Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching; admit it or not, everyone expects their significant other to show their love for them in a special manner. There are quite a few ways by which deployed service members or their significant others can show their love on this special occasion.
Here are 6 Valentine’s Day gifts for your deployed spouse
1. Open a care package on a video call
Most military personnel today are stationed in locations with steady internet connections, and those who aren’t can probably use a phone line for a short while. Ask your significant other, who is a service member, to wait to unwrap any care packages you have sent them. Wait till they call, before opening any presents. Do all of this using a video chat service in person, if at all possible. If you can see someone’s face, saying “I love you” has considerably greater meaning.
2. Sending flowers is never a bad idea
No matter where your significant other is deployed, you will still have time to send same-day delivery flowers. You can send jewelry or any other gift along with flowers as well.
3. Host a Valentine’s Day party
It is very likely that you’re not the only spouse who is feeling alone on Valentine’s Day. You can try to connect other service members’ spouses who may also be in the same situation as you and organize a get-together or a party with them to deal bid adieu to the valentine’s day blues. You can set up a movie night, talk about how you met your significant other, and feast on delicacies of your choice; there are so many things you can do to celebrate the occasion.
4. Go international
Valentine’s Day is celebrated worldwide; therefore, adding a global flair to this year’s celebration can be exactly what your relationship needs. Consider making chocolate the centerpiece of your celebration, just like they do in Ghana. Or perhaps like the Bulgarians do, with a wine tasting.
5. Ignoring the occasion completely is also an option
There is merit in celebrating Valentine’s Day each and every day. However, it must be acknowledged that people do have a particular fondness for Valentine’s Day candy. Do you find it difficult to persuade your spouse to support the “just ignore it” strategy? You might need to bring it up for next year after the holiday. There is indeed some merit in talking it out. If you decide to ignore it, just make sure both of you are on the same page.
6. Help your significant other with their finances on this special occasion
The list of everyday battles that U.S. military members must engage in now includes “financial literacy.” Understanding and using financial concepts to solve issues with spending, investing, and money management constitutes financial literacy. According to surveys, it’s a constant struggle for service members.
According to a survey conducted in 2020, 86% of military members said they worry about their personal finances, 35% admitted they don’t make their payments on time, and 54% said they’re “barely getting by financially.” If that wasn’t depressing enough, more than one-third of people claimed they took out a cash advance or payday loan in 2020, and a whopping 51% said they augmented their income by working in the gig economy. Only 33% of service members with personal debt are confident that they can pay off their debts on time, and 57% indicate that their financial management styles cause problems with their spouses.
There are ways to recover when service personnel experiences a financial crisis, or even just hit a brief brick wall, particularly if you have a VA loan on your house. You can get a Military Debt Consolidation Loan, sometimes referred to as a VA Consolidation Loan, if you have a VA Loan. This loan can help you get out of financial trouble. The MDCL operates on the same principle as a standard debt consolidation loan: take out one loan to pay off all unsecured debts, including credit card debt, medical bills, payday loans, etc.; pay one lender on a monthly basis rather than making several loan payments to various creditors.
However, there is an alternative to taking out debt consolidation loan that you can take advantage of. Reputed organizations offer debt consolidation programs where they take it upon themselves to negotiate with multiple creditors and arrive at an acceptable monthly payment that’ll fit your budget. Normally these organizations try to reduce the different rates of interest that you’ll have to pay to your various lenders and consolidate them into one monthly payment with an overall reduced interest rate. These programs do not hurt your credit score since you’ll be paying off all your creditors, and as such, they’re quite an attractive alternative to taking out a debt consolidation loan.
If you know that your significant other is struggling with their finances, then this is perhaps the best gift you can give them on the occasion of valentine’s day.
When your loved one is on active duty, they have to be available round-the-clock every day of the week. Active duty can occasionally result in extended separations and the need to spend holidays alone, making this particular holiday challenging for lovers. Valentine’s Day gives you a chance to express your gratitude for your special military partner’s service and sacrifices, whether they are at home or on deployment. Make sure that any present you select for your active duty service member on Valentine’s Day expresses your support and love!
Lyle Solomon is a licensed attorney in California. He has been affiliated with the law firms in California, Nevada, and Arizona since 1991. As the principal attorney of Oak View Law Group, he gives advice and writes articles to help people solve their debt problems. You can connect with him at Linkedin or tweet him at @lyle_solomon