Honda's $500 Military Discount

We recently bought a new Honda Odyssey. With two kids (10 months + 2 years) it was time to upgrade from our 2001 Honda Civic.

There were several discounts I got on the car, but the one I want to focus on here is the $500 military discount. 

Honda's $500 Military Discount is only eligable on new cars that are within the last two years (2018 and 2019 models). 

In order to get the discount there are a couple of requirements

1. You must use their financing. This is not the end of the world given that they normally have pretty good offers. When I bought the minivan two months ago, it had a 5 year 0.9% APR rate which I was happy with. 
2. You must be Active Military or Retired Military. So basically this is eligible for everyone! (including spouses of current military or retired military)

Best Strategy

I was able to get our minivan at a great deal. Here are a couple of suggestions

• Call multiple dealerships in multiple cities. For example, Fresno (CA) and Seattle (WA) are on average 8% higher then the national average. It may be worth driving 40 miles in order to save $1500. Here is a list of the 10 cheapest and most expensive cities to buy a car in
• Once you have a price from one dealership, ask the next dealership if they will BEAT the price. Dont just say they offered me "20k" will you match it, SAY they offered me "20k" I need you to beat it by $500 for it to be worth my time. Be specific with them. If they beat it ask the next dealership or the original one to beat it by $200, etc. I contacted/negotiated with 7 different dealerships.
• TrueCar is okay, but Costco pricing is even better. Costco will often have specific incentitives like an extra $1000 off. 
• HOWEVER, Dont settle for the TrueCar or Costco estimate, I got an additional $1400 off the Costco pricing and $2400 off the TrueCar estimate by asking for additional money off. 
• When using TrueCars estimate, don't include your $500 Military Discount or Graduation bonuses in the cost because you are just cheating yourself. 
• I don't recommend telling them about the Military Discount or Graduation Discount until the last second when you have already come up with a final price. At that time then say "Okay and i'm Active Duty Military so that will be an extra $500 off". They don't lose any money on the military discount but if you tell them about it at the beginning they will try and use it to their advantage saying they are giving you $500 off when they really aren't doing anything
• 99% of the crap they say are lies. After this recent experience I am convinced Car Salesman are one of the most dishonest professions out there. They all say they exact same crap. "We'll throw in tinted windows and nitrogen in your tires. We are the only dealship that will do that". What they don't tell you is that comes pre--installed on every new minivan. Evey dealership has that in 100% of their cars. When you try and negotiate with them and say the other dealership gave you a better deal, they say crap like we'll thats what they said now..but when you get there they will tack on $1000 of dollars of extra fees. Not true. Salesman just love to lie.
• When you negotiate talk about "price out the door". Thats the price you want to be comparing between all the dealerships. All cars have Title/Tax/License fees. Taxes can be a ton, depending on what state you live in. I live in Texas so the tax is 6.25% which his riduculously high. 
• I made a google spreadsheat so I could keep track of all the different offers and update it when they gave me a lower price
• If you call them on the phone to get a quote, give them your email and ask them to email you their total quote out the door. Don't fall for their trick of saying you have to come into their store to get a quote. Just another sales tactic. 
• If looking specifically for a Honda - use this webpage (http://tellmethebest.com/honda.html) for what your goal should be to get the car for (the list includes - Odyssey, Accura, and CRV models)

There are alot of other companies that offer military discoutnts (Here are a few examples)

Crystler - $500 off (link)

Ford - $750 off (link)

GM - discount varies (link)

Hyundai - $500 off (link)

Toyota - $500 off (link)

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Military Discounts - Free Admission to Zoo's

Summers almost over. Have you visited the Zoo yet? Zoos love giving Military Discounts. We have put together a list of 30 Zoos and their respective Military Discount. Some of them are FREE (i.e. Bronx, Houston, Pittsburgh, San Diego). And many others offer up to $6 off admission.

Check out the 2017 list below!

Here is the list of Zoos that offer Military Discounts: (Free Admissions in Bold)

• Atlanta Zoo
• $4 off general admission
• Bronx Zoo
• 1 Free Ticket and 50% off for three additional family members

Free Stock (up to $200 value) for signing up with Robinhood

Robinhood is offering 1 FREE stock up to a $200 value as a limited promotional sign up bonus right now.

Robinhood is a mobile stock trading platform that lets you buy and sell stocks for completely free (no costs!). 

To get your free stock, sign up here!

http://share.robinhood.com

Financial Secrets for Military Members

During my time during active duty i've tried to take advantage of all of the financial perks of being in the military. Here are my three favorite benefits:

1.) Credit cards

• Most credit card companies waive annual fee's for military members. I think all military members should have the following three credit cards as a must:
1. American Express Platinum
• $600 sign up bonus.
• Free yearly $200 in annual Uber credits
• Free yearly $200 airline credit
• Sign up here
• 
  
2. American Express Hilton Aspire
• 100,000 point sign up bonus
• One free weekend annual night. 
• Free yearly $250 airline credit
• Free yearly $250 resort credit
• Sign up here
• 
  
3. Chase Sapphire Reserve
• 50,000k sign up bonus (worth $750 in travel). Free annual $300 travel credit
• Sign up here

2.) Investments 

• You can contribute to BOTH the Roth IRA and the Roth TSP. Both of these allow your money to grow tax free so that you can keep all your money when you retire. 
• Roth IRA - up to $5500 every year - I would recommend opening account with Vanguard and if you are looking to keep things simple just investing in the S&P500. 
• Roth TSP - up to $18,500 every year
• To manage your finances I like Personal Capital. They are similar to Mint but better. 
• Right now they have a cool promotion going on where if you sign up and link one investment account they will give you a free $20 amazon gift card.
• Sign up HERE

3.) Other Sweet Deals (3 examples)

• Saving 10% at Home Depot/Lowes
• Getting Microsoft Office for $9
• Discounts to Disneyland

How to Sign Up for the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)

I recently signed up for the Thrift Savings Plan so I figured I'd write a post on how easy it is if you know where to go. This post is geared toward Military Members. I break it down into 11 easy steps

1st Step - Log in at mypay.dfas.mil

How to MAXIMIZE your TSP

When it comes to long term scheduled investing there are two trains of thought. I will apply both of these to the TSP. The TSP allows you to contribute $18,000/yearly into a retirement account.

Here are examples of both examples:

1.) Dollar Cost Averaging - this means putting a fixed amount of money into the TSP every month.

• Example: Putting $1,500 into the TSP every month. 1.5k x 12mon = 18k. This would allow you to max out the TSP while potentially reducing your risk of incurring a substantial loss resulting from investing the entire "lump sum" just before a fall in the market.

Military Discount on your PHONE Plan (Verizon, AT&T, T-mobile, Sprint, etc)

Lets break down the Military Discount for all of the major phone companies. Most are offering 15% off part of the bill. There are additional military benefits as well, like getting activation fees and such waived in addition.

How to Save Money With Military Discounts + Cash Back

Ebates gives you extra cash back for all of your online and in-store shopping. Now you can shop with Ebates and use your military discount and get BOTH discounts!!

Ebates also offers you a FREE $10 gift card after your first $25 purchase.

Here's the low down on the Ebates / Military Discount Combo:

• Shoppers will be prompted to verify their military status in the merchant’s checkout flow. This can include entering a military ID, a dependent ID, a veteran ID or another type of military ID. 
• Shoppers will still get Cash Back as they normally would with an emphasis on stacking savings. 

Here’s how to double dip and save even more money with your military discount and Cash Back! Learn all the ins and outs of military discounts and stacking your savings.

If you have a military discount, we can help you make the most of it with extra savings on top. Ebates gives you Cash Back for shopping at your favorite stores, and if you’re not already a member, it’s free to join. The great thing about shopping with Ebates is that you can stack your military discount on top of Cash Back. That means you’re saving twice! Not sure if you qualify for military discounts or how to use them with Ebates? Read on!

What is Ebates? 

Ebates is where you can get Cash Back for shopping at over 2,500 stores. Becoming a member is free! Stores pay Ebates a commission for sending you their way, and Ebates shares the commission with you as Cash Back. Get paid every three months, plus earn a cash bonus when you join and shop. Founded in 1998, Ebates has paid members over $1 billion Cash Back. Start getting yours!

How to use Ebates:

1. Start your shopping at Ebates.
2. Shop like you normally would and earn Cash Back. 
3. Choose how to get paid—PayPal or check. 

What are military discounts?

Military discounts are given to military personnel and often their family members. These discounts can vary from store to store. Some stores might give coupons to qualifying shoppers, while others may give a percentage off the total purchase amount. Some stores even give perks like free shipping. If you’re interested in a particular store, it’s worth checking to see if they offer a military discount and what type it comes in, as stores set the discounts at their discretion.

Who qualifies for military discounts?

Many different types of military personnel and a lot of times also their family members qualify for military discounts. You might be able to get the discounts if you’re an active duty military member, veteran, retired military member, reservist or military spouse or dependent.

How do military discounts work with Ebates?

Great news: You can use your military discount and earn Cash Back on top of that! To stack your savings, first start at Ebates and click on a store link to take you to the store. The store will prompt you to verify your military status by entering a military ID, dependent ID, veteran ID or another type of military ID. Next, do your shopping using your military discount. Once the store reports your order to us, Cash Back will automatically be added to your Ebates account! It’s that simple.

What if a store doesn’t offer a military discount?

You can still use Ebates to save money. Just remember to start your shopping at Ebates and you’ll still earn Cash Back on your purchases.

Whether or not you have military discounts, Ebates can save you money on the shopping you’re going to do anyway. Not an Ebates member yet? Join now for free and start earning Cash Back on top of your military discount. Keep in touch and be the first to know about new deals on Facebook,Twitter,Pinterest, Google+and Instagram.

Sign up Here

Military Discount - 2016 Microsoft Office for $9.95

Did you know that Military can download 
2016 Microsoft Office Professional Plus for $9.95! 

This is a steal of a deal. Normally it costs $399...yikes. You can use the download link on two computers also, which makes the final price like $5 per computer. 

Here are 8 easy steps for the Military Discount 

on Microsoft Office

1) Click here to visit Microsoft Hub
***Use your home computer/laptop (not your military laptop or military work computer)***

2) Enter your military email address 

For example: @mail.mil, us.army.mil, navy.mil or usmc.mil

*Your email must be in the following format John.Doe@navy.mil, Jane.Doe@usmc.mil, etc

If you are a veteran and don't have a military email,
 then you can still get a one year subscription for a discounted price ($62)
 at the Microsoft Store for Military

3) Enter the program codes below:
(Updated November 19, 2016)

If that doesn't work than try NOT entering any code. Some people have had success entering NO code. 

Army
enter the code 44C0707F11

Air Force
New code for 2017 Air Force members - 4A82EF7B8F
If you are AIR FORCE....click the blue link that says you do not know the program code and it will send you an email with what you need. I tried with the code first, then without the code... and that is what worked for me.

Navy
This code should work for Navy - 44C0707F11
or 22FCF442D2 or 18DCD3115E
Read our new post specifically for Navy Members - Click Here
For Non-NGEN USMC users: use program code 44C0707F11
For NGEN USMC users: use program code or 18DCD3115E
The code 67F2F2491D also has been reported to be successful as well. 

*Remember try entering your email address without any code FIRST

4) They will then send you an email that contains a link to download the software

 GREAT TIP from comments below - "Make sure to use your work .mil address and then forward the confirmation email to your personal PC. I have done it for both my Mac and Windows 8.1"

5) Click on the link inside the email
GREAT TIP from comments below - "Make sure to use your work .mil address and then forward the confirmation email to your personal PC. I have done it for both my Mac and Windows 8.1"

6) It will bring you to the page below

7) Proceed with the checkout and click install

8) YOU'RE DONE!!! (takes about 5 minutes)

CLICK HERE or click the Picture Below to take you to 
the $9.95 download page or  

Please comment below your Military branch and if it worked for you. If it didn't work for you give us more details then just "the code didn't work". Tell us your branch, status, email address, and details like you didn't get the email, or it wouldn't accept my military address, etc. and we will try and help. 

If you are a veteran and don't have a military email then you can still get a discounted 1 year price ($62) at the Microsoft Store for Military. Right now they are giving an extra 10% off

The military also provides McAfee or Norton Antivirus software free of charge , visit our page Military Free Antivirus Software (McAfee - Norton) to learn how to download it. 

If you LIKE what you've read, LIKE us on Facebook for more awesome Military Discounts!

Great Wolf Lodge (20% Military Discount)

This weekend I went up to Great Wolf Lodge with my Brother and his kids. Very fun place! The cost of a room is around $160-$250 depending on how early you book and how many people you have with you. They offer 20% Military Discounts at all of their locations. You can book online by clicking here or using the promo code "HEROES" or you can ask for the military discount at the front desk.