2010 Military pay charts have been released! Service members will receive a 3.4% pay raise in 2010.

While basic pay is taxable, most allowances are not taxable. To find out your tax advantage view the Regular Military Compensation Calculator .

The most junior military members earn around $17,000 a year in basic pay, while the most senior officer makes over $220,000. How is that for incentive to stay for the long haul? Military pay is much more complex than basic pay. There are a host of special pays and allowances paid to service members as well. Listed below are the basics of military pay and allowances.

2010 Enlisted Pay

2010 Officer Pay

Basic Pay: Your military salary. Based on rank and time in service. You can find a 2009 pay chart here.

Basic Allowance for Substance: Money paid to the service member for food. Enlisted members receive$323.87 and Officers receive $223.04 per month.

Basic Allowance for Housing: Money paid to the service member for housing. This pay is based on zip code, rank, and dependents. Contrary to popular belief military members are not paid more if they have more children. There are only two categories for BAH, with dependents or without dependents. the 2010 BAH rates will be released in December. You can a view the current BAH rates here.

Cost of Living Allowance (COLA): COLA is a cash allowance intended to compensate for high cost of living areas. COLA is not assigned to areas where the cost of living is less than of meets the average of that in the United Sates. A service member must be permanently assigned to the area to receive COLA. Based on rank, time in service and number of dependents. Click to view Stateside COLA and Overseas COLA rates.

Clothing Allowance: Officers receive this allowance once, Enlisted members receive the initial allowance, plus an allowance each year. You can find rates here.

There are numerous of other special pays available for service members. To view a comprehensive listing of special pays click here.

Members serving in a combat zone do not pay taxes on their basic pay. I found this interesting article regarding how to make the most of your combat-pay exclusion. You can read a summary of your combat zone benefits here.

It is important check your LES (Leave and Earning Statement) each month to ensure you are receiving the correct pay. The military does make mistakes.  You can log on to My Pay, to view a current LES.

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The commissary is a military grocery store. It looks just like a normal grocery store, and sells similar items, the difference is only active duty, retirees, reservists and their dependents may shop there. It is my opinion that the commissary is cheaper on the majority of items. This does not mean that you will not do better with triple coupon, catalinas, or ECB’s, but you cannot buy all your groceries that way. I believe that military families should scan circulars for loss leaders at the local stores. But over the past several years, using the commissary has kept my family of nine’s grocery bill at around $600 a month, and we eat well.

Here are a few commissary facts and tips.

The Dreaded Surcharge: The commissary adds a 5% surcharge to your total bill.  Depending on where you live, this may cut in to your savings. Certain states charge a sales tax on their food, so if you live in one of those states the surcharge probably doesn’t make a difference. I live in Maryland, which does not charge sales tax on food. The 5% charge may make a difference for someone who is driving an hour each way to the commissary and has to factor in the cost of fuel.

Tipping: I know there are many people who do not like having to tip the baggers, but don’t take it out on them, they are just doing their job. I always tip the baggers, but I do think it is hard to determine a fair amount. There are several factors to consider; weather, number of bags, distance to the vehicle. The more bags I have the higher the tip, but I have never tipped more than $5.

Is the commissary really cheaper: I would have to say yes, item for item, pound for pound the commissary is cheaper. I only shop at other grocery stores when I am getting things for free, or close to free. There will be times when using double coupons and bogos, you will be able to beat the commissary’s price, but unless all your shopping, including meat and produce, is done that way you will save money overall at the commissary.

Here are some tips for getting the best deals at the commissary

Do not shop on a payday weekend. These are the busiest shopping days at the commissary. It is almost impossible to walk down the aisles, not to mention figure out coupons if you shop during this time.

Take advantage of the tear off coupons. These are the coupons that are attached to the shelves. Many times these coupons match up with items that are already on sale. Combining sales and coupons this way can almost get you items for free. For example, last month there were many rip off coupons in the taco aisle, and all the Old El Paso items were on sale. I bought 3 jars of salsa, 4 boxes of shells, 4 cans of refried beans and 2 seasoning canisters for $6.

Plan your menus around commissary sales. The commissary rotates its sale items every two weeks, starting on Thursdays. This means the price of almost everything in the commissary changes every two weeks. If you see something on sale, stock up! It might be twice as much the next time you go to the store. I post the commissary sales every two weeks with coupon match-ups. Each store does run manager’s specials that vary from store to store. You can look up your individual commissary here.

If you live far from a commissary, try making one bulk trip every 4 to 6 weeks. At one point we lived about an hour a way from the Commissary. I went every 4 weeks to purchase in bulk; milk, yogurt, formula, diapers, bread, cereal and meat. I would also pick up the groceries I needed for the week. As far as I know, stateside commissaries do not ration items so you can really stock up on things that are a great price.

The commissary will save you more money if you live in a high cost of living area. I live in the D.C. metro area. There is no other store that can compete with the commissary’s prices. I also found this to be the case when I lived in the Virginia Beach area. If you aren’t sure about your commissary savings try making a price book. This will help you to determine whether or not making an hour or so drive to the commissary is worth your time and money.

The Exchange (PX/ NEX)

The Exchange is a department store. They sell everything from clothes to toys to jewelry and make-up. The big benefit of the Exchange is that all your purchases are tax free. This can be a huge savings on big ticket items. Their prices are competitive, but you I recommend shopping around before purchasing larger items. The Exchange does price match, and you can find their policy here.

Using your Commissary and Exchange benefits can help stretch your family’s budget. What is your best commissary or exchange shopping tip?

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After Christmas I stocked up on fabric and ribbon that was discounted over 90%. I combined that with coupons and created quite a stash of wrapping supplies for this year. If you have extra fabric lying around you can make these easy fabric gift bags. It is easy enough for a beginning sewer and you don’t even need Christmas fabric, a solid color with a nice ribbon looks great too!

After I ran out of fabric I used grocery bags to wrap the rest of my gifts.

Are these crowding your mailbox this month?

Take advantage of the coupons and buy some cute ribbon to dress up your brown paper packages. I have also used butcher paper and had my kids color, paint, or stamp holiday designs. Grandparents love getting a personalized package and the kids love to help decorate!

The best part is all these options are either recyclable or reusable, while most gift wrap is not. This Christmas you can save some green by going green.

For more frugal tips visit Life as Mom.

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Butterball wants to hear your story! Next Monday, November 9^th, I will post one of our Thanksgiving adventures and host a MckLinky so you can post a link to your favorite Thanksgiving adventure too. If your Thanksgivings are uneventful, you can post a link to your favorite Thanksgiving recipe or any traditions your family incorporates into the holiday.

If you don’t have a blog, email me your story, recipe, or tradition.

On Thursday, November 12^th, I will pick four random winners from the participants to receive Butterball turkey gift checks.

Happy Thanksgiving 2008

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The Good

Priced at your BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing). When you sign a lease to move into a military home you agree to pay your entire housing allowance to the housing office. This price pays your rent, utilities, and in some cases your yard maintenance. There are very few financial surprises when you live on base.

Safety of living on base. Many housing areas are located on the military installation, which means you have 24/7 security.

Amenities. Many of the bases have pools, playgrounds, and gyms that are available for you to use for free as a perk for living on base.

Larger Housing. Some of the new housing is quite large and many junior enlisted families are getting much more out of their BAH than they would if they lived off base.

Pets Allowed. Most bases allow pets in housing without a pet deposit. Certain breeds of dogs are forbidden on many bases.

Community Feel. When you live on base you are surrounded by people who are in the your exact same situation. Many families are dealing with deployments, shift work, and watches. I have found that people are quick to befriend their neighbors because everyone has moved many times before.

Close proximity to work. If you are living on base, chances are pretty good you are living close to work as well. This could eliminate the need for a second car if the active duty member is able to bike or walk to work.

Close proximity to Commissary. Many times the commissary will be within walking distance from housing. With the cost of gas fluctuating it is nice to be within a mile of two of a inexpensive grocery store.

Housing is based on rank and number of children. If you are a lower rank but you have a lot of kids, you will get a larger home, regardless of your BAH. This means an E-3 with 4 kids will be living in a 4 or 5 bedroom home, even though they could probably only afford a 2 bedroom apartment on the economy.

The Bad

Utility Billing in some areas. Many bases that have been privatized are now monitoring and charging for utilities if you exceed the average use of like homes. So, if you are a utility hog you will be paying out of pocket for your utilities. But if you conserve, you will be refunded the difference each month.

False Sense of Security. Yes, the fact that you are living within the confines of the gate does keep certain people off base. But, there are many creeps and thieves that live in your neighborhoods. There is crime on military bases and people should use the same caution they would use out in town.

Small/ Old Outdated Housing. Even though many bases have privatized their housing, there are still many bases with substandard units. It takes time to remodel houses, so it is possible you could get stuck in a small, old house.

Housing Office. Usually there is only one housing office, so if you are having trouble, you don’t have many other options.

Same old, same old. Base housing usually isn’t very pretty. The materials used are usually cheaper and everyone’s house looks exactly the same, at least on the outside.

Lack of storage. This is hit or miss, I have lived in houses with a tremendous amount of storage and others were we were getting rid of things left and right in order to fit into the house. Many older homes do not have basements, attics, or garages.

Difficult for nonmilitary friends to visit. I always felt bad that our friends had to get out of their vehicles and were subjected to searches, in order to visit us. It made our house a less than ideal place for events and parties.

The Ugly

Sometimes base housing is ugly, really ugly.

In the end living on base is a personal decision that depends heavily on your personal circumstances. With the recent down turn in the economy it is sometimes a better deal to live off base. We were able to find a house significantly bigger than our base house for less than our BAH. In other places, the cost of living is extremely high and living on base allows people to stay within their budget.

I do recommend that junior enlisted families live on base if  the housing is adequate. Income is limited and living on base helps control fluctuating expenses such as utilities, that can bust a budget in a colder than normal winter.

What has been your base housing experience, good, bad or just plain ugly?

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Knott’s Berry Farm pays tribute to past and present U.S. armed forces personnel during Veteran’s Month with free park admission for them and a guest November 1-26 only.  Up to six additional tickets can be purchased for only $15 each.  Military ID or DD214 required for discount.  Not valid for our evening event – Halloween Haunt.

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I think it went well.

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Monica is the mom of three precious preschoolers who keep her on toes at all times. She has been married to her husband, Keith, for eight years. Keith is a Chaplain in the Army and they are currently assigned to an overseas post in Germany. You can find her writing about family, faith, and the military on her blog Daily Dwelling.

Deployments and separations have become a way of life for military families. They are hard….very hard, but they are also survivable.

Our family has been through two deployments. They have been very different from one another. During my husband’s first deployment of twelve months, my twins were babies and we lived close to family, but away from the Army post that he was stationed out of. During his second deployment of fourteen months, I had three small ones to take care of and we were living in Germany, away from the support of civilian friends and family.

Each situation had its ups and downs, its pros and cons, but we made it through them both.

Here are eight tips that I have found that help in not only surviving, but thriving in a deployment.

1. Plan. Before the deployment begins, accept it and begin planning. Plan for how you will communicate with your loved one and how your family will function during this time of separation. Plan for emergencies. Plan for the worse case scenarios. No, some of these are not things that we want to think about, but if we don’t they will catch us completely off guard. Having a plan in place is often more than half the battle.

2. Communicate. Just because your spouse is serving the country away from you doesn’t mean that they have to be cut out of your life. There are so many ways, especially because of technology, to keep communication open. Before the deployment takes place, sit down and talk about your expectations for communication. Things may change once they are downrange, but again, having a plan and being honest about your needs and/or expectations can prevent a lot of hurt feelings.

During my husband’s first deployment, he wrote a letter every single day. Yes, I have all of them saved. We also talked on the phone almost daily, but we used e-mail very sparingly and did not talk via web cam at all. During his second deployment, we e-mailed and talked on the phone on a daily basis. We also used skype to talk over web cam a lot during the latter part of his deployment. This gave the children a very tangible way to stay in touch with their Daddy.

3. Find a support system You will have days that you struggle. You or your kids may get sick. You may just need a break at some point. This will all come through your support system. You may create your own support through friends from church, family members, friends within the military community, online communities, the Family Readiness Group, or any combination of those, but you will need to have one. The deployment will be so much harder than it has to be if you try to do it all on your own.

4. Become involved.  Whether it be in your community, church, your kids’ school, a spouse’s club, or a playgroup, get involved in something! There can be a temptation to isolate yourself and not get out and enjoy life, but life has to go on and getting involved in something can help you to overcome that temptation.

5. Take advantage of resources. The Army, and I’m sure the other branches of the military as well, have many programs in place to help relieve the burden that is caused by deployments. Check into them and take advantage as much as you can. The Family Readiness Group is your resource to find out what is going on in your spouse’s unit and can be a great outlet for finding information about the resources that are available. The Army Family Covenant provided extra respite hours of childcare, a reduced hourly childcare rate, free programs for children and youth to participate in, and child care for FRG meetings. I was able to take advantage of all of these and they really helped to relieve some of the stress of the deployment. Yes, they all involve childcare, but that is a huge issue for families!

6. Accept help. There are many people out there that want to support the military and military families. They are more than willing to help in any way that they can. Army spouses can be a proud bunch that prides themselves on being independent and self-sufficient (I am and I do!). It can be a humbling experience to accept offers of help, but I have found many times that it often does more for the person that is doing the helping than the person being helped. When you refuse help, you are refusing someone the privilege of being a blessing to you! So, swallow your pride and accept those genuine offers of help!

7. Set goals. Before, during and even as you near the end of the deployment, sit down and write out goals for yourself and your family during this time. I had many goals. Some I achieved, some I didn’t, but having a goal gave me something to work towards during the hard times.

8. Be realistic. Don’t expect too much of yourself. You probably won’t achieve all of those goals that you set and you will have bad days. Don’t expect that you won’t. Be realistic with yourself and with this time in your life. At the end of the deployment, be ready to celebrate just for making it through, because that in itself is a huge accomplishment!

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When my children are 5 to 6 months old, I lay them in their crib and wind up the mobile or put on some fun music. I usually stay in the room, talking to them and encouraging them. If the child is happy, this lasts 10 to 15 minutes. If the child is unhappy, I try to calm them down, but after 5 minutes I pick them up.

I repeat this every day, to help my child enjoy spending a small amount of time alone. As they grow older I increase the time by a few minutes every week. By the time my child is a year, they are able to spend 30 to 45 minutes happily playing in their crib.

As the child is older and able to sit up, I add a few age appropriate toys in the crib. These toys only are played with during this time, so the child usually looks forward to their time  alone.

I use a monitor so I can hear the child, if I am not in the room.

Room time is beneficial in many ways.

It helps the child spend time alone. I have found that some kids love to be alone, and others have a very hard time entertaining themselves, even for a few minutes. Starting room time when your child is young, helps your child entertain themselves even if only for a short amount of time.

It gives mom a break. I know many moms spend 12-14 hours a day, wiping noses, changing diapers, picking up toys, solving problems, folding laundry, cooking meals, and shuttling kids around town.  Even 15 to 30 minutes of quiet can give mom a much needed break in the middle of the day.

It provides a safe environment for the child. Mom needs to take a shower. Baby loves to pull electrical cords from the outlet. Letting that child play in their crib for 20 minutes keeps the child safe while the mother is unavailable to monitor every move. It can also protect the child from well meaning siblings. I have often placed a baby on their play mat and walked outside to check the mail or to hang clothes. I return to find my toddler picking up the baby because they wanted to be “helpful.” Placing the baby in the crib, with a safety gate to keep the toddler out keeps the baby safe from unsupervised helping hands.

Toddlers who are no longer in their crib, spend room time in their rooms. I put up a baby gate so they are unable to wander around the house. Their rooms are safe, and there is usually nothing in the room that could harm a child. I turn on fun music, and pull out a special box of toys, only available during room time. My little ones begin to look forward to this special time in their room.

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