Do you what will happen to you if you end up in a coma?

Well, medical personnel will make a number of life-saving decision to start things.  Then they’ll confer with your family regarding future treatment.

But what if you and your family don’t agree with what treatment?  Will you be able to voice your opinion? No, unless you have a living will.

Living wills are documents that give you the power to control the medical services you receive.  If you end up injured and unable to communicate, medical personnel will base their treatment on what you asked for in your living will, not on family members or the law.

Because anyone, young or old, large or small, can end up in a traumatic health situation, everyone should have a living will.  And even if you have a living will, if you’re moving, then you will need to update your living will.

Learn more about , and check out your state’s rules.

The military offers its service members a basic housing allowance, which can be used to pay for off-base housing.  The basic housing allowance (BAH) can greatly help members to find housing for themselves and their families, and it’s non-taxable.  But how much is it?

The housing allowance rate differs for every person.  There are a number of factors that go into a member’s BAH:

• Location – How much average housing is in the area affects the BAH.  Check here for basic rates.
• Dependants – Not how many, but simply whether a member has dependants.
• Pay/salary – The higher the member’s earnings, the higher the BAH.

The BAH is not affected by how much your rent actually is.  So, you still need to take care in finding off-base housing that will fit your budget.

Many people in the military have families, pets, or simply want some space.  They would prefer to live off base and commute, rather than live in on-base housing.

For these service members, being transferred to a new base can be very disrupting.  Finding new housing is never easy.  Finding it on a strict time table, as often required in military transfers, is even worse.  However, it’s not impossible.

Fortunately, there are many resources out there for service members looking for off-base housing.

• Veteran’s Association – The nation-wide VA has a lot of personnel and resources available to help both current and past service members find housing.
• Relocation Office – The base will probably have personnel that know all about the local  housing landscape.
• Rental Partnership Program – This is a military organization that specializes in helping military members find rental housing for affordable prices.
• Military Housing Agencies – There are many businesses that specialize in locating properties and rentals near military bases.

For more information, check out our article about finding military housing off base.

If you need to move while serving in the military, you have two basic options: (1) do it yourself (DITY) or (2) let the military do it for you.  Though turning over the reigns to the government might be the easiest option, there are a few major benefits to doing it yourself, which should be considered:

1. Money, money, money – If you do it yourself, the military will pay you 95% of the price it would have paid to move you.  So, if you are able to move at 75% of the military’s cost, the remaining 20% goes into your pocket.  Fortunately, many moving services offer discounted rates for military members, making this a realistic possibility.
2. Time – If you do it yourself, the military will give you some extra time to make your move.  Plus, you don’t have to move when the military decides to move your stuff.
3. Care – Would you hire a moving company you don’t trust?  If you let the government move your stuff, that very well might happen.  You control your move if you do it yourself.  You get to decide how to protect your stuff and who to hire.  There’s a lot to be said for that.

Bringing up moving to someone is never easy.  For example, breaking a move to your kids should be dealt with carefully and considerately.  However, no moving conversation is more delicate than telling a loved one it’s time to move them into an assisted care facility.

For many people, there comes a time when a nursing home is the best option.  It’s safer and more affordable than living at home alone.  However, no one wants to move into a nursing home, and telling a loved one to do it requires some conversational skill.

There are two things to keep in mind when talking about nursing homes:

• Safety – Always make your loved one’s well being top priority
• Positivity – It’ll be a change, but stress the positives, like meeting new people.

Staying positive and stressing their safety should help you along.  For more tips, check out our article on the subject.