An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

A&FRC encourages financial responsibility during the holidays

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Joshua Eikren
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  With Black Friday and Cyber Monday some of the best deals have already gone, so experts say it's a good idea to have a holiday shopping budget to know how much you can spend on gifts this season.

Keeping a budget is just one piece of advice from the Airman and Family Readiness Center. They encourage Scott members, especially young Airmen, to be financially responsible during the holiday season by using base resources as their spending increases.

Mark Blice-Baum, 375th Force Support Squadron community readiness specialist, said, "Some people tend to 'sleep walk' from store to store gathering gifts they can't afford and applying for new credit cards that their credit scores can't sustain."

Financial responsibility means managing your money and assets in a way that will be productive and in the best interest of the individual or family.

Lona Berndt, 375th Force Support Squadron community readiness consultant, said, "Sometimes we get carried away with the spirit of the season and start buying gifts for friends and relatives we haven't seen in years. We have to be OK with not buying gifts for everyone."

Berndt suggests doing a name exchange, making a homemade gift, participating in a White Elephant gift exchange or offering your time as a gift as ways to save over the holidays.

She adds that financial responsibility is important because it affects every member of the family, and can even affect their military careers. Making the right financial decisions now will help maintain independence and allow for a comfortable life in the future.

The A&FRC provides financial education through their Personal Financial Readiness Program. Some of the programs it consists of are of the financial lifecycle stages, basic money management and spending plan basics.

For more information on financial programs offered by the A&FRC, call 256-8668.

Holiday financial tips from the Airman and Family Readiness Center

1. Don't feel as though you need to give like you are Santa Claus--people typically remember the one special gift rather than 10 erroneous ones.

2. Make a list of who you are going to buy for. If you don't know for whom you're shopping or how much you're going to spend, you're basically playing Russian roulette with your finances.

3. Avoid buying gift cards. Many of us spend more on a gift card than we would otherwise because it says the dollar amount right on the card.

4. Look for shipping deals. If you have a lot of items to send a good distance away, look for ways to cut costs. For example, look for flat-rate boxes, which may benefit those who have a lot to ship to the same location.

5. Stop or Swap ...Christmas decorations are expensive. If you already have a stash of decorations but you'd like to update your home's holiday look, hold off for just one more season and buy decorations on clearance in late December and save them for the following year.