Military Saves Week

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Joel Pfiester
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  
Military Saves Week is scheduled to take place at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., Feb. 23 - 28 as part of the Department of Defense Financial Readiness Campaign.

Military Saves Week is a chance for service members and their families to assess their own saving status and take financial action.

During this time, the Airman and Family Readiness Center will be providing financial guidance while encouraging service members to become financial savers by pledging to save through Military Saves.

Military Saves is a component of the nonprofit organization America Saves that seeks to motivate, support and encourage military families to save money, reduce debt and build wealth.

The AFRC will also be hosting the Heroes at Home financial education seminar March 6 from 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. at Mission's End as a final contribution to Military Saves Week.

Savers are encouraged to promote these strategies each day of Military Saves Week.

1. Monday, Feb. 23: Save for emergencies
- How to do it: Find ways that you can save, even on a tight budget.
- Save for emergencies: Save a portion of your tax refund.

2. Tuesday, Feb. 24: Pay off high-interest debt
- How to do it: Find places to cut your spending so that you can pay down your debts faster.
- Find places to trim your expenses.

3. Wednesday, Feb. 25: Save automatically
- It can be hard to put aside money for savings. But there is an easy way to save money without ever missing it by making your savings automatic in 2015.
- How to do it: Set up an allotment in MyPay.

4. Thursday, Feb. 26: Save for retirement
- How to do it: Participate in the Thrift Savings Plan.
- Save for retirement: Increase the amount you save toward retirement by one percent in 2015.

5. Friday, Feb. 27: Save for a large purchase
- Make a plan, save for a specific, measurable, attainable, reasonable and timely (SMART) Goal
- How to do it: Participate in the Savings Deposit Program while deployed.

6. Saturday, Feb. 28: Save (wrap up of previous days)
- How to do it: Are you ready to set your savings goal and make a plan to achieve it? Take the Military Saves Pledge today!

Savers can also get tips by following Military Saves on Facebook and Twitter and by reading the Military Saves blog. If you have any questions, contact the AFRC at (660) 687-7132.