Clark Howard

7 free or cheap ways to celebrate Veterans Day

In honor of Veterans Day, now is the perfect time to talk about some ways to honor the brave men and women who wear the uniform of our nation.

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7 affordable ways to celebrate Veterans Day

1. Send expired coupons to the troops – Military families can use expired coupons in overseas commissaries for up to six months after the expiration date. Here's a way to mail your expired coupons to make sure they get overseas to a base. Meanwhile, here are some more great tips for getting involved, and how you can make sure you're sending the right kinds of coupons.

2. Tell a vet about the SBA initiativeThe Veterans Pledge Initiative can help veterans with obtaining loans to start or expand a small business. Potential lending to veterans may result in as much as $475 million in new funding over the next five years, which will be 5% above the existing lending baseline to veterans.

3. Tell them about discounted vacation options – Military members have special ways to save on Disney vacations. ShadesofGreen.org is a special program offered for military personnel and families in partnership with Disney. Discounted lodging at parks starts at $95 a night. Armed Forces Vacation Club is a similar service.

4. Let them know about active duty alerts on their credit files – Military personnel can put a "military fraud alert" on their credit reports. The alerts ensure that credit reporting companies are taking additional steps to verify a person's identity when applying for credit. The idea is to protect deployed persons from becoming victims of identity theft. The FTC has compiled a helpful guide that details the process of putting an active duty alert on your credit records.

5. Connect them with free financial advice – The certified military counselors at Clearpoint ReConnect can help our fighting men and women create a family budget, start a debt management plan, become a homeowner, avoid foreclosure or just get their finances in order. This service is free and confidential.

6. Let them know how to get their real credit score for free – Active duty personnel and their spouses can see their real FICO score for free online by visiting SaveandInvest.org/military.

7. Tell a vet how they can get an 11% discount on November 11. To celebrate Veterans Day, Dollar General is offering an 11% discount that's good on all purchases made both in store and online.

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