to basically piece together the "big" picture. Bits of information like the wife who has a deployment countdown ticker on her Facebook page. He can look and see what ships pages she has liked and now knows the name of the ship and when they will be pulling back into their home port. Why is this bad?

How to avoid violating OPSEC. The first and most important is to USE COMMON SENSE. If you have to stop and ask yourself, "Is this in violation of OPSEC?" then don't post it. Air on the side of caution. Having everyone's service member home safe is so much more important than posting "Hubby is home in 5 days!" on Facebook.

American Red Cross

2013-04-05T14:06:00.003-07:00

Hi Everyone!

The American Red Cross is most well known for their blood drives and disaster relief services but they are also a very important resource for military families. Some of the services they provide for military families are:

Emergency Communications regarding birth, death, severe illness or other family emergencies
Health and Welfare Inquiries
Emergency Financial Assistance
Information, Referral and Advocacy
Health and Safety Courses
Volunteer Opportunities

The emergency communications (AMCROSS Message) is very important when an emergency happens while your sailor is away. Commands rely on these verified messages to make a decision regarding emergency leave. Many commands require one of these messages even if the sailor has received an email or phone call regarding the emergency. I will provide more information on emergency leave in a later post.

To request a Red Cross Message, you will first need to gather the following information, then call 800-951-5600 or 800-660-4272. It is also always a good idea to contact your command's ombudsman so that they can let the command know to expect the message. This can help to expedite the process of Emergency Leave.

You will need your service member's:

Full Name, Rate and Rank
Date of Birth
Branch of Service
Social Security Number
Command Address

In the case of a family member's death, you will need to provide the following:

Name of the Deceased
Relationship to Service Member
Name and Contact Information of the Funeral Home, Coroner, etc

In the case of a family member's illness, you will need to provide the following:

Name of the Family Member who is Ill
Relationship to Service Member
Name and Phone Number of the Attending Physician

Please make sure to first advise the physician that you are going to be sending a Red Cross message as some physicians will require that you sign a release form before they will give any information to the Red Cross which can delay the delivery of your message

In the case of a break down of child care or child care emergency, you will need to provide the following:

Name and phone number of the guardian who was to be providing child care
Name and phone number of the person currently providing child care
Name and phone number of the case worker (if Child Protective Services is involved)
Case Number (if CPS is involved)

You can also visit their website for more detailed information at www.redcross.org.

-Claire

Deployment Preperation

2013-03-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

Deployment is something that every military service member and family will have to face. Most more than once. But that doesn't make it any less scary. Especially when its your first. This post is about how to set yourself and your family up for success from the get go by being as prepared as possible.

I am a list girl. I function better knowing that I don't have to remember something because I wrote it down. About two months before a deployment, I make several lists on my phone and delete them off as we get things done. I make one of things that need to be done before he leaves and one of things that I want to accomplish that deployment. We also have a checklist that I made up before he left for his second deployment that we keep in our Home Binder. It contains a list of what he needs on the ship as well as general things that need to happen before he leaves. I've included a copy of our checklist at the bottom of the post for an example.

Paperwork:
This is the most important section. Paperwork is extremely difficult to deal with when they are gone so its important to get it all done before he leaves. You may think that some of the paperwork is not necessary but remember if it can happen while he is gone, it will. Trust me, it is much better to have the paperwork done and not need it, then to need it and not have it.

Things on the Ship:
These items will depend on the priorities of each person. My husband took all of our DVDs and saved them onto an external hard drive to take with him so that he could watch movies on his laptop without having to make space for all those DVDs. He also prefers to try and take enough personal items (shampoo, deodorant) to get him through the deployment without having to pay full price for items in the ship store. The best idea for this list to for him to make a list of things that he cannot live without then start filling in the left over space with the nice to haves.

Things around the house
My husband and I own our house so there is always something that needs to be done. Many are things that I can handle but there are some projects that are on my husband's list that we like to try and get completed before he leaves. For example, there is trim that needs to be installed and painted in the bathroom, there is a mouse living in our outdoor storage closet (ICK!) and cleaning out the dryer vent. He also likes to have the oil changed and tires rotated on both cars before he leaves.

Here is our family's Pre-Deployment Checklist. (I apologize for the weird formatting)

Pre-Deployment Checklist

Him:

· Paperwork

o Current ID (Does it expired before you get home?)

o Copy of House Emergency/Evacuation Plan

o Passports: Blue and Brown

o Copy of Orders

o Dive Card

· Uniforms/Clothes

o 2 Sets Digies

o Dress Whites/Blues-1 set each

o 1 set Peanut Butters

o Uniform Jackets: Digies, PB, coveralls

o 4 Sets Coveralls

o Hardware/Patches: (are you expecting to complete a qual or advancement that will need additional hardware or patches?)

o Combat Boots

o Polish, conditioner

o Dress Shoes

o 10 pair Boot Socks

o 4 pair Dress Socks

o PB Shirt Straps

o 4 sets Boot Straps

o Belts: 2 black nylon

o Covers: 2 Digie, 1 PB, 1 Dress, 2 ships ball caps

o Undershirts: 10 blue, 6 white

o 10 pairs boxers

o 2 Navy PT shirts

o 2 Navy PT shorts

o PT shoes

o 8 Shorts with socks

o 6 PT shirts

· Personal Hygiene

o Shampoo: 2 large bottles, 2 travel size

o Body Wash: 3 large bottles, 2 travel size

o Axe body tool-3

o Face Wash: 2 regular bottles

o Foot spray-2

o Toothpaste- take travel size

o Toothbrush Heads- 4

o Floss- 4 packs

o Deodorant- 8 sticks (several different brands)

o 2 Razors, 12 Blades

o 3 Towels, 2 regular, 1 dive

o Shower Shoes- crocs

o Q Tips-2 big packs

o Bathroom bag

o Toothbrush

o Toothbrush charger

o Hair clippers

o Nail clippers

o Grooming scissors, tweezers

o 4 cans of shaving cream

o 2 full size bottles of hand sanitizer

o 2 Pump travel size hand sanitizer

o Flushable wipes

o 4 boxes laundry soap sheets (these are the Purex Laundry sheets that have the detergent and fabric softener in the sheet. My husband loves these because they make his rack smell good and he doesn't have to worry about it spilling)

· Entertainment

o Lap Top

o Lap Top Charger

o Lap Top protective case

o Headphones: 1 noise canceling, 2 ear bud style

o 12 AAA, 12 AA, 12 (123) Batteries for flash light

o External Hard Drive with Movies

o E Reader

o E Reader Charger

o IPhone

o IPhone Charger

· Port Items

o Backpack

o Water Bottle or Camel Back

o Port Cell Phone and Phone Chips

o Cell Phone Charger

o Swim Shorts

o 1 pair jeans

o 3 collar shirts

o 2 pairs shorts

o 4 pairs tennis shoe socks

o Tennis Shoes

· Study/Class Materials

o Dividers/ Compass- OS stuff

o 1 2-3” 3-ring binder

o 1 3-subject spiral notebook

o Pens: 3 refills of all-weather pen, pack of black

o 2 Highlighters

o 2 permanent markers

· Other

o 2 Lights for Bunk

o Pillow w/ Pillow Case

o Sleeping Bag

o Pocket Knife/ Multi-tool and Case

o Flashlight and Case

o 2 Rite in the Rain 3x5 note pads

o Eye and ear pro for gun shoots

o 2 cans of spray starch

o 6 air fresheners

o Cash: small bills

o Protein Powder container

o Protein shaker

o Vitamins, joint pills

o Lysol wipes

o 4 locks (4 digit combo)

· Dive / Scuba

o Mask

o Mask case

o Mask pad

o Snorkel

o Snorkel strap

o Hood

o Wet suit(s)

o Gloves

o Booties

o Fins

o Spring straps

o Spare straps

o BCD

o Regulator

o Regulator bag

o Weight belt

o Camera

o Camera charger

o SD card

o Black mesh bag

o Towel

o Sun block

o Swim suit

o Combo lock

· Meds

o Pepto

o Immodium

o Gas X

o Asprin

o Cough Drops

o Cough Syrup

o Eye Drops

o Benadryl

o Anti-Itch Cream

o Decongestant

Claire/Household

· Paperwork

o Power of Attorney

§ General POA

§ Specific for DEERs and Tricare?

§ Specific for anything else like selling cars, house, etc

o Update both Wills

o Update all Firearm Registrations/Paperwork

o Copy of Orders

o Update Page 2 (Emergency Data Sheet)

o Update DEERS

o Current ID (Does Claire’s or the kid’s IDs expire before you get home?)

o Current Car Decals (Do they expire before you get home?)

· Contact Info

o All Doctor Information

o Command Quarterdeck Phone Number

o Fleet and Family Main Number

o Ombudsman Number and Email

o Tricare Numbers

o Red Cross Numbers

· House

o Change Batteries on Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

o Complete all Pending Repairs

· Other

o Call USAA to Update Deployment Status

§ Fax a Copy of Orders

§ Fax a Copy of POA

o Double Check Deployment Emergency Plan

o Double check Life Insurance Policies

-Claire

Navy Boot Camp Graduation

2013-03-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Let me start off this section by saying SUCK IT UP AND PAY FOR THAT CAB/RENTAL CAR!!! How do I know this?? Because I made the mistake on the way there to try and save my money by skipping the cab. Totally not worth it. Great Lakes is about 45 minutes north of Chicago. I had the bright idea (using coupons of course) to take a shuttle from the airport to the train station, the train up to Great Lakes and finally a cab from that train station to my hotel. It took me hours to get there and was a huge headache. Now, I was only 19 at the time and traveling alone so I did not have the option of a rental car but I got smart and sprung for the cab on the way back to the airport. Once you are out of the city, the drive is a straight shot and fairly easy. Now I also didn't do enough research on hotels and wound up in a total dump. But I did learn a few things. When looking for a hotel for graduation, you need to look for a few things. The first is find a hotel that offers a shuttle to the base. There is a graduation just about every Friday so many hotels offer this. Another thing that you would want to be on the look out for, especially if you don't have a rental car is a hotel that is close to food. That way you have the option to walk to a restaurant rather than having to get another cab to go eat dinner. Also, read reviews on hotels and make sure it is somewhere with a good reputation. I also always encourage everyone to write a review of their own after their trip.
What to expect the day of graduation:

***This was my experience. The rules are always subject to change.***

I took the hotel shuttle to the base the morning of graduation. This or a cab is the best way to do this because there are a lot of people and parking can be an issue. When I arrived at the gate, there is a guard that is checking IDs against his list for that days graduation class. You will need to let your service member know well in advance who all is coming or who is thinking about coming. I believe that there is a limit of 4 adults per graduate but your service member will be given that info ahead of time. Keep in mind that it is better to be on the list and not go, then to go and not be on the list. You will need to show your picture ID and you will also need to know your service member's unit number. Once you get through the gate, follow the signs to the graduation hall. The graduation should take about an hour or so. Once the recruits are released, you can go down to the floor to find your recruit. They will know what the rules are as far as where they are allowed to go, when they are required to check back in on base at night and how many days they have before they have to report at their next duty station. This could be anywhere from a few hours to a week before they head to their duty station.

Hope this is helpful!

-Claire

The the Military Saves Pledge!

2013-02-22T11:16:00.003-08:00

Hi Everyone!
Feburary 25th -March 2nd is Military Saves Week! Head on over to www.militarysaves.org and take the Pledge!

Money, Money, Money

2013-02-22T08:34:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Everyone!
Today I wanted to touch on the basics of the Navy's pay system. I will be doing some later posts that will go into more detail on some of these topics. If you have a topic that you would like a more detailed post on, please leave a note in the comments section below. I have also listed three links to different websites below that offer additional information on each of these topics as well.

Sailors are paid on the 1st and the 15th of each month. If payday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, then they will be paid the Friday before. I have placed a link below that lists the 2013 dates pay should be received on.

Basic Pay:
Basic pay, also known as Base Pay, is the paycheck received by members of the Armed Forces. This pay will vary depending on the Sailors Rank (aka Pay Grade) and Years of Service. Each year an updated pay chart is released with that year's new base pay amounts.

Allowances:
Allowances are payments provided to the service member for specific needs like housing or food. These payments vary greatly from sailor to sailor. (Please remember, just because your friend or neighbor's family gets a certain allowance, doesn't mean that your family will)

BAS - Basic Allowance for Subsistence

This allowance is meant to offset the costs of a service member's meals (but is NOT meant to offset the costs of the family's meals)

BAH - Basic Allowance for Housing

This allowance is meant to offset the cost of housing. The rates for BAH depend on the service member's pay grade, location and whether or not they have dependents. The location is important because the cost of living is higher in some areas and lower in others.

Clothing

This allowance is to help service members pay for their uniforms. When they first report for active duty, they will receive an initial allowance to purchase all of their required uniforms. They will receive a replacement allowance every year on their anniversary month.

Dislocation

This allowance is to partially reimburse relocation expenses incurred while moving due to a PCS, ordered for the Government's convenience or an incident to an evacuation.

FSA - Family Separation Allowance

This allowance is for a service member with dependents who is serving an unaccompanied tour of duty such as a deployment. They would have to be on board a ship away from the home port for a period of more than 30 consecutive days.
As of 01/01/2013, this allowance is $250 per month.

Special and Incentive Pay:

This pay is given to qualified personnel who possess specific or unique skills or ones that are at a critical shortage.

Bonuses:

There are many, many different types of bonuses and they change frequently. Many of them are an option when looking at reenlistment. This will be something that your sailor will be discussing with his/her detailer when it is time to start working on selecting a new set of orders.

Please feel free to leave any questions or comments below!

http://militarypay.defense.gov/pay/
http://www.navycs.com/2013-military-pay-chart.html
http://www.military.com/benefits/military-pay

Claire