A reader writes: “My spouse and I need a budget. What should we do? What type of budgeting do you recommend? I know it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ world, but how much is too much saving? It feels a little unsustainable at times but my wife and I make it work. We do love to get fancy and enjoy nice things but a lot of times the budget doesn’t allow it.” “Your first budget.” Here’s the dirty little secret among personal finance experts: just about everybody hates budgets. (Sorry, J. Money…) No matter how many different ways you build a budget, nobody likes to live with them. If you’re responsibl ..read more

This post is brought to you by Mark Delaney at The Veteran Professional.  If you’re interested in contributing at The-Military-Guide.com, please see our posting guidelines. My commander looked at my packet of paperwork to leave the military and saw that I was planning on signing out on terminal leave in December. When she asked me what my plans were for after the army, I told her I would be starting my MBA the following August. “What, then,” she asked, “are you doing until then?” “I’m going to travel the world.” Why travel for so long? Why not?? I saw this as the perfect time in my life t ..read more

My spouse and I joined the military in the late 1970s. We’ve been military spouses since 1986, and I was a member of several fine Wives Clubs in the 1980s-90s. Thankfully, the military’s gender policies have improved quite a bit over the last 40 years. The male military spouse situation has also improved a bit during this millennium, thanks to the efforts of dozens of male military spouses like Chris Pape over at MachoSpouse.com and Dave Etter at the Male Military Spouse Radio Show. These days I’m a member of a number of Facebook military spouse groups. (A few of the women still start their po ..read more

This blog is mainly about saving and investing for military financial independence, not bargain-hunting or consumer products, so today’s post is a little different. I’ll admit it: I don’t lead a consumer lifestyle, and I avoid shopping as much as possible. I don’t even go out much. I enjoy spending my time on the Internet and around the house. The little online shopping I do tends to be Amazon.com books. Most of my car trips involve getting a longboard to the beach or lunching with friends. But 2-3 times per month my spouse and I end up at our local commissary to stock up on fruits & veggi ..read more

2022 update: listen to Doug Nordman’s audio recording of “The Fog Of Work”! https://the-military-guide.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/The-Fog-Of-Work-from-The-Military-Guide.mp3   This essay caps off the book’s first seven chapters of ways to leverage your military career & benefits for financial independence and retirement. I wrote it after an exchange with Tomcat98 at Early-Retirement.org. We realized how often the daily grind of work gets in the way of planning, let alone recognizing new opportunities or being able to break free of the routine. One of my great personal regrets in m ..read more

This earlier post describes the SBP and its options, as well as the pros and cons of buying it for your survivors. If you landed here from a search engine or some other link then I’d recommend reading the previous two posts before proceeding with this one. Some of the references and links in this post include articles from the Association of the United States Navy (AUSN), a support group for sailors and officers formerly known as the Navy Reserve Association. Although AUSN is a Navy organization, the SBP is covered by Congressional legislation implemented by the Department of Defense for all s ..read more

A reader writes: “Hi Nords, I have some fears about a market crash that would derail early retirement. If I retire now in my late 40s, it would be near impossible to get my job back in my line of work. It’s almost easier to retire even earlier… Because then one would not be too old to re-enter the workplace. You’re right about extreme early retirement. I know several ERs in their 30s (and one in their 20s) who are confident that they’ll be able to freelance their way to more income if they need to. But if you can accumulate the assets to retire early, you might always produce income through so ..read more

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that one in five former soldiers suffer from combat-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering filing a claim with the VA. A wide variety of benefits are available for those diagnosed with the condition, however, the claims process itself can be complicated and stressful. This step-by-step guide will help you get to grips with the benefits system. To complete the process you will need to think about your experiences of combat trauma, and it is likely you will need to document every incide ..read more

The military produces highly proficient and educated, professionals, which is why so many diverse employers clamor for military veterans. There are several opportunities to succeed in a civilian career after a military career ends, both for vets with or without college degrees. Naturally, the best post-military jobs are those that blend your experience with what you’re passionate about. However, it also is good to know what the best civilian jobs are based on other external factors. Here’s what we found. What Are Good Jobs For Military Veterans? Based on several factors, here are some of the b ..read more

COLA UPDATES COLA adjustments and news happen from time to time. Here’s the latest since we originally published this article. November 2021 update: What is the 2022 COLA for Veterans? The Dept of Defense has released their memo for the 2022 Cost Of Living Adjustment! About 70 million Americans who rely on Social Security benefits, Veterans Affairs disability compensation, military retirement and other government benefits saw a 5.9% increase in 2022. It’s the largest COLA increase since 1983. You’ve already heard of 5.9% for retirees which is a pretty nice monthly benefit bump. Now we can dig ..read more