5 Types of Discounts You Get When You’re Military

Whether you’re a past active-duty Vet or just completing your first day of basic training, you made the decision to serve your country. Regardless of your purpose, your honorable choice and determination to uphold American values required sacrifice. That sacrifice is recognized nationally in the form of Federal holidays.

National recognition is not the end of it, though. There are countless, smaller-scale methods of thanking you for your service. One of the most common ways businesses do this is through the offering of discounts.

Here are at five of the many types of money-saving “thank yous” for service members like you:

1. Travel

Whether you saw the world on deployment or were confined to a base, your time serving was likely not a vacation, especially if you have a family. If you’re itching for a trip to one of the happiest places on Earth, find discounted fun for the whole family with special military rates from Disney Cruise Lines and Parks.

You have to get there somehow, though and major commercial airlines like Southwest, along with train and bus companies like Amtrak and Greyhound, have your back with discount tickets. And when you reach your destination and need a place to stay, you guessed it, hotel companies like Marriott and Hyatt offer special military discounts or per diem rates.

2. Auto

With the plethora of providers and policies to peruse online comes an abundance of discounts. Be sure to check with any potential insurer to or premium comparison platform to see if they offer discount auto insurance to service members. Plus, you can often combine discounts (i.e. continuous insurance, good student, multiple-policy, etc.) to save even more!

When shopping for insurance, it helps to have a vehicle to insure. Many major automakers offer military personnel discounts or bonus cash, so double check before you sign on the dotted line. If you’re not quite in a place to buy, many rental car companies offer military personnel discounted car rentals as well.

3. Food

In addition to special offers or gifts from wholesale providers like Costco and Sam’s Club, several restaurant chains offer a year-round discount for servicemembers (with even more of them offering discounts or specials on Veterans Day and Memorial Day). It’s not just national or regional restaurant chains that offer discounts. Many local dining establishments offer discounts to service members.

4. Clothing

Despite being issued uniforms, you can’t really wear them 24/7/365. If you find yourself in need of some civvies, there are several clothing companies that will thank you for your service with a nice discount.

Major department stores also offer military discounts on more than just clothing, so be sure to check them out during your next mall mission.

5. Entertainment

Many cinemas and theatres will have special military rates, usually on certain days or for certain performances. There are also online ticket brokers like GovX and Vet Tix who purchase tickets from venues and offer them at discounted rates for current and former military. If you’re looking to entertain yourself at home, companies like Apple and Best Buy offer special military rates and discounts, so you can get the latest gadgets for less.

Bonus: Veteran’s Advantage
With a membership that costs less than $5 a month, Veteran’s Advantage offers countless exclusive discounts, rewards, and deals to active duty military personnel, veterans, and their families.

Serving your country is a truly honorable experience. While there is no way to truly repay men and women like you who have put your lives on the line, this method of saying “thank you for your service” is quite popular. In fact, there are so many more businesses that want a piece of the thank-you pie, that there are truly too many to count. We found a pretty comprehensive list, however, here. With costs rising, saving where you can is important.

Resources:

• 75+ Exciting Military and Veteran Discounts in 2020 [A Crisp Guide]
• DealHack.com Military Discounts