Military families spending less this holiday season

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The holidays are a time of family, friends, and fun. Far too often, however, they are followed by piles of debt and bills. But if a recent holiday study conducted by Pioneer Services, a division of MidCountry Bank, is any indication, military families might have less debt this year compared to last, and for various reasons.

In an online survey of more than 200 military members, 73% stated they will spend the same or less than last year. The reasons revolve around uncertainty about future income, increased costs in other areas, and loss of spouse pay, among others. On the bright side, 68% of respondents said they were going to pay cash this year instead of using credit. And of those, 30% have set money aside ahead of time.

"It's good to see military families being smart and keeping their debt to a minimum this year," said Allen Usry, retired U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant, and military relations manager for Pioneer Services.  "Survey results show service members like to shop early, prefer stores to online shopping, and will be traveling this holiday season."  Usry is the author of a blog on the 2015 holiday survey, which includes more results and a helpful Infographic.

Pioneer Services has also created a free budgeting and spending tool for military families this year. HolidaySpendingPlanner.org is part of the company's award-winning financial education program, and features a number of helpful blogs and guides, links to online holiday budgeting calculators, and even a section on holiday giving with some suggested organizations.

"The information on HolidaySpendingPlanner.org is designed for military families to shop and spend smart this season," said Usry, "from tips on how to buy on a budget, to calculators where they can manage all their holiday spending. And it's free."

For more information about the company, go to www.PioneerServices.com

Contact:
Scott Cahill
Corporate Communications
Pioneer Services, a Division of MidCountry Bank
[email protected]
ph: 816-756-2020
fax: 816-561-9333

©2015 Pioneer Services. All loan applications are confidential and subject to our credit policies. If you are approved for additional funds, we will consolidate any existing loan balance together with the additional funds so that you will only have one loan. The loan origination fee is calculated as a percentage of your loan amount. No official U.S. military endorsement is implied. MidCountry Bank is a member FDIC.

SOURCE Pioneer Services, a Division of MidCountry Bank

Related Links

http://www.PioneerServices.com