I mentioned yesterday that my husband took $100 with him for his camp training in the woods. I suppose it isn't really the woods, because the army knows how to supports its troops anywhere with heat, air conditioning, food, running water and a store (AAFES).
I inquired by text about the cash. He said it is almost all gone. He has been buying his lunch at the store instead of eating the MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat)offer by the unit at lunch. He despises these. He said the food all tastes exactly the same because of the preservatives put in them to extend the shelf life to 10 years!!!! Ick. I really don't blame him.
The unit also took up a donation to reimburse a soldier for gas. The soldier transported two other soldiers back home, an eight hour round trip, with his own car and gas. The two soldiers had Red Cross messages, which means some type of emergency at home. My husband did put some cash in, which is the right thing to do.
I'm hoping for a no spend day today here. It is going to be gorgeous and as much as I want to get out and shop for flowers or summer clothes, I have plenty to do around the house.
How much do you spend when you go camping in the woods? Have you ever eaten an MRE? What did you think of the taste?
Money Spent In the Woods
May 14th, 2013 at 12:27 pm
May 14th, 2013 at 12:59 pm 1368536343
Love the post title! I haven't personally eaten that type of food, but my husband and son did a Boy Scout Outing to the Air Force Museum and Base in Ohio, and they were able to eat the "army food" - which I guess required adding water to it to rehydrate it -- I know it was followed up by an outing to Red Robin.
This same Scout is head to northern Wisconsin for a week-long camp (with DH) and from our Council BS Store, I'm buying them prepaid cards for the commissary (I figure enough for one T-shirt and "X" amount per day of snacks).
We're still in low-spend mode given vacation next month, but the "needed items list" is growing - batteries for graphing calculator, yellow T-shirt for VIP show, one hank of floss for a stitching project, etc.
May 14th, 2013 at 01:38 pm 1368538702
May 14th, 2013 at 02:39 pm 1368542373
May 14th, 2013 at 02:54 pm 1368543263
May 14th, 2013 at 03:11 pm 1368544268
As far as the red cross message, the Red Cross has a fund similar to AER that will reimburse the gas. You give them a cost estimate for what you're doing, and as long as it is within guidelines, they will pay it out. When my ex wife had medical issues, she had spent just shy of a month at The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. I was stationed in Leavenworth, KS and went up there on less than 6 hours notice. The Red Cross picked up the tab, hook line and sinker as a grant. Then I turned in all receipts to the Army, and they ended up re-imbursing me, so I could re-imburse the Red Cross. The Army didn't have to, and I could've just kept the Red Cross money, but my CSM wanted it done, so that's what gone done.
May 15th, 2013 at 12:16 am 1368577010