What Was Worth the Money While I Served, and What Wasn't

Somebody asked online this week what's actually worth buying while you're in the military. I've got 16 years in the Army National Guard, so I've had plenty of time to get this right, and plenty of time to get it wrong.

Here's my honest list. Some of it paid off for years. Some of it I'd take back in a heartbeat.

What I regret

A new car. In 2015 I bought a fully loaded Nissan Maxima for $38,400, and I put $10,000 down. I could have bought a cheaper car and put that $10,000 somewhere it would grow.

Here's what that choice cost. If that $10,000 had gone into an investment earning a 7% average yearly return, it would be worth about $21,000 today, 11 years later, without adding another dollar. (That's an assumption, not a guarantee, but it's the right order of magnitude.)

It's the classic military money mistake for a reason: steady pay, a dealership that knows exactly what you make, and a payment that looks small next to your paycheck. A car is transportation. It doesn't grow. Every dollar of that payment was a dollar that wasn't working for me. If you need a car, buy one that fits the budget you'd still have if the bonuses and special pays stopped tomorrow.

Not investing during and right after my deployment. I deployed to Afghanistan in 2012. I was 23. I got the bills paid, and I'm proud of that. But I didn't put that money in the TSP or invest it, during the deployment or right after I got home.

Deployment pay is about the best shot most of us get at getting ahead. Money invested at 23 has decades to grow. That's what I'd go back and change.

What paid off

School. I used Tuition Assistance and finished two degrees. If you're in and not using TA, you're leaving it on the table every year.

The TSP, once I finally started. Getting into the TSP late still beat never getting in. The match alone is the best return you'll find anywhere: put in 5% of base pay, and under the Blended Retirement System your service puts in another 5% (1% automatically, plus up to 4% more in matching once you hit your third year).

Certifications. My second career is cybersecurity, and certifications opened those doors. I got my Security+ and CCNA through veteran programs. But I never touched the Army's Credentialing Assistance while I had it, and that's money I left on the table. More on that below.

SGLI. Life insurance isn't exciting, but SGLI covers up to $500,000 for a small monthly cost. If something happens to you, your family is taken care of. That's worth paying for.

The benefits I wish I'd used

These are the ones I'd grab first if I could go back.

1. Credentialing Assistance. The Army will pay for civilian certifications: tuition, books, supplies, and the test. Right now it's up to $2,000 a year, one credential a year, and up to three in 10 years. Army Guard Soldiers can use it too. I never used it, and it could have paid for more of my certifications. Look up your career field on Army COOL (Credentialing Opportunities On-Line) and see what's covered before you pay for anything yourself.

2. A Roth IRA funded with combat pay. Combat pay is tax-free, and you can still put it into a Roth IRA, where it grows tax-free too. Money that's never taxed going in and never taxed coming out. On a deployment, it's one of the best deals you'll ever get, and I missed it.

3. The Savings Deposit Program. While you're deployed to a qualifying area, the SDP pays 10% a year on up to $10,000. Ten percent, guaranteed, on money you probably weren't going to spend over there anyway. I didn't use it, and I should have.

How to actually use TA and CA

Both run through ArmyIgnitED, and both have a few steps people trip on.

• First time using TA? You have to complete the ArmyIgnitED training and use the decision support tool before you can request it.
• Get approval early. Since March 2026, every TA and CA request needs approval from your supervisor or a commander's representative, no matter your rank. Don't wait until the week before class starts.
• Plan your credentials. CA allows one credential a year and three in 10 years, so pick the ones that actually move your next career forward, not whatever's easiest to pass.
• Guard and Reserve: you can use CA too, and you don't have to finish basic training first.
• Know what's covered. CA covers tuition, books, supplies, and the exam itself. TA covers tuition only, so budget for books.

The one I'm about to use

The VA home loan. $0 down in most cases and no private mortgage insurance. I haven't used mine yet, but I will soon. If you're in the same spot, get your Certificate of Eligibility early and get more than one lender quote.

What I'd tell a new Soldier to spend on

If you're new and wondering what's worth your money, here's my short list, in order:

1. Your 5% to the TSP. Set it in myPay before your first raise, so you never miss it.
2. Your education. Use Tuition Assistance. Right now the Army's pays up to $250 a semester hour, up to 18 semester hours and $4,500 a year.
3. Certifications for the job you want next. Use Credentialing Assistance instead of your own money.
4. A deployment plan. Roth IRA with combat pay, SDP once you're in theater, and a plan for the money before you come home.
5. A paid-for, boring car. Buy the car you need, not the one the dealership picks for you.

What I'd skip: anything with a payment that shows up because you got a raise, a bonus, or deployment pay. The money that feels extra is the money that builds wealth, if you don't spend it first.

Your checklist

• Put in at least 5% to the TSP.
• Use Tuition Assistance this fiscal year (first-timers: do the ArmyIgnitED training first).
• Check Army COOL and use Credentialing Assistance for your next certification.
• Deploying? Open a Roth IRA for your combat pay and set up the SDP.
• Before you buy a car, ask whether a used one does the same job.

For the full deployment money plan, see Before You Deploy: The Money Checklist I Wish I'd Had. For the match, see Roth TSP vs. Traditional TSP. For the move that matters at each point in a career, see The Right Money Move at Every Stage of a Military Career.

Sources: U.S. Army, tuition assistance increase and credentialing changes (Dec. 2024); U.S. Army, credentialing assistance for the Guard; Military OneSource, Blended Retirement System; VA, SGLI; checked October 2026.

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Disclaimer: I am not a financial advisor. The information provided here is for educational purposes only and should be verified independently. See the full Disclaimer.