10 Creative Ways To Find Military Discounts For Veterans

10 Creative Ways To Find Military Discounts For Veterans Military discounts are just one-way companies can say “thank you” to a veteran. Unfortunately for vets, there isn’t one holding tank that lists all the discounts to take advantage of. Veterans like to save money just like any other red-blooded consumer, so these discounts are rarely turned away but they have to be found, first. SheerID did a study on U.S. veterans and found: 68% currently take advantage of some sort of military discount. 75% said more discounts would be welcomed if they could find them. 85% reported they are more likely to shop on military appreciation days when stores offer discounts. Clearly, when a military discount is found, it is definitely used and appreciated. Since there isn’t a clearinghouse on where to find these discounts, vets and their families have to find creative ways to track these deals down. Here are 10 creative ways to find military discounts for veterans. #1 Check out Brad’s Deals  While no website really holds the key to all the discounts available, Brad’s Deals has a passable list of discounts that seems fairly up-to-date. VeteranAid.org references the same list, which is divided into more than a dozen categories, including: Automotive Beauty and Cosmetics Clothing Computer and Electronics Education Entertainment Health and Wellness Restaurants Sporting Goods Travel and Lodging Vacation Many of these discounts offer 10 to 20% off a purchase. Some of the more unusual discounts listed include free federal tax filing with TurboTax and a free banner and sign to welcome a veteran home at Build a Sign. In fact, Build a Sign says they’ve donated 337,000 Welcome Home banners and signs since 2008. One tip: These deals require a valid military ID. The difficulty is that many businesses do not understand the wide variety of documentation carried by military personnel. The Military Wallet has a good article on how to pick up an ID card. #2 Speaking of the Military Wallet  Visit the Military Wallet website for a decent list of deals and discounts for veterans. It’s also a good website for financial advice. There’s a podcast which focuses on issues such as retirement, education benefits, healthcare, and more. The author, Ryan Guina, served more than six years in the USAF and another three in the Air National Guard, so the site blogs have a personal feel that veterans will relate to. #3 Military.com  Military.com is an excellent site for all kinds of information, jobs, and deals for veterans. Go to the Discounts page, for great veterans discounts, along with tips. Here are some examples: How to find flight discounts. How to snag cell phone plan discounts. Where to find freebies with a military ID. This is a great website that has advice, support, helpful tips, and much more for the military veteran and their families. #4 Just Ask The best way to find out if there is a discount available for military personnel is pretty simple: Just ask. Make sure to carry a military ID. A simple, “Do you offer a military discount?” could open the door to big savings. Calling ahead to find out in advance, could save some hassle; some store employees might not be aware of the discount. Some stores have a very specific fine print that may not be communicated to employees. A quick phone call, or, just being patient while an employee speaks with a manager, may net savings. Just get in the habit of asking, and reap the rewards. #5 Research State Discounts  There are also discounts specific to states and cities. VeteranAid has researched a number of cities and states where local businesses have stepped up to offer discounts, including popular tourist destinations like Chicago, Orlando, Houston, Atlanta, San Antonio, and Philadelphia. #6 Conduct Homework Because there are so many local, state, and national discounts available, it’s impossible to list them all. This means that the individual will need to spend an hour or two conducting research relevant to the retailers and services they frequent. When researching discounts, start close to home. What are the businesses most commonly frequented by the veteran’s family? Then look at some of the discounts that might be available online from big-box retailers. The question to ask is: Where does the veteran shop or what services do they need? Then methodically find out if a discount is available. #7 Military Appreciation Day  Taking advantage of an entire month of special events, discounts and freebies is something any veteran can take advantage of every year. Military Benefits is a website devoted to all the good things that veterans deserve and they have a page devoted to the May celebration of the armed service personnel called the National Military Appreciation month. There are six national celebrations during that month that range from Memorial Day, Armed Forces Day, and Military Spouse Appreciation Day to name a few. #8 The American Legion  The American Legion, the nation’s largest wartime veterans organization, is devoted to sponsoring events in the community to improve the lives of service members and promoting patriotism and service. This organization offers an entire page devoted to “everyday discounts” for members of the military. The categories include everything from auto care and transportation, medical and insurance, restaurants, retails, and much more. Offers.com also has a page devoted to some of the sales and discounts offered on Veterans Day. #9 Offers.com  Offers.com has a whole page devoted to a compilation of military discounts. Viewers are able to add discounts in the comments section of this page, so the list is pretty up to date. Instead of categorizing the discounts by type of product or service offered, the website lists these bargains by the percentage off. Viewers can even search for free offers on all kinds of services. #10 AARP  In addition to offering a 20% membership discount for veterans over 50, the American Association of Retired People (AARP) offers a page on their website that lists a number of discounts and free services for vets. From free admission to the Baseball Hall of Fame to hotels and attractions, AARP is all about the discounts for veterans. It may even be possible to combine an AARP discount with a military bargain! Military Veterans Deserve the Very Best  Military veterans have a variety of discounts available on special occasions that honor their service, but also a variety of everyday bargains. It’s important to stay alert for these deals because more are being added all the time. Businesses and organizations remain very interested in honoring the service of our veterans and these heroes should enjoy the benefits in good conscience and with pride.