Is working from home the cushiest gig ever, or the most difficult one? 

Seasoned teleworkers would say: both! Here are three ways it can become awful if not managed properly and four ways to enjoy its awesomeness if it is.

First, teleworkers save a lot of time by not commuting. But, what starts off as extra free time, can easily turn into extended work hours when you aren’t clock-watching as closely as you would if you had leave your work site to race home to meet other obligations on time. 

Secondly, when wardrobe isn’t an issue, you can be super comfy in your jammies and slippers, on the sofa, with your feet up while you work. But, if you aren’t careful, laziness can creep up on you and result in a lower quantity and quality of work getting done. 

Thirdly, working at home eliminates the distractions of people frequently dropping by your work area, chatting incessantly and wasting valuable time. At home, the distractions don’t go away, they just become different ones, like family and friends who drop by, pressing chores that need to get done or worse, feelings of complete isolation.

So what can new teleworkers do make working at home awesome for their supervisors and for themselves?

Dedicate Work Space

Establish a dedicated workspace and use it. No, this doesn’t mean the sofa is always where you work. It means, pick a room in the house where you can have a desk, chair, office supplies and equipment.  Having everything in one space lends itself to structure, focus, and productivity. You will feel like you are ‘at work’, you will be able to find everything, and you will be less tempted to work around the clock when you can walk away and shut the door.

Stay Connected

It is great to eliminate the distractions of colleagues dropping by your desk, but when you completely eliminate it by working from home, that could lead to feelings of isolation. For that reason, stay connected to your co-workers. In fact, rather than default to email for all communication (we do that even we are in a workplace), pick up the phone.  This will help you feel more engaged; cut down on incidents of miscommunication; speed up getting some things done and; dispel any doubt that you are actually working.

Ask for What You Need

Even if you have a computer, cell phone, printer and office supplies, still ask your manager to provide basic home office items (excluding furniture). At first, using your personal equipment may seem like no big deal, but it will eventually become one when you have to repair it and buy parts, supplies and accessories for it. Using your own cell phone means co-workers and customers can call you whenever it is convenient for them, but you can’t just turn it off or leave it home if it is your link to family and friends.

Be Clear on Expectations

Every supervisor has his own preferences and expectations. Meet with yours to make sure you are very clear about his. For example, is your workday based on delivery of products or services or by time on the clock? Must you be available during certain hours or are your hours flexible? How often, if ever, are you expected to go into the office? Do you have the equipment for virtual meetings and collaboration, such as Skype, conference calls, SharePoint, electronic group messaging services? Schedule regular check-ins to make sure expectations haven’t changed and that you are still on track.

By following these simple tips, your teleworking experience could be simply awesome!

I have a pre-teen. And the attitude is beginning to appear.

Why? I don’t want to. I don’t have to. Whatever.

All the typical teen vernacular is tumbling out as well.  

‘Why do I have to?’ is the most frequent. Why do I have to do with the coach says, what the teacher says, what anyone says?

So I thought about it.

And decided there are five things you will learn in high school that absolutely stay the same on the job. And this is why you have to.

1. Sometimes you have to do it the way the teacher/boss wants it done. My son got the math problem right, but the teacher marked it wrong. He didn’t show all his steps. I turned in a report to my boss last week that I had to rewrite because I didn’t outline it the way she wanted. He didn’t show all his steps. When the boss/teacher/professor wants a job done a particular way, sometimes, you just have to hush up and do it that way.
2. Cliques exist in the office too. Thought everyone would sit happily together at the lunch table now that we are adults? Nope. Some offices still operate on high school-like politics complete with cliques and the cool kids. The difference? Hard work matters here. Keep your nose to the grind, work hard and you will stand out and get the attention of the person who matters most, management.
3. You will have to work in a group with people you don’t like. With people who don’t pull their weight. With people who may do their job incorrectly. And it’s going to stink. But unlike school when you can petition to do your own project or just settle for the lower grade and bring it up later, at the job, you need to find a way to get along with your co-workers and get the project done and done well. This time, it’s not a grade on the line, it’s your paycheck.
4. You will have to do things you don’t want to do, don’t like to do, in every job, on nearly every level of experience. You will have to do the dirty work, you will have to complete the boring tasks you will have to do the hardest part of the job. There is no getting out of it or mouthing off to the boss. If you call in sick, it just means you have to do double tomorrow. Like that paper you don’t want to write or the gym class you have to take to graduate, you just have to do it. Get over it.
5. You will get it wrong. You can’t be perfect all the time. The point is to continue to learn, improve and get better at what you do. Be willing to take responsibility and realize you were wrong instead of arguing that it was someone else’s fault, or that you didn’t have enough time to complete it or that you were tired from the band concert the night before. Acknowledge the mistake, learn how to fix it and continue to do better.

I would like to consider myself a seasoned military spouse by now.  After eight years of Marine Corps life, more than eight moves, two babies born in two different states and re-establishing myself over and over again (you get the drill), I feel pretty confident in navigating around this crazy military life (not that I need to list it all out, we all know what its like!).

That’s not to say I know everything. Believe me, I am constantly learning new things about this life. And it doesn’t really get any easier, as a spouse we just learn to cope better. Or expect the worse because that is what usually happens!

One thing that I have noticed lately at our current duty station (or maybe just our own little bubble) is the competiveness between spouses.  It’s maddening!

Stay-at-home moms pitted against working moms. Enlisted wife against officer wife. New spouse against seasoned spouse. Even one military branch against another. Maybe it’s the curse of social media that prevents us from filtering our words and people just say whatever they want because they can hide behind their profile picture.  

Or, somehow, someone thinks the grass is greener on the other side. Whatever it is, I have witnessed some disturbing comments in person and social media the last few months by all ranks (including friends) and my heart is a little broken. Women can be bullies!

I thought about listing specific examples that I have encountered but after much thought I realized it’s just not necessary.  Rehashing it, thinking about it and getting defensive all over again is not healthy.  

So, let me say this, to all military spouses: male, female, officer, mustang, enlisted, stay-at-home mom, working mom, working spouse, new spouse or seasoned.

Stop comparing one another and give each other some grace and respect. We are all doing the best we can with the cards we were dealt or the path we chose. We all live within our own means. We all make sacrifices.  We all made mistakes and had to learn the hard way.

It sounds so cliché to say get along and support one another but it’s the truth. We are all doing our part to support our military, support our country and support our family. We have to stop pinning ourselves against each other.

Being a military family is hard enough. We need to stand together and fight for the benefits promised to us and our children. We need to support one another because our loved ones are still fighting a war. We need to stand up for our veterans and stop watching the statistics about PTSD and suicide rates increase while nothing is being done about it. We need to band together and go to our legislators and give our veterans a voice.

There are much bigger problems in our world. I could care less about getting a salute at the gate. As a mom of preschoolers, I am trying to teach my boys to treat others the way they want to be treated.

Instead of worrying about getting saluted at the gate or comparing pay scales, maybe we all need to go back to some basics and relearn common courtesy.

It must be spring because there are job fairs happening all across the county, every single week! Every single job fair on the list below is open only to military spouses and military members.

Take advantage of the good weather (finally!) and the renewal in your step to put your best foot forward and find the perfect job.

Remember to dress as if you are headed to an interview, brings lots of copies of your resume and click on the link and register!! Many of these job fairs do not accept walk-ins or day of registrations.

April 7

Norman, OK

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/norman-hiring-fair

April 8

Patrick AFB, FL

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/patrick-air-force-base-military-spouse-networking-reception

April 9

Patrick AFB, FL

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/patrick-air-force-base-military-spouse-hiring-fair

April 10

New Orleans, LA

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/new-orleans-hiring-expo-new-orleans-pelicans

April 14

St. Louis, MO

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/st-louis-hiring-fair

April 15

Fort Bliss, Texas

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/fort-bliss-military-spouse-networking-reception

April 17

Tampa, FL

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/tampa-hiring-fair

April 21

Kansas City, MO

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/kansas-city-hiring-fair

April 28

Nellis AFB, NV

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/nellis-air-force-base-military-spouse-networking-reception

May 6

Camden, NJ

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/camden-hiring-fair

May 7

Glen Allen, VA

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/richmond-hiring-fair-0

It was a few days into this deployment, and I was feeling pretty good.

We were tired, for sure.  A 3 a.m. drop-off on a dark boat dock isn’t exactly refreshing.

And my kids were sad that Daddy was gone, as was I.

But we were all fed and clothed and dressed.  We even made soccer practice on time that week.

And then, late on a Friday afternoon, I opened my garage door to throw in another load of laundry and found myself standing in several inches of water.

“Oh my god!” I screamed, while my children squealed with glee, the 2-year-old yelling, “Pool, mama! Pool!”

I immediately assumed my washer was leaking and pumping all this water onto my garage floor.  But I couldn’t tell.

I had to back out my van and start pulling things off of the wall before I saw it, leaking, nay pouring, out the bottom of my hot water heater.

“Oh god no!” I yelled some more. “No, no, no, no, no!”

I then grabbed my phone, called the first friend I could think of and yelled at her, “My garage is flooded! I need help! Please come now!”

I had to dig my way into the water shut-off outside the house; it had been caked by dirt and mud all winter and was barely movable.  And then I had to figure out which breaker led to the hot water heater, in my unlabeled breaker box, of course, while standing in several inches of water and praying I wasn’t electrocuted.

Then my friend showed up. Thank god, she had brought her husband.  She grabbed our shop-vac and started sucking out water, while her husband found the volt meter and made sure it wasn’t a fire hazard.  We all start calling plumbers while using towels and a leaf blower to soak up and blow away the lake that had been my garage.

A third phone call to another homeowner-friend-Navy-wife revealed she knew a plumber.  Or, rather, a better option.

Her husband, who had replaced their hot-water heater two years prior.

He came over, grabbed my credit card, bought me a new hot-water heater and installed it that night while his wife and my dear friend, along with her four children, helped me clean kids and dinner prep without running water.

I went to bed that night exhausted, wishing I had played the lotto.

This was the third deployment in a row in which, within a week of my husband’s departure, something major has broken. What are the chances?

And this is the third time in a row that good friends, a savings account, husband-borrowing, and a dose of “Oh crap! I guess I have no choice but to deal with this!” have come to my rescue.

I’m not sure I can express the kind of gratitude I feel when someone sacrifices their Friday night for me just because I’m a fellow military spouse in need.

No other community has that kind of loyalty, that kind of ferocious protective nature over their own.

I will be forever grateful that, if nothing else, this life has taught me that a few inches of water have nothing on the power of a military community.

Without that community, those few inches of water would have surely drowned me.

And while we in the Navy community like to laugh at the pun, “We’re all in the same boat,” it really is true.

And I really am thankful for that alone.


 

By Jan Wesner Childs

During my husband’s worst deployment, in the midst of the surge in Iraq in 2007, I dreamed over and over that he had died. I had visions of what I would do if that happened, how I would react and how I would grieve.

Later, when he was deployed as a commander of nearly 1,000 soldiers in 2010, I had visions of a different kind: What would I do if one of our soldiers was killed, and I was called upon to help the spouse?

Thankfully, I never experienced either scenario in real life. And while death is something none of us like to talk about it (or should obsess about the way I did), we can be prepared in case it happens to one of our own.

Recently, a soldier in our current unit died of an illness after being in the hospital for a few days. My experiences helping his spouse and their 5-year-old son over the past few weeks have reminded me that grief is one of our most primitive, yet most unpredictable, emotions.

Here are 10 tips for helping a military spouse deal with loss and grief, whether you are long-time friends or unfortunately meeting only because a tragedy has happened:

1. Everyone grieves differently, and that grief evolves over time. This is the most important thing to remember anytime you are around a person experiencing a loss. Some people retreat inside themselves. Others dread being alone. Some won’t leave the house for days. Others will find comfort in going out to do “normal” things.  If a grieving person reacts in a way different than you think you would, don’t judge them or question them. Let them grieve in the way that feels best for them at that moment.

2. This isn’t about you. This piggybacks on the above point – the only person this situation is about is the one who is experiencing the loss. If you find yourself seeking attention for your actions, or complaining, or talking randomly to others about the situation, step back and take a deep breath and refocus. If someone else is already providing assistance - like a close friend, neighbor or more senior spouse, ask them what you can do to help rather than overwhelm the grieving family.

3. Don’t intrude where you are not wanted or needed. Be very aware of when and how you can best support the grieving family. Again, this is not about you – if the spouse doesn’t want you there, leave. You do not have to be physically present to provide assistance.

4. If you are the one “in charge” of spouse support, assess the surviving spouse’s needs and discuss them carefully. A person in tragic circumstances may not know what they need, or how to express that need. At the same time, you don’t want to completely take over the situation. Talk to the spouse gently about her needs. Look around the house. Does she have kids who might need childcare while the CAO is meeting with her? Does she appear to have food on hand? Does she already have a support system in place that she can call upon (or you could call upon for her), like a church group or close circle of friends? Once you assess the needs, make a plan and present it to her. For example, a schedule of babysitters for her child or a plan for neighbors to walk the dog.

5. Call on others to help, and allow others to be involved as appropriate. When tragedy strikes, everyone wants to help. This is partly because we feel bad for the surviving family members, and also because it helps us deal with our own grief and fears. Organize that help accordingly, so that the family is not overwhelmed. If the surviving spouse doesn’t want people dropping by her house, by all means let her put a “do not disturb” sign on the door. Then corral the helpers into doing something useful and appreciated, based on the needs of the spouse. 

6. Let the military handle the “official” side of things. Don’t hypothesize with the spouse about money or benefits, timelines, or anything that the government controls. Whenever a servicemember dies, whether in combat or not, the immediate family is assigned a Casualty Assistance Officer, or CAO. The CAO is usually a member of the deceased person’s unit and is the point person for all official business related to the death. There are also usually several other members of the unit assigned to assist the CAO for as long as needed.  The CAO will help the family make burial or cremation arrangements, bring them necessary paperwork to sign and answer any questions they may have. He or she will also make sure the family is briefed on government benefits and receives any immediate financial assistance.  The CAO and the unit might also help with travel arrangements for other family members, the surviving spouse’s PCS if he or she will be relocating and countless other details.

7. You are not a professional grief counselor. Certainly you can be a sounding board and a shoulder to cry on, but be cognizant of the fact that most of us don’t have a degree in counseling. The CAO should provide information on mental health services but if you think a grieving spouse – or their children – might be in need of professional counseling, gently remind them that such counseling is readily available and, if necessary, give them the contact information. 

8. If you are stepping in because the person who died worked for or with your spouse, talk to your spouse about what he or she might expect of you and what assistance your own spouse envisions you providing

9. Don’t forget to take care of yourself and your own family. Helping someone in crisis is emotionally exhausting, and your own family, especially your children, may also be affected. Don’t get so immersed in helping someone else that you forget to take time out for yourself and your family.

10. Stop and think before you say or do anything. Back off. Don’t suffocate the grieving family. If there is anytime to be compassionate, thoughtful and selfless, this is it.

There’s a lot about military life that makes it hard to be happy.

We move. Our friends move. Our friends die. Our husbands (or wives) are gone, a lot. Our new house on base is too small. Our new house on base is too far. Our old base had a better commissary. It was closer to our family.

The list can go on and on.

And for many of us, while we’re wallowing in that moment of self-pity, tend to loathe the happy military spouse who breezes by, without seemingly a care in the world. What’s she have to be so happy about that you didn’t get?

Nothing. Her husband is deployed. Her house on base is itty bitty. She hasn’t seen her family in four years either.

But, she chooses to be happy.

A report by CNN on the state of happiness says happy people, truly happy people, are not inspired by what life gives them but what they choose to make of it.

The CNN story (read the entire piece here: http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/19/living/feat-project-happy-10-ways/index.html) quotes Sonja Lyubomirsky, a psychology professor at the University of California, Riverside and author of "The Myth of Happiness."

"Happy people don't sit around," Lyubomirsky said. "They strive for something personally meaningful, whether it's learning a new language, retraining in their careers or raising good kids. Find a happy person, and you will find a project."

She told CNN that up to 40 percent of your happiness is determined completely by your decision to be happy.

And today just happens to be the United Nation’s International Day of Happiness. To celebrate, CNN has launched Project Happy and will report for the next three months on all the ways people around the world choose to embrace and celebrate happiness.

But, we can start today. Sure, your on-post house is small, but don’t make your entire tour about the house. Get out into your new community, explore nearby destinations. Enjoy the experiences this tiny house puts you near, don’t worry about the size of the house.

Husband deployed? It stinks. We absolutely know. But instead of dwelling every night as you fall asleep on the negative, write down what was good about each day. Write down what you are thankful for. Shift your attention to the positive and your level of happiness will shift too.

Always running your children to activities? Guess what, they can wait on you once in a while. Pick an activity, skill, club anything you want to do and make time to do it.

For more ideas on ways to be happy, check out CNN’s top 10 list at http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/19/living/feat-project-happy-10-ways/index.html

Choose one, and start getting happy!  

Things have been a little quiet in my blogging life.  After spurts of motivation to get back into the real, working world, I finally found a position to apply for that matched my education and experience. 

Although it was full-time and a little further away than I was willing to travel, I decided to put myself out there. I wouldn’t know if I didn’t try. So late one night, when everyone was fast asleep, I edited my resume for the tenth time in the last year and applied. Before I could talk myself out of it or tell my husband a reason I shouldn’t apply, I sent in the application and there was no turning back.

Not only did I send the application, I told my references that they may be getting a call. I felt excited again about the opportunity to contribute to my family. I envisioned paying off debt and taking some of the financial pressure off my husband’s shoulders.

I even started telling my friends and family. I had everyone’s support. A week went by and I heard nothing. Another week went by and I checked my application status. Silence.

I got so caught up with our busy routine and my husband leaving for a 3-month training that I almost forgot about the application after a couple weeks. Until I received the email.

“I regret to inform you….” Those few words were all I needed to know where this letter was going. I had seen it before. Rejection slapped me in the face, again.

Even though I wasn’t sure the logistics of this position would work for my family, I still wanted to be considered. I still wanted a shot. I wanted a chance to try; to prove to myself and everyone else that I was good enough to be employed.

I was not prepared for rejection. I have worked hard the last few years. Even though I have been away from the real, working world I am still involved in the community. I volunteer for two organizations. I run my family’s household. I have stayed home for four years to raise my two awesome boys so my husband could focus on his career and have the peace of my mind that our family was taken care with me home. 

Now, with both of my boys registered for preschool next year, I am ready for my turn.

It’s been a couple weeks since the letter. I applied to another position in our county but honestly, I am struggling with confidence and have not continued to search for other opportunities.  I know it was only one position and I should not give up. But, I am struggling a little bit and it is a hard place to be, especially as I watch my husband succeed in the Marine Corps.

I will continue to volunteer and keep our routine, for now. But I am taking this as an opportunity to slow down.  I know one day the right position will happen for me but maybe this just isn’t the time.

Editor’s Note: Today we want to introduce you to Heidi Holloway, a Navy wife with an inspiring story of determination and success. Enjoy!

I have lost over 50 pounds. I went from being an exhausted, overweight mom who was tired just chasing toddlers, to being a personal trainer. Over the past year, since sharing some progress pictures, and becoming a personal trainer, I have had many people ask me how I did it. And, could I please help them do the same.

So I decided to share my story in hopes of helping more people to realize that anyone can do it. It’s not easy, and it won’t happen overnight, but it can be done! So here goes.

And before I start, I am not a dietitian, Nutritionist, or Doctor. I am just simply sharing my story, and some opinions, and how I got to where I am today. I would always recommend that anyone who is looking to start a health and fitness journey, that they talk to their doctor first!

I was hoping to start off with a good ‘before’ picture of me from the beginning of my journey, but due to the fact that I hid from the camera then, those are limited. So I will start off with my starting stats and the best picture I can come up with.

At 24-years -old, I tipped the scales at 227 pounds. This was right after delivering my first child. At the time, I was not happy with myself but that was pretty much the extent of my thoughts on it. I knew I wanted to lose weight, but it was not high on my list of priorities.

I mean I was planning to have more babies so why bother if I was just going to gain it again right? Man, what I wouldn’t give to find a time machine to go back and kick my 24-year-old self in the butt! It wasn’t until two years later, after having my second child and still keeping the scale at about 215 pounds that I finally felt that something needed to be done. I wanted a change, not just for myself, but for my family. I knew that I should not already be out of breath and tired after chasing a toddler around at such a young age. So that is where my journey began.

It sounds like that was such a simple choice to make, and then act on. I wish it were that easy! It was completely the opposite. I had no idea what to do or where to start. So I did what anyone would do, I turned to the internet!

And to spare you the many details of mistakes and wrong turns that lead me through, let’s just say I have not done everything right. I have tried many fad diets, fat blockers, pills, vitamins, shakes, bars, you name it I have probably at least tried it once. My point here, none of that worked. There was not going to be a shortcut to my getting healthy, I was going to have to work for it. But the mistakes didn’t end there.

I finally got some decent advice, and decided to start learning to count calories and monitoring my food intake. I used www.myfitnesspal.com which is an awesome site to track with. However, in my experience, there is a fine line between tracking calories, starvation and obsession to tracking. So while I still recommend to this day that tracking is the best place to start, keep in mind that it is just a reference point, and should not be more important than the air you breathe.

I have a tendency to become a little obsessed with things, especially numbers. My husband had to point it out a few times for me to realize I  was going overboard.

And also, it may seem that when the site sets a goal of, let’s just say 1500 calories a day, you are doing great if you are always coming in under your goal. This is not always the case. So much for that math!  When given a goal for calories, you should be meeting your goal or very close to every day, it is actually not terrible to even go over it by a few calories here and there.

I know crazy right, wouldn’t that be over eating?!? Yea, well, while our bodies are machines and for the most part work on a ‘simple’ calories in and calories out formula. That doesn’t mean the formula is the same for every person.

For instance, the formula used on MyFitnessPal to calculate how much you should be eating is a generalized calculation that works to give a guideline for most people to follow. Health and fitness is not a one size fits all program!

I learned much later in my journey, that it is better to eat a little more than it says and slow progress temporarily, than to eat well under every day and slow your progress significantly in the future by teaching your body to burn muscle rather than fat. This is a hard problem to correct! Trust me! Again, weight loss is not a one size fits all program, so talk to your doctor, find what works for YOU!

So, after I got the calorie tracking thing down, I had lost about 50 pounds pretty quickly, and by quickly I mean over the course of about a year. Thank god for being young, once you hit 30 and 40, the struggle is real!

I then hit a plateau. Restricting calories more than I already had was not an option and yet I wasn’t making any more progress, now what?!  The next thing on the agenda was adding in workouts. And again, I found that I had no idea where to begin.

So, I bought workout videos, used Wii, I attempted the C25K program several times, did some online workouts, etc. And guess what?  This time, It all helped! Exercise is the one category where, aside from injuring yourself from overdoing it too quickly, I feel like you really can’t go wrong.

As long as you are moving, you are burning calories, and that is good news! And the best part is most of these activities can be done with your whole family instilling these healthy habits into your kids as well! It’s a WIN – WIN!

The next question I am often asked, is do I recommend you start with a trainer? Well, as a trainer, YES!!! I want to work with all of you and help you all! However, in reality, it really depends on you. Trainers are not always for everyone. How motivated are you to get up and do the workouts every day without someone there to make sure you do them? Be honest with yourself!

Do you know what you are doing enough to be able to work out at the gym without direction? If you can do it on your own and can find a program to follow and actually keep up with it, then go for it! If you need the accountability or have some special considerations to work around, maybe you have an injury or a heart condition, a trainer can be a great help to get you going in the right direction.

Even more so than a personal trainer, I highly recommend getting into group fitness. Personally, that is where my life and journey really changed. An outdoor boot camp program for military spouses here in Hawaii lit a fire for fitness in me that will never be put out! If you’re ever in Hawaii check them out, Dumbell Fitness.

I found that the camaraderie, encouragement and enthusiasm from a group fitness class were exactly what I needed to continue to excel. And it never hurts to have a little healthy competition here and there!

Bottom line is, when it comes to exercise, get out there and start moving. Take a walk, take a bike ride, go for a swim, turn off the TV, turn off the computer, after you are done reading this of course, and get outside and have some fun! And yes, your workouts should be fun! I mean think about it, if you hate what you do every day, what are your chances of continuing long term? Yea, not going to happen!

So, try lots of different things, and find something that you enjoy, there are so many options to choose from you are guaranteed to find something that keeps you coming back. I’m not saying that it shouldn’t be work, but you should still enjoy it on some level! This journey is not temporary; it is the rest of your life!

My final point to make and it’s pretty high up on the importance scale… DON’T QUIT!!! Whatever you do, however many road blocks you hit, plateaus that you reach, or setbacks you come to... NEVER QUIT!

Once you are going in the right direction, don’t look back. You can take short detours, but you can never give up and just go back to where you started. The feeling of accomplishment, of invincibility, (yes I said invincibility) the thought that no matter what someone throws at you, knowing that ‘you got this’ - that feeling is worth more than any job could ever pay! That is the feeling I want everyone who starts out on a journey to feel someday!

 The journey is long, the journey is hard, the journey never really ends. But, it is SO worth it!

By Amanda Rebmann

Have you found yourself buried under a pile of credit card debt? There are ways to control it – with a little budgeting and discipline.

Since 2010, credit card statements have been required to disclose a minimum payment warning.  This requirement was part of the CARD Act (Credit Card Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009), which targeted certain components of extending credit.  As we all know, obtaining credit can be a good or bad thing. 

On one hand, extending financing, particularly to the military, can be positive.  It helps us purchase items that would otherwise be too expensive to pay for outright.  However, credit can quickly become overwhelming, particularly when introductory rates expire and increase, or if an unexpected event forces you to rely on credit cards more frequently. 

To pay less in interest, and decrease the amount of time you’ll need to repay your debt, always try to pay more than the minimum amount due.  It’s easy to just pay that small amount on your statement each month, ranging anywhere from $15 to $100 or more.  When money is tight, you need to make sure to at least pay that amount to avoid any negative credit reporting. 

However, there are many benefits to paying more than the minimum amount due.  You will pay much less in interest charges, and pay the balance off sooner.  You will have more available credit in case of emergencies, and improve your credit scores.  High balances negatively impact your credit scores, while maintaining a lower balance in relation to your credit line is considered a positive factor.

Let’s say you have a $1000 balance on your credit card with an 18 percent interest rate and your minimum payment is calculated as interest plus 1 percent of the balance.  Using this example, the minimum payment would start at $25, and decrease as your balance went down.  Even without using that credit card again, it would take you over eight and a half years to pay off the original $1000 balance, and you would pay almost as much in interest as the balance.  Instead, if you pay a fixed payment of $35, you will pay over $600 less in interest and pay it off six years sooner!

Paying more than the minimum payment on your statement is a money saver for other types of debt as well, including installment loans, like a car loan, or even mortgage payments.  Using a $200,000/ 30 year fixed rate loan at 4.5 percent as an example, if you pay just your minimum payment each month, you will pay the loan off in the anticipated 30 years and will have paid close to $165,000 in interest in addition to paying back the balance.  Paying just an extra $50 a month saves you thousands in interest and takes about three years off of the loan.

For many people, debt cannot be avoided; we need cars and homes, and borrowing helps achieve those things.  Budgeting can be difficult, and circumstances always arise that prevent us from devoting more of our paychecks to paying back debt.  However, when you have the means to pay just a little or more to your monthly bills, you’ll come out with more money in the long run.