Oakley Military and Government Sales

One way that military and government personnel can save money is by purchasing their shades through  Oakley's Military & Government Sales website.

Here is what the fine print states:

The Program

Oakley takes great pride in offering the highest quality products at a direct rate for military and government personnel.  The program is for active duty military, reserve, federal and local law enforcement, fire, EMS and those holding military retiree credentials. We have developed a strong program over the past 20 years and we want to ensure that the integrity of the program is held high. For State and Local Customers: Please select the Option 1 or 2 on the Online Application ID Submission screen. For Federal and Military Customers: The .gov or .mil email address entered during registration will be used to confirm your approval. How to Participate in this Exclusive Government Program For State and Local Customers: After your ID has been verified, you will be able to place your order. For Federal and Military Customers: After your .mil or .gov email address has been verified you will be able to place your order. Account verification takes about 48 hours or less. For a listing of eligible agencies please visit our Customer Service page. You cannot place an order until you have been approved. Once we have reviewed your submission you will be sent an email confirmation and are considered an approved member. Approval of your submission is valid for one year. Your account is authorized for your use only; it is not transferable to any other individual.

Virginia Air & Space Center Free Admission for Veterans and Retired Military with ID

The Virginia Air & Space Center honors our Veterans and Retired Military with ID with free admission on November 9-11, 2012, details here: http://www.virginia.org/Listings/PackagesAndDeals/FreeVeteransDayAdmission/?t=eNews&eM=11&eNL=freevetsdayadmission

Military Deals in Virginia

Go search here for deals for the military in Virginia.

Commissary Deals from ConAgra Foods

Here are the new ConAgra printable coupons for their deals at the commissary.

This weeks Commissary deals for eligible patrons.

4th of July Freedom Festival

4th of July Freedom Festival will be held Monday, July 4, 2011 from 3-9pm at NMAWC and Naval Station Point Loma.  Free fireworks show kicked off by a cannon salute.

No weapons, glass containers, or pets (other than service animals) allowed on the event grounds.

Free Banners For Deployed Service Members Returning Home

Buildasign.com offers free banners for deployed service members returning home.

ASYMCA San Diego More Free Tickets For San Diego County Fair

On Friday, June 24, 2011, the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) San Diego will be giving away up to 4 free admissions (a $52 value) per eligible military with id to the San Diego County Fair from 1-3pm at two locations: 3293 Santo Road, San Diego, CA 92124 or Naval Base Office located in Building 71.   They ask you to bring a thank you note made out to the San Diego Fair, kids drawings are always a hit!

Free Admission To The San Diego County Fair

The Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA), offered up to 4 free admissions (a $52 value) to the San Diego County Fair to eligible military service members and their spouses with a valid military id and a thank you card made out to the San Diego Fair this morning at 9:00am.  When we arrived just before 9am, the line was already long.  To pass some time while standing in line, Tanya and I began talking about all the free things to do in San Diego.  By the time we were toward the front of the line, they announced that they only had 100 tickets left and we hoped they had enough for our families.  In order to receive your tickets, you had to have your military id card out, your thank you card made out to the San Diego Fair and how many tickets you needed.  We were really happy when we finally made it to the front of the line and we were able to get 4 free tickets each for our families to enjoy a beautiful, fun day at the San Diego County Fair.  The line moved quickly and we were out of there in no time.  This was the first time that we had ever gone to pick up any type of free tickets from them.

Thank you ASYMCA and San Diego County Fair for offering these free admission to military service members and their families!  It is so appreciated and this will allow our family to enjoy a beautiful day together.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Knott's Berry Farm and Knott's Soak City Free Admission for Active and Retired U.S. Military on Memorial Day & 4th of July Weekend

Knott's Berry Farm and Knott's Soak City Orange County and San Diego are offering free admission for Active Duty and Retired U.S. Military Personnel on Memorial Sunday and Monday, May 29-30 and July 3-4, 2011 as part of their Tribute to Armed Forces program.

"Knott's Berry Farm, Knott's Soak City Orange County and San Diego are pleased to announce that they will offer FREE admission to active and retired United States Military personnel on Sunday and Monday of both the Memorial Day and July 4th weekends as part of their Tribute to the Armed Forces program. In addition, active and retired members of the U.S. military will be able to purchase discounted admission tickets for members of their immediate family (maximum of six) for Knott's Berry Farm and Knott's Soak City.  This free ticket offer will be available on the Sunday and Monday of both the Memorial Day and July 4th weekends and a valid military ID must be presented."  Quote from the Knott's website.
 

Chick-fil-A Military Appreciation Night

Participating Southern California Chick-fil-A's are giving away a free meal to Active Duty Military Personnel and all who have served honorably from 4-7pm on Wednesday, May 25, 2011.  This offer includes military family members.  All must show valid military ID or proof of service.


Activities and entertainment will vary at participating locations.  This offer is not valid in drive-thru.

Blue Star Museums Free Admission To Museums

Blue Star Museums are offering free admission to Active Duty Military and their families from Memorial Day, May 30, 2011 through Labor Day, September 5, 2011.

"The Blue Star Museums initiative is a partnership among Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts, and more than 1,000 museums across America. "

Thank You San Diego Padres For Supporting Our Military Service Members

Today the San Diego Padres offered military service members and their spouses both past and present (with id) two free admission tickets to tonight's game at 7:05pm vs. the Pittsburg Pirates.  Our kids had been wanting to check out a Padres game since we moved here but we had not had the opportunity until tonight.  My husband, our two kids and I thought it was a good night to spend at Petco Park because of this.

When we arrived it was about 530pm, the weather was beautiful - sunny with a breeze.  As we were looking for our seats, the lady for our section (117) was very nice to my husband thanking him for his service and our sacrifices and absolutely thought it was the best idea that the San Diego Padres were offering free tickets to US military service members.  She was kind enough to tell us where our seats were and she was wonderful to talk with.  We walked around for a bit, signed our kids up for Jr. Padres, got some food and sat down to relax before the game started up.  The ambiance of the ballpark was just like how we see on television.  We purchased beer, popcorn and soda from the concessions and cotton candy from a vendor walking around.  The entire night was one of the best nights we have had in awhile.

The game started out kind of slow because the Pirates were up 4 to 0 but as the game rolled on, the Padres were making a come back.  At the end of the game the Padres lost 4 to 3.  I loved that the Padres asked to wear their camouflage uniforms for tonights game to support our US service members, it was a really nice touch!

We left at the bottom of the 8th inning because we wanted to get out of the area before the end of the game to beat the traffic and get home.  Our kids really enjoyed themselves and we really enjoyed ourselves as well.

Here we are enjoying the night at Petco Park with the San Diego Padres.

Thank you San Diego Padres for offering the two free tickets for military service members and their spouses in lieu of what has recently happened in the news.  Your appreciation in allowing our family to come out to the ballpark to spend tonight with the San Diego Padres Family means so much to our family.  It was all of our first times coming to your park here in beautiful San Diego, California.

2011 Military Child Appreciation Festival

2011 Military Child Appreciation Festival will be held on May 7, 2011 from 10:00am - 1:00pm at the Murphy Canyon Youth Center in San Diego, California.

My Coupon Savings

The last time I went to the commissary was over a month and a half ago and as you can imagine we were running out of everything from coffee creamer to shampoo to bread to body wash.  Last night was all about getting my list made & printed, researching the best deals on the internet, organizing all of my coupons and making sure I was ready to go in the morning.

We arrived at the commissary at 9am and left at 1130am.  We took our time because we needed a lot more things this shopping trip and there were a lot of items that were on sale.  With our cart fully loaded, we headed to the register.  The two guys that were packing up our groceries were watching intensely at how many coupons I redeemed and how much savings I was racking up.  When all was said and done, I had redeemed 96 manufacturer coupons, saved $89.15 or 21% of my grocery bill.  I had a coupon for one free item, a few coupons for buy one get one free, many high dollar coupons and a few regular manufacturer coupons.  This is my new top savings in the redemption of strictly manufacturer coupons in conjunction with items that were on sale.

This is by no means an extreme couponing story because we still spent a good amount of money for our groceries this month.

The great sales and the great savings is how the commissary saves our military family so much money throughout the year.

USS Bonhomme Richard Open Dock Picnic - April 9, 2011

It was a bright and sunny San Diego morning when our two families headed out to USS Bonhomme Richard's Open Dock Picnic yesterday with delicious food in hand.  We started off with a bus ride to USS Bonhomme Richard, a tour under the hull of the ship and walked around taking pictures for awhile before we headed over to the barge.

While at the barge, our husband's checked their offices and then took us up to the top of the barge where awaiting us were the great smelling hot dogs and cheeseburgers prepared by the Second Class Mess Association, tables where ship's merchandise were being sold and beautiful views of the San Diego Ship Yard and Coronado bridge.  The hot dog and cheeseburger meals (entree, chips & drink) were delicious along side our potluck of Hawaii food for our palates to dive right into.  Our two families enjoyed lumpia, potato mac salad, fried rice, malasadas, tako poke and ahi poke.  By the end of our meal, we were all so full.  We hung out with our husbands and our kids with their daddies for awhile and before we knew it, it was time to pack up and leave.  Leftovers were left for our husband's to enjoy for dinner since they were on duty.

We are so glad that we were able to enjoy the beautiful day yesterday with USS Bonhomme Richard and with our husband's while they were on duty.  We want to thank USS Bonhomme Richard for having us and for the opportunity to see the ship before it comes out of dry dock.

Here are a few pictures of how much we enjoyed our day yesterday.

How The Possible Shut Down Of Our Federal Government Will Affect Service Members

With the possible shutdown of our Federal Government looming, how will our service members and their families pay their bills if they are living paycheck to paycheck.  All military families are worried that bills will not be paid, how it will affect their credit and if they will be charged late fees on late payments.  If you feel you cannot pay your bills, contact your creditors immediately and explain your situation to them nicely.  Hopefully they will be willing to work with you toward a solution.

Those Military Service Members with direct deposit of their paychecks to Navy Federal and Marine Federal Credit Union can turn to their banks.
Navy Federal Credit Union:  https://www.navyfederal.org/about/government.php
Marine Federal Credit Union: https://www.marinefederalhb.org/home/home

Military Service Members can also turn to:
Navy Marine Corps Relief Society.
USAA

In checking my husband's Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), it shows that our April 15th paycheck is cut in half.  Therefore it looks like if our elected officials cannot come to an agreement on our nation's budget, federal employees across our country will not get paid.  Military Service Members still need to go to work everyday and they will be back paid when an agreement can be reached.

If you live in military housing, your local housing office will send out a mass email to its residents.  When I checked at our local housing office, they said that they would not be charging late fees and that the letter would explain everything.

If you need assistance with feeding your family, you can turn to Navy Marine Corps Relief Society for interest free loans ($300 for single and $600 for married service members), local food pantries and your local food bank.  The ASYMCA San Diego also has their Neighborhood Exchange that has income and zip code requirements, their next one is on April 28, 2011.

The Melting Pot San Diego - La Jolla Military Monday's

If you love The Melting Pot, there is one not too far away in La Jolla, California.


Monday's Military with id can enjoy 20% off food only.  Only one id can be used per 2 people.


Go here to input the state you live in and see what your local Melting Pot offers.


Also, for a limited time in San Diego only through restaurant.com, you can get a $25 The Melting Pot gift certificate for $5.25 using coupon code: PLATE. 
The fine print:  18% Gratuity added prior to discount. Present prior to ordering. Minimum purchase of 2 entrees on The Big Night Out. 1 certificate per table. Valid at San Diego, CA location only.


Plus if you purchase through shopathome.com, you can earn an additional 25% cash back.


Here's the breakdown.
 $17.50 for a $25 Restaurant.com The Melting Pot Gift Certificate
$12.25 (70% off using coupon code: PLATE)
 $5.25 Total before cash back
-$1.31 Shopathome.com cash back
$3.94 Total after cash back

San Diego Free Museum Tuesday's

This afternoon we were able to take advantage of this beautiful, sunny with a light breeze, weather we are having.  After my husband got home from work, we headed out to Balboa Park.  We were lucky enough to find a parking space pretty quick and walked over.

Our first stop was the Visitor's Center in the House of Hospitality to find out where all the free museums are located and to get a map.  The lady at the desk gave us a map and gave us directions to all the free museums of the day.  I think she was going to charge us for the map but said since it was our first time to their park, she gave it to us for free.

Our second stop was the Model Railroad Museum.  If you are not a San Diego City & County Resident or Active Duty Military with id, entrance to this museum is normally $7.00.  We really enjoyed ourselves looking at old school trains and train sets, watching the trains move through mountains, through miniature towns, moving through carnivals and watching where the train was moving to on the monitor.  We are very thankful for all the people who make the movement of the trains possible at their museum.  The kids really enjoyed themselves as well.  Here are a few pictures we took from our time at the museum.

Our third stop was the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center.  If you are not a San Diego resident or Active Duty Military with id card, admission to this museum is normally $10.  This was the place that the kids had the most hands on fun.  They learned about things like the pulley system, tornado water exhibit, water treatment facilities, how much energy is needed to light a regular light bulb in comparison to an LED light bulb, learned about dry ice, shadows with lights, got on video playback, looked at cells from our body, looked through a periscope, learned about different diseases and so much more.  Here are a few pictures of the great time we had.

Our fourth stop was the Balboa Park Fountain.  This beautiful day was really being enjoyed by all.

Our fifth stop was the Natural History Museum but by the time we arrived there just after 5pm, it had just closed it's doors.  We also tried to stop by the gardens but it had already closed for the day as well.

We headed back to the car and headed home.  It was a wonderful day to get out with the kids and enjoy some of what San Diego has to offer.  We brought along some snacks and drinks from home so we did not shell out any money for those.  A day out in San Diego and most everything was free - free parking, free museum admission and free snacks from home.  It is another story when it comes to gas prices nearing the $4.00 mark.  Luckily it is about 20 minutes from our house and traffic was not as bad as it could have been.

Balboa Park San Diego Free Museum Admission Tuesday's

San Diego Museums offer free admission every Tuesday to different attractions at Balboa Park.  Free admission applies to San Diego City & County Residents with ID and Active Duty Military and their dependents with ID.

Residents Free Tuesdays

As a public service, Park organizations offer free admission on a rotating basis on the first four Tuesdays of the month to San Diego City & County residents (with ID), active military & their dependents.

First Tuesday
Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, closes at 7:00pm
Centro Cultural de la Raza
San Diego Model Railroad Museum, closes at 4:00pm
San Diego Natural History Museum** (See special information at bottom), closes at 5:00pm

Second Tuesday
Museum of Photographic Arts
San Diego History Center
Veterans’ Museum and Memorial Center

Third Tuesday
San Diego Art Institute
Mingei International Museum
San Diego Museum of Art
San Diego Museum of Man
Japanese Friendship Garden

Fourth Tuesday
San Diego Air & Space Museum** (See Special Information at bottom)
San Diego Automotive Museum (last admission 3:45pm)
San Diego Hall of Champions
SELECT House of Pacific Relations International Cottages

Fifth Tuesday
Normal museum prices in effect. The Timken Museum of Art is always free.

*Some museums may offer complimentary admission to their permanent collections only and charge admission to special exhibitions or films.

**Residents Free Tuesday not valid for SPACE at the SD Air & Space Museum or All That Glitters at the SD Natural History Museum.

Due to large crowds and for visitor safety some museums may restrict entrance to strollers. 

2011 San Diego County Fair Discount Military Tickets

Military discount tickets for the 2011 San Diego County Fair are available to purchase on base only to customers with valid military ID cards in June 2011.  Check back in April 2011 for more details.