4 military money saving hacks

We've all been there. You're at the checkout line on the 14th or 30th of the month, frantically refreshing your online bank account to see if somehow your EFT came a little early like a Christmas miracle, or if you at least have enough to cover your transaction. There's no stress like financial stress.

Give yourself some breathing room by having extra savings at the end of the pay period. Here are 4 easy ways to save a little more each month:

1. Barter

Never underestimate the power of a skillset. Maybe you’re excellent at ironing and the guy down the hall who cuts hair hates laundry. Racking up Venmo charges for babysitters? Find a neighbor with kids and swap. Trade mowing lawns for meals. Save money by exchanging goods and services.

2. Free ride

Life might not be a free ride but your unit might have one. We know it’s not the coolest option to roll downtown on the duty bus, but what is cool is that while your buddies go through their paychecks one Uber ride at a time, you’ll have more in your pocket. Carpooling and the base shuttle are great options.

3. Leverage your base resources

We know just as well as you do that the pork tenderloin in the chow hall on Monday is going to be served five different ways until some sort of stew on Friday. The other thing we know? It's free.

Take advantage of the services offered on base, whether it's coffee at work or dinner. Use the base gym and skip the memberships outside the gate. Take a base tour with your family whenever you PCS to a new duty station to better understand some of the free resources your family can utilize, whether that's tutoring, counseling or that fineeee pork tenderloin.

4. Take advantage of discounts

If you're not getting free concert or show tickets through VetTix or discounted prices through MWR or base, entertainment adds up quickly.

Take advantage of discounts in order to stretch your money. A night out with free tickets and free childcare through a kid-swap sounds much better than lighting the $400 on fire that it would cost you normally.

Taking a look at your spending and seeing where you can save a little more each month will alleviate some of your financial stress. Another huge relief? Being able to buy a house with a VA Loan. With no money down required, your savings account can take a deep breath. Learn more about the VA Loan and Veterans United, the nation's #1 VA lender: Veterans United Home Loans provided more VA Home Loans by total volume than any other lender in 2018. Source: Department of Veterans Affairs Lender Statistics

Military life is stressful enough without worrying about whether or not your next transaction will go through. Use our hacks to help you save.

This post was sponsored by Veterans United.