Are you taking advantage of these 15 year-round discounts offered to military personnel & Veterans?

Are you looking for a winter escape to the ocean breezes of the Caribbean? Or are you determined to stay home and finally tackle that fix-it list? Maybe it’s time to upgrade your smart phone, get a faster laptop or start the search for a new career. Perhaps you’re ready to take the family to Disneyland or on a roadtrip to a national park.

Whatever you’re planning for 2022, keep more money in your pocket by taking advantage of year-round discounts offered to you if you’re part of the military or Veteran community. In some cases, price cuts are also available to your spouse, dependents and caregivers.

Start saving right away with companies participating in the “ID.me” or “SheerID” programs, which verifies your active military, Veteran or military spouse status in real time. However, note that a new federal program offering military and Veteran families free lifetime access to national parks and recreation sites may take a few months to become fully operational.

In assessing any of these offers, pay attention to the fine print to make sure you’re getting the best deal. The information below, current as of Jan. 11, 2022, is subject to change. Check out these promising retail, technology and travel discounts, and post comments about other valuable offers you discover:

Retail

Bass Pro Shops. The outdoor outfitter honors service members and Veterans by offering daily discounts of up to 5% on camping, fishing, hunting and related gear — now including firearms and ammunition — sold at stores and online. Active and expired military identification cards are accepted to obtain discounts, which can be applied on top of other promotions or sale items, according to the company. Discounts do not apply to the purchase of certain items such as boats or alcohol. Details: https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/legendary-salute.

Costco. Register for Costco and get a $20 shopping card under its military membership program. The benefit is available to active or retired military personnel and Veterans, and military and Veteran spouses or dependents. Details: https://hosted-pages.id.me/costco-military-offer.

Home Depot. Ready to tackle that next home-improvement project? Get a 10% discount on certain supplies through Home Depot’s Military Discount program, available to active military (including personnel in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps), Veterans and spouses. Certain products may be ineligible for the discount, which is capped at $400 annually, according to the company. Details: https://www.homedepot.com/c/military/#DiscountFAQs.

Lowe’s. Home improvement retailer Lowe’s also offers 10% discounts on most full-priced items through its Everyday Military Discount Program, extended to the same groups listed above. As of this publication, Lowe’s said it does not cap annual discounts but said the price cut may apply to certain eligible items. Details: https://www.lowes.com/l/about/honor-our-military.

Veterans Canteen Service (VCS). If you’re a Veteran enrolled in health care with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), you and your family members can register for the VCS to receive benefits on certain purchases, including of items such as computers, tires, and travel and ticketing services. Check offers to see if the discounts are current and the lowest price available. Details: https://www.vacanteen.va.gov.

Technology

Apple. Get 10% off iPhones, Macs, AirPods and other Apple products and accessories under the tech giant’s Veterans and Military Purchase program. The discount is for current and Veteran members of the military, National Guard and reserves, and immediate family members who live in the same household. Details: https://www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/veterans_military.

LinkedIn. As a service member or Veteran or military spouse with a MySECO account, take advantage of a free one-year upgrade to LinkedIn Premium. This benefit is also available to caregivers of Veterans participating in VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers and to Fry scholarship recipients. With this service, you can access to LinkedIn Learning, which offers training on a host of topics — from career development to financial advice. You also receive enhanced job search data and tools to build your network. Details: https://socialimpact.linkedin.com/programs/veterans.

Samsung. The seller of computers, home appliances, mobile phones, personal technology and more promises active military personnel in all branches of service, Veterans and family members savings of up to 30% when shopping through its Military Offers Program. One offer saves military and Veteran families an extra $50 off the purchase of a Galaxy Z Flip3 5G phone; another offer saves you an extra $135 on the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G. Details: https://www.samsung.com/us/shop/offer-program/military.

Travel

Access federal recreation areas for free for life. Save $80 a year on trips to federal recreation areas under a new “lifetime pass” program for military and Veterans included in the National Defense Authorization Act signed by President Joe Biden at the end of December 2021. If you’re in the military (including the reserves), are a Veteran or are a member of a Gold Star family, you and your dependents pay nothing to get into national parks or other federal recreation areas (an annual pass had cost $80). The pass covers the fee to enter U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service sites and standard amenity fees at the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation sites and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sites. When the program is up and running, which U.S. Geological Survey officials say will take “several months,” obtain the pass in person at no charge at federal recreation sites that issue interagency passes, a list of which is at https://store.usgs.gov/s3fs-public/PassIssuanceList.pdf. Details: https://store.usgs.gov/faq#Military-Pass.

Disneyland. California’s Disneyland offers active and retired U.S. military personnel a three- and four-day “Military Promotional Park Hopper Ticket” of $225 or $260. The Disneyland offer is open until Dec. 12, 2022, for use through Dec. 16, 2022. Tickets must be purchased at participating U.S. military bases (https://rly.pt/3InZUf3). Details: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/offers-discounts/military-tickets-discount-2021.

IHG Hotels and Resorts. IHG Hotels and Resorts — the parent company of brands such as Intercontinental and Kimpton hotels, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza and other properties — offers discounts on stays at resorts in the Caribbean and elsewhere to active and retired military and dependents under its Military Appreciation Hotel Rate program. Details: https://www.ihg.com/content/us/en/deals/hotel-offers/government/military-leisure-rate.

Sandals Resorts. Sandals Resorts offers active and retired military and Veterans 10% off promotional stays at locations throughout the Caribbean, including Jamaica, St. Lucia, Antigua, the Bahamas, Grenada and Barbados. Details: https://www.sandals.com/specials/firefighter-military-police-savings. Details: https://www.sandals.com/specials/firefighter-military-police-savings.

SeaWorld and affiliates. Through the Waves of Honor program, active duty military and those in the reserves and National Guard — along with three dependents — receive one free annual visit to either SeaWorld, Busch Gardens or Sesame Place. Service members and three guests can receive additional admission discounts of 50% to SeaWorld Orlando. Details: https://seaworld.com/orlando/tickets/military-discount/active.

Universal Orlando. Universal Orlando in Florida now offers a 2022 Military Freedom Pass Promotional Ticket for use every day through Dec. 31, 2022. Prices start at $199.99 for an adult, two-park ticket, and eligible service members can buy up to six promotional tickets. Details: https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/tickets-packages/military-deals-specials.

Walt Disney World’s Shades of Green. Periodic discounts on Disney World tickets, trips and stays may be available through Shades of Green, an Orlando-based affiliate of Armed Forces Recreation Center resorts. Read through the website to see if discounts are available and apply to your travel plans. Details: https://www.shadesofgreen.org/experiences/attractions/ticket-questions.

Learn more

For more discounts, visit VA’s blog post on this topic at https://blogs.va.gov/VAntage/85765/veteran-discounts-available-year-round.