The holiday season can often be an expensive time for Airmen. Buying gifts for family or friends can sometimes cause Airmen to find themselves in financial turmoil.
Michael Starkey, Airman and Family Readiness Center financial counselor, shares some tips to help keep Airmen out of the red.
“Holiday spending is sometimes wrapped around emotions,” Starkey said. “We want to show others that we care by spending money on them. Sometimes more than we have.”
Even with planning and a budget, Airmen can find themselves in debt. If this is the case, the AFRC can help.
“If having debt is a challenge that an Airman can’t take care of by themselves, they can come in and see us,” Starkey said. “That’s what we’re here for. They can come in and get some financial advice or counseling.”
The AFRC is also starting a new campaign in February called: Military Saves Campaign.
“The whole purpose of this campaign is to get military members of all ranks to commit to saving more money,” Starkey said. “The bottom line is that if Airmen and their family build up their savings more, when they run into an emergency or spend more than they should have, they’ll be able to get themselves out of the financial bind.”
For more information on holiday savings or financial advice, contact the Airman and Family Readiness Center at 228-5690.
