Hurlburt Field to participate in Military Saves Week

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Andrea Posey
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  It's tax season and some people may wonder how they can make the most out of their money.

Military Saves Week is Feb. 24 through 28, and it offers financial education to Airmen and their families.

Military Saves Week is an opportunity for our military community to come together and focus on the financial readiness of service members and their families to help them reduce debt and save for the future.

Hurlburt Field is participating by holding contests and classes at the airmen & family readiness center.

The "Change to Save" and "Extreme Couponing" contests will award a $50 cash prize, according to Tom Snyder, Hurlburt Field A&FRC financial counselor.

The "Change to Save" contest asks Airmen and their families to collect change and pour it into a counting machine at the A&FRC. This machine will sort, count and roll the change. The person with the most change will win, Snyder said.

The "Extreme Couponing" contest will allow Airmen and their families to bring in receipts from their last shopping trip. The person with the most savings will win, Snyder said.
Snyder said Airmen and their families can bring in change and receipts throughout February. Winners will be announced March 1.

Last year, Staff Sgt. Benjamin Bagley, 801st Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, and his family won the "Change to Save" contest by collecting $125.48.

"We scrounged through couches and car seats to end up with more than $100," Bagley said.

Sarah Turner won the "Extreme Couponing" contest last year by cutting $1,070.99 off her grocery bill, which was a 93-percent savings.

"Extreme Couponing takes patience and organization," said Turner. "Pick up papers, look online and start off small."

The A&FRC is also hosting "Invest in your Taxes" and "Invest in your Debt" classes this month, according to Snyder.

"Invest in Your taxes" is a workshop on tax strategies. This class will be held at 11:30 a.m., Feb. 25 at the A&FRC.

"Invest in your Debt" teachs people how to manage and reduce debt efficiently and improve their credit scores. This class is offered at 11:30 a.m., Feb. 28 at the A&FRC.
Military Saves Week events are geared toward showing the benefits of long-term saving, Snyder said.

"It is for your future," he said. "Because of the uncertainty of the future, you need to start saving now, and the sooner the better."

For more information on Military Saves Week or for financial assistance, contact the A&FRC at (850) 884-5441.