SOLDIER & FAMILY TOOLKIT
1/34 ARMORED BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM Volume 33, December 2014
The Wellness Issue 1
IN THIS ISSUE 3 BEYOND THE YELLOW RIBBON EVENTS & DEALS 4 PERSONAL FINANCIAL COUNSELOR FLYER 5 PARENT RESOURCES FLYER 6 HEALTH COACHING 7 MILITARY ONESOURCE ARTICLE 10 HEALTHY MONEY HABITS 11 HEALTHY HABITS 12 BOOK REVIEW 13 RESOURCE LINKS 14 FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTERS
From the Editor: Thanks for reading our Soldier Family Toolkit. The intent of this toolkit is to provide you with available events, deals, resources, and important information. This is our first-ever wellness issue. The goal was to give readers tools regarding all areas of wellness. Most people I talk with feel sore and tired and stressed out. They also tend to have a whole host of other symptoms. Perhaps, this is the year to take a stand for wellness. Maybe this is the year to start feeling good. It isn’t always about losing weight and saving money, perhaps the best goal is to simply feel well in 2015. Take a look2 at some of these articles and see what simple changes can lead to big results.
HOME FRONT EVENTS & DEALS www.BeyondTheYellowRibbon.org Check out the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon website and sign up for exclusive email updates on monthly local Beyond the Yellow Ribbon events and deals.
Spirit Mountain Season Passes Enjoy a season of skiing and snowboarding! Spirit Mountain in Duluth is offering discounts on season passes to Servicemembers and veterans. There are also other season pass options for families and college students. More Info: Website Bowling with Veterans When: Every Tuesday, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Where: Midway Pro Bowl, St. Paul About: Get out and join other veterans in a weekly bowling group - every Tuesday at the Midway Pro Bowl. More Info: Flyer Twin Cities Veterans Club Meetup Group All wartime and peacetime veterans are invited to join the Twin Cities Veterans Club Meetup group. Meet with other veterans and enjoy wellness and recreational groups, peer to peer support groups, sporting event outings, movies, BBQs and much more. More Info: Flyer Military Family Appreciation at the Minnesota Zoo When: Nov. 11, 2014 to Jan. 4, 2015 Where: Minnesota Zoo, Apple Valley About: The Zoo will again salute our troops with special discounts for military personnel and their families. Military personnel (active, retired, and civilian) will receive free admission, free parking, and half price admission for family members. More Info: Website
Always Lost: A Meditation on War When: Dec.15 to Jan. 23, 2015 Where: Minneapolis Community and Technical College About: View this nationally touring humanities exhibit, which personalizes the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through photography and writings. The core of the exhibit is the Wall of the Dead, which includes the names and photographs of the more than 6,800 casualties in the two wars. More Info: Flyer Veterans Appreciation Ride When: Jan. 10, 2014 Where: Silver Bay, Minnesota About: Join MnUSA for the 7th Annual Veterans Appreciation Ride. All veterans are welcome to enjoy a day of snowmobiling, one night's lodging and a meal. Bring your own sled or if you don't have equipment, there will be snowmobiles, helmets, and clothing available. More Info: Flyer Advanced Manufacturing Careers When: Jan. 5 to Feb. 24, 2015 (Check website for upcoming training dates) Where: At your site or an AME Alliance campus About: By means of the Advanced Manufacturing Education (AME Alliance) grant initiative, Servicemembers and their spouses are eligible for free college classes for Advanced Manufacturing Careers. More Info: FREE AME College Class Flyer AME Training Brochure Website Drop-In Legal Clinic for Veterans When: Jan. 13, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Where: VA Medical Center, Minneapolis About: Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV) invites you to participate in a free drop-in legal clinic for veterans. More Info: Flyer
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MILITARYONESOURCE ARTICLE Reducing Your Dependency on Debt Getting out of debt can be challenging, but it's not impossible. Reducing your dependence on debt requires planning, strategy and discipline. In addition to a change in attitude toward personal finance, you'll find committing to changing your personal spending and saving habits beneficial to your new financial goals. If you're serious about decreasing your dependency on debt, here's what you can do today: Cut up your credit cards and start paying down your credit and personal loan balances, beginning with the smallest Do you control your finances, or do your finances control you? Perhaps amount. most importantly to getting on track with your finances is creating and Set up an automatic transfer from your sticking to a spending plan. Spending plans or budgets, as they are also checking to your savings account every called, help you track money coming in and going out of your bank acpayday. Save at least 10 percent of counts, at the same time allowing you to create and achieve financial your income, more if you can afford it. If goals. Many people view budgets as a restrictive concept that forces you you get a bonus, promotion or even your to pay bills and save, but never have any fun or purchase the things you tax return, place half in your savings acwant. But it doesn't have to be that way. count and the other towards debt. If you have no debt, the second half can go to Spending plans are designed to pay your necessities, build a savings acdiscretionary income. count and properly budget your discretionary income. When you create a Every pay period, withdraw a small amount spending plan, if your finances allow, you can eat at your favorite restauof cash for incidentals and stop using rant, buy that new pair of shoes, pay down your debt or take a weekend your debit card. When the money is gone, understand that your budget for coftrip to the beach. But you probably can't do everything at the same time, fee, snacks and trinkets is exhausted. and that is what a budget will show you. Instead of putting unnecessary charges on your credit card, you'll be able to see what you can and canLearn the differences between a traditional 401(k) and a Roth 401(k). Decide which is not truly afford. best for your financial situation and start contributing and saving towards And if you set financial goals for yourself, like saving a certain amount of your retirement. money over the next year or completely paying off a credit card, you can If you have children going to college one day, incorporate those goals into your spending plan and track the progress. research college savings accounts, deterBudgeting your discretionary income mine which one is best for you and start contributing what you can. Increase the Discretionary money is the money you have left over, after your monthly amount you put in as your debt decreases bills are paid and you've deposited your designated amount into savings. and your financial situation stabilizes and It's your extra money, your fun money. then improves. Also consider starting a 529 plan for your child's college education.
Now, more than ever, information is available to everyone and on every topic. Buy a book, surf the Internet and find articles or blogs on what you don't know, and educate yourself on issues related to personal finance. Creating a spending plan
Prioritize your needs and wants by importance. Do you need to pay extra on a credit card? Or do you need a new pair of shoes for work? Do your brakes need repairing? Or do you want a manicure and pedicure for a weekend event? Make a list with the most important items first, and purchase them as your spending plan allows. If you can't afford something this pay period, bump it to the next. You may not be able to get everything you want at one time, but you may eventually get everything you desire, all the while staying within your spending plan.
Don't cheat yourself by not sticking to your spending plan. If you want to spend your discretionary income on a new handbag, but you really need to buy a new tire for your vehicle, don't put the tire on credit. Buy it with cash, and figure out when you can make the purchase of a new purse work with your spending plan.
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MILITARYONESOURCE ARTICLE Reducing Your Dependency on Debt Planning for extra expenses If you want to plan for a future expense like holiday shopping, birthday gifts, expensive car repairs you know will come or maybe a vacation, you can do it with your spending plan. Add the cost into your spending plan, either on the fixed or discretionary side. It may be best not to leave the money in your checking account; you might be too tempted to spend it or you may forget what that money is for and allocate it to something else. Instead, put the money in a separate savings account (not your normal savings account), and fund it every month with the amount needed to achieve your goal. When the expense arises, you'll have the money you need and the expense will not impact your spending plan or cause you to use your credit card. Need more help? If, after creating a spending plan and following the recommended steps, you find that you are still challenged with reducing your debt, you may wish to seek the advice of a professional. Each military service offers a Personal Financial Management program to help service members and their families successfully plan for their financial futures. Personal financial counselors provide education and counseling services that address a range of financial topics, including assistance with budget development, financial planning, spending plan development, management of personal finances and debt liquidation. Personal financial counselors not only help you plan your future but can also connect you to Consumer Credit Counseling Services, a non-profit agency partnering with DoD, to offer free credit counseling services to military service members.
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January Winter vacation/MLK weekend Dad/Son’s birthdays New Tires February Valentine’s Day Daddy Daughter Dinner Dance Oil Change/Service March Daughter’s birthday CSA Deposit April Husband’s Birthday Three Siblings’ Birthdays T-ball Fees Oil change/Service Beef/Pork Deposits May/June/July Mother’s Day Memorial Day Independence Day Sister’s Birthday August/September Back to School MIL Birthday October Hockey Gear/Fees Mom’s Birthday Beef/Pork Fees November FIL Birthday Thanksgiving Black Friday Deals Anniversary December Hockey Jamboree Gifts to Charity Christmas 10
HEALTHY MONEY HABITS PLANNING AHEAD FOR EXPENSES We all know we should be on a spending plan or a budget. One of the easiest ways to break a budget or lack thereof is surprise or additional expenses. I am not talking about emergencies; I am talking about planned things, like birthdays, holidays, and vehicle maintenance. My strategy to deal with those this year is to make a list of these expenses by month and try to plan for them or knock them out ahead of time. This is a really great thing for couples to do as a team and allows them to work in their strengths to knock things out. I started by listing out all of the holidays, then birthdays, sports fees, vehicle maintenance, and large food expenses. Holidays usually have extra food and travel expenses. Vehicle maintenance is pretty straightforward. I get an oil change every 2-3 months and try to get whatever the most urgent additional service is needed at the time too. This way, I don’t have to keep track of what needs to be flushed or cleaned out. I use a full service oil change place that gives a discount on additional services to save even more time and money. Another strategy is to make a list of the big purchases you want to make in the next year or so and think about the best time of year to buy them. I really wanted a VitaMix and knew that they would be on sale during the Black Friday weekend. I saved up money and waited for the sale, saving hundreds of dollars. Lawn furniture goes on clearance at Target in July, and baby stuff goes on sale in January (I usually buy the diapers I need for the year then). Consider getting gift cards for date nights around the holidays too. My favorite fancy restaurant has a buy $100 in gift cards, get $100 free sale the first week of December. Since I buy most of our Christmas gifts in the fall and summer, I have the cash to take advantage of December deals. I also use this strategy with produce. After Thanksgiving, fresh cranberries were $.79/bag. Just a few days earlier, I paid $2.50. I stocked up and froze 10 pounds. I do the same thing with berries I pick in the summer. Freezing/canning apples and other fruits/veggies can really save money too. Onions and citrus are usually their cheapest in the winter. I have friends that order sides of beef and pork every year and that can get really expensive. Planning ahead reminds them to save up for large expenses. I still encourage people to live on a budget, but even if you don’t, making a list like this can be really helpful and is a step in the right direction.
Personal Care/Cleaning Products: Keep an eye on the things that will run out soon and look for recipes for homemade alternatives. To save money, I save the baking soda from my freezers and make Washing Soda with it. Supplements/Essential Oils: Shop around online. Many websites offer discounts for first-time buyers. Coconut Products: Sam’s Club has amazing prices on bulk organic coconut and nut flour products. Produce: Growing and preserving your own is the cheapest and best when possible. Farmer’s Markets are another option. CSAs can be an option, but are difficult to evaluate cost savings. I preserve produce year round. Research shows that frozen/preserved produce picked in season has higher nutritional quality than its fresh out of season counterparts. We make a monthly trip to Aldi for the bulk of our produce and the prices are amazing. Research online how to extend the shelf life of produce.
HEALTHY HABITS OVERWHELMED BY WELLNESS
This fall, I attended a wellness summit that changed my life. It was hosted by Wellness Media, wellness-media.com. There were classes on all things wellness. There was a class on making Kombucha, so I ordered a Kombucha kit, which led to making several different types of vinegar. Stainless Gluten Free/Organic Anything: Trader Joe’s has amazing prices on gluten-free convenience foods. Their organic products are wonderful Steel water bottles replaced plastic and learning the negative side effects. There was a class on teeth healing and oral welltoo. ness, so I ordered new toothbrushes and teeth healing serum. Meat: Consider buying a grass-fed side of beef or pork from a farm. There was a class on bone broth and sea vegetables, so I orThe bones and organ meat are especially valuable. dered kelp, agar agar, and grassfed beef bones. The dangers Flours: Consider making your own by buying a heavy duty mixer or of fluoridated water were the focus of one class and we grinder. started drinking distilled and spring water. There was a class about the importance of real salt, now I have a shelf in my Probiotics/Vitamins: While they are not the highest quality, local kitchen cabinets devoted to several different kinds of salts. I drug stores have BOGO sales that can be combined with coupons. learned about the evils of gluten, and went gluten-free. Then I discovered the Weston A. Price foundation and decided to switch to soaked and sprouted grains. This led me on the Resource List path to learn the evils of all grains and start the transition to a Amadeusvanillabeans.com: Organic Fair-Trade Vanilla grain-free diet and consider putting my kids on the GAPS Beans protocol. I also learned about leaky gut and the wonders of going paleo. There were also classes on the importance of Thebrothery.com: All things broth. For those that don’t have the time/resources to make their own. grassfed organ meats, collagen, and gelatin. Suddenly, I found myself asking friends where to get chicken feet. Bulkherbstore.com: Great prices on certain herbs, but alAround this time, I took a trip to a farm and learned about ways price compare. raising goats and making raw cheese and dairy products. I Clnf.org: Country Life Natural Foods is a bulk foods store also decided to switch to all-natural homemade cleaning located in Michigan. They deliver across the country and are products and start using essential oils and soap nut berries. one of the easiest most cost-effective ways to get 50lbs of whatever you need. Kombuchakamp.com: All things kombucha. Mountainroseherbs.com: Herbs, essential oils & related products. Naturoli.com: Organic soap nut berries & related products. Orawellness.com: Teeth healing & mouth care products. Sam’s Club: Organic Spinach, Kale & Coconut Products. Thrivemarket.com: The prices of this organic/online version of Sam’s Club/Costco are amazing. Tropicaltraditions.com: Organic food products, including meat & related items.
Most of these items were purchased before or shortly after Thanksgiving. Then it hit. Influenza. For two plus weeks our house was weighted down by influenza and morning sickness. My house is covered in stacks of boxes of all natural this and that and unwrapped Christmas presents that I have not been able to touch for several weeks due to the combination of toddlers, pregnancy, and influenza. We all have the best intentions when it comes to our personal health and the health of our families. We usually know the next healthiest step up from whatever we are doing on a given day. If we are eating a carrot, some of us feel guilty it is not organic and locally grown. The key is to not get overwhelmed and take small steps. 11
BOOK REVIEW
On my real food journey, I came across this blog and cookbook. It has been a wonderful resource on my quest. The first fifty pages are an introduction to real foods and the evils of sugars, grains, and conventional vegetable oils. They also include real life strategies to cure picky eaters and cook real food on a budget. There are the usual cookbook chapters like breakfast, and less common chapters like condiments. One recipe in that chapter I am eager to try is probiotic salsa. The author Katie makes all of her condiments from scratch including ketchup. There is also a spice blend chapter handy for do-ityourselfers and a broth tutorial for beginners. While all of the ingredients are simple, some may seem out of reach or expensive. If butter is an ingredient, it is suggested it be grass fed organic raw butter. Some ingredients may seem strange like whey and grass-fed gelatin, but once a person steps into her world, many of the ingredients become pantry staples. To help busy families, many of the recipes can be done in a crockpot. I just made the chicken cacciatore. It turned out fine, but I wasn’t accustomed to the flavor profile. My family's tastes differ from the author's, but many of the recipes are adaptable. This book is a great place to start on the real foods journey. 12
ARMY / NATIONAL GUARD minnesotanationalguard.com armyonesource.com militaryonesource.mil
RESOURCE LINKS
CHILDREN ADAPT: cehd.umn.edu/fsos/adapt operationwearehere.com mnchildcare.org ausa.org/family mdva.state.mn.us/child guardfamilyyouth.org militarykids.org DISCOUNTS beyondtheyellowribbon.org military.com/discounts/category EDUCATION education4military.com gibill.va.gov militaryonesource.mil militarychild.org EMPLOYMENT esgr.org mn.gov/deed FMLA: dol.gov/whd/fmla HEALTH / MENTAL HEALTH tricare.mil militarymentalhealth.org Counseling 24/7: militaryonesource.mil MARRIAGE AND RELATIONSHIPS Marriage Retreats: strongbonds.org militaryonesource.mil PARENTS OF SOLDIERS bluestarmoms.org operationwearehere.com/Parents.html PET CARE dogsondeployment.org netpets.org guardianangelsforsoldierspet.org SPOUSES & SIGNIFICANT OTHERS militarysos.com spousebuzz.com milspouse.com msccn.org nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org STRESS MANAGEMENT militaryonesource.mil defense.gov/specials/stressawareness
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