How to Save money and look Great at the Military Ball

Fall is here, and we all know what that means: military ball dresses 2015 season! Military golf balls are fun nights out with your spouse. Unfortunately, between dresses, shoes, accessories and babysitters, one night of fun can be costly. But it doesn’t have to be. Before hitting the department shops and preparing to max out your credit cards, try the following tips. Between shopping opportunities on base, military discounts off base and friends who wear the same size as you, it’s possible to show up at the military ball looking great without going broke. ON-BASE OPTIONS Many military bases have thrift shops, most of which are managed by the base spouses’ organization or the services’ relief society (like the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society), and profits support non-profit causes like scholarship grants and youth activities. Due to know what you can find at a thrift shop, so check it out and see what you can come up with. Operation Sheath Column Scoop Natural Floor length Chiffon Purple Short Sleeve Zipper Military Ball Dress is an event giving spouses of active duty service members to be able to choose a formal ball gown for free. In the past, Operation Ball Gown events have been held at installs like Underwater Corps Air Station Cherry Point and Underwater Corps Air Station Beaufort.


 At some military bases, like Langley Air Force Base, you can find places like Cinderella’s Closet, where women give away dresses that are loaned out for free (you might need to put down a deposit). If you're lucky, you could possibly find shoes and jewelry there as well. Check with your local installation to see what they offer. MILITARY DISCOUNTS OFF BASE Can’t find anything on the base in your area? Then grab your military ID and start shopping with military discounts. Banana Republic has a great selection of dresses, and they provide a 15% military discount. Of course you’ll need shoes to match your dress. Payless ShoeSource offers a 10% military discount every day, Holder Room Shoes offers a 10% military discount every Tuesday, Charlie Madden offers a 10% military discount in its storefront locations and Shoes.com offers 20% off your entire purchase and free shipping. Don’t forget you’ll need accessories to complete your thing. Claire's offers 10% off full-priced items. Engaging New york & Company locations offer 15% off your total purchase every day. And every Mon is "Military Monday" at engaging Old Navy stores, when you can receive 10% off your whole purchase.


If you’re walking around around a shopping mall, make sure you ask around a military discount at every store you hit because many offer discounts that may or may not be advertised. For example, the MacArthur Center in Norfolk, Virginia is a retail complex with one hundred and forty stores and lots of them offer military discounts. (Click here for a list. )#) And the Williamsburg Premium Outlets in Virginia offers a free promotion book for military. OTHER TIPS Would you would like to rent a dress instead of dishing out the dough for something you’ll probably only wear once? Check out Rent the Runway. How does it work? Search their website for the perfect dress. Book that perfect dress for a 4-day or 8-day rental period. (They get accessories and Spanx and Fashion Recording! )#). Wear clothing to the ball, and then return it. Just send everything back in a pre-paid package, without even so much as dry cleaning. They may not provide a military discount, but it’s a great alternative to buying a dress. And if all else fails, raid your friends’ cabinets. If you wear the same size and have similar tastes in fashion, you won’t pay a dime to replace dresses for a night. You might even be able to find a group on base or a Facebook page dedicated to dress swapping, so start asking around.