Rebecca Alwine

Over 19 months, this Coast Guard family paid off $60,000 in debt. They didn’t inherit anything or win the lottery — they lived off of one enlisted service member’s salary, and worked a lot of side hustles to do it. And now they share their story, to show others that it isn’t about luck, it’s about hard work.
Just like everyone else
As high school sweethearts, Dan and Carissa spent like everyone else. “Dan worked full time, I went to college, and I thought I had so much money,” Carissa said. T...

“Before I had Sobee, I would hibernate in my house, with the curtains drawn, afraid to leave the house, as I felt like society didn’t understand me – it was safe and out of the public’s eye,” said Navy veteran Jason Howe. “That all changed immediately after being partnered with Sobee by K9s on The Front Line.”
With the Department of Veterans Affairs reporting that almost one-third of veterans suffer from PTSD, it’s important to take note of all the treatment options available. The use of serv...

We have a love/hate relationship with the way technology surrounds us. As military families, we love that we can stay connected to friends, family, and our service member when they are away from home. We like the security we feel with having the ability to watch our house while we are away. We love that our children can hear their military parent’s voice when they are having a rough day.
But, we also hate the way it controls us. We struggle with balancing the time we spend on our smartphones ...

Getting orders to Germany is quickly accompanied by a rush of emotions, ranging from joy to fear. It’s overwhelming thinking about spending three years in another country, but once you start really thinking about the opportunities, you’ll be itching to get on that plane! Wiesbaden is one of the options for your European military adventure, and we promise, you’ll love it.
Getting Started
Unlike your other moves, you have zero option in your transportation plan. Well, maybe you could do an Atla...

As parents, we set an example for our children: Sometimes good, sometimes bad, and sometimes, we don’t even realize we’re doing it. My oldest child, a son, has picked up on all kinds of things throughout his 10 years of life. He likes football like his dad, he likes chocolate milk like me. And he loves taking care of his siblings.
When my son was just 20 months old, a daughter joined the family. During my pregnancy, he’d talk to my belly, excited as only a toddler can be about something they ...

A service member’s “home of record” is the state from which they joined the military. This can never be changed, but their state of residency can. As spouses, we don’t have a “home of record,” but we do have a state of residency. Usually, it’s where we vote. Sometimes, it’s where we own property.
You have to establish your state of residency. It’s more than just choosing a state. A spouse doesn’t just assume the military member’s state of residency by getting married. You must establish yours...

Running is something people in the military do every day, but for some it means more than passing a PT test. It can be an outlet and a stress reliever, but for the thousands preparing for the Marine Corps Marathon, it’s a way to give back and motivate others.
Since 2003, when a group of military spouses came together to ease the homecoming for wounded service members and their families, Semper Fi Fund has helped over 21,000 service members and raised over $182 million to do so. The organizati...

By Rebecca Alwine, Army Spouse
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock this summer, you’ve heard this story a dozen times. Military family packs up their household goods, moves to a new location, and then spends weeks waiting for delivery.
Their required delivery date (RDD) comes and goes. The air mattress springs a leak, the paper plates that were meant to last for a few days are long gone, and the bills start adding up.
Inconvenience Claim Military Move
Up until this year, most of us were no...

How many lemonade stands did you set up as a kid? Or bake sales? Did you help your parents with the yard sale in exchange for some cash to buy new toys? What about when you started a lawn care business as a teenager, how did that go?
Children learn the broad strokes of entrepreneurship very young, but few understand enough to move on to the next level. In an Inc.com article recently, 93 percent of successful entrepreneurs revealed what they thought their key to success was.
It’s no surprise t...

As a reservist or National Guard member, people often think you have the best of both worlds. But when it comes time to weather a deployment financially, you probably don’t think so.
There are certain advantages to being activated, and there are definitely some disadvantages.
Ideally, your financial situation is steady long before activation or deployment comes down the line. You have a budget, you have a savings account, you have a handle on your debt or are debt free.
For some families, the...

A hundred years ago, the first Army tanks rolled into history, and from what we’ve seen in movies and heard from those who’ve driven them, Brad Pitt was right: “Best job I ever had,” is the resounding theme.
When the United States decided it needed to join the tank community in 1917, it commissioned the building of the M1917. Of course, just like any other great idea in the military, it took time. It took so long it missed World War I. The Marines took the M1917 to China in 1927 and then came...

I always tell people, I’m quite sure I could fix that problem with my car, but I just don’t want to. We’ve always lucked out, having friends at each duty station who enjoyed tinkering with their cars, and would work with my husband as he fixed things on his Mustang or changed the oil. I would gladly make some cookies or pour some lemonade as they worked hard, anything to cut down the cost of those vehicle repairs.
So what ways can you save some money while doing your own vehicle maintenance?
...

Life gets crazy quickly, and meal planning is often the thing that gets pushed aside. In fact, 50 percent of the pizzas ordered each year are ordered on Fridays and Saturdays. We all start the week off with the intention of cooking healthy dinners but can find ourselves running out of time and energy by week’s end. You’ve heard all of these ideas before, and are probably thinking, giving me ideas doesn’t give me more time. And it’s true. But there are some ways to cut corners. I’m going to sh...

No one understands the ups and downs of military life like a military child. They’ve said goodbye to their parent, their friends, and their homes more times than most people can even imagine. DoDEA reports that the average military child will move six to nine times throughout their school-aged years, about three times more than non-military kids.
Military parents know how important their child’s education is, and most of them learn on-the-fly just how complicated it is to move their child fro...

It’s never too late to continue your education.
You may feel like the oldest student in your new online college class, but you are not alone. Almost 40 percent of college students are over age 25, and that number is on the rise. With age comes experience, wisdom, and sometimes extra challenges. Older students often have spouses, children, and jobs to juggle as well as their studies.
On the flip side, online classes bring a level playing field for everyone. Online courses give you flexibility,...