Fleet and Family Support Centers (FFSC) around Navy Region Northwest (NRNW) held events to educate service members on being financially responsible Feb. 22-26 in support of Military Saves Week.

Military Saves is a national campaign to persuade, motivate and encourage military families to save money every month and to convince leaders and organizations to be aggressive in promoting automatic savings. The campaign ran Feb. 21-28.

“Military Saves Week is one time of the year where we get people to think about savings. This year’s slogan is ‘Start Small, Think Big,’ so we’re trying to get people to start with just a little amount of money and thinking in the direction of the big, long term,” said Kathleen Johnson, work and family life counselor with the FFSC on Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

In support of this effort, FFSCs from Naval Base Kitsap, Naval Station Everett and NAS Whidbey Island hosted an array of activities to entertain and educate their service members while promoting fiscal responsibility.

Included in the activities were financially based, game show style contests.

“We’ve created a fun way to inform military personnel on financial importance through Military Saves Jeopardy, and we’re teaming them up with financial specialists in the area to help educate them about the importance of saving,” said Walter Barrett, a financial educator with the FFSC on NBK Bangor.

“The Jeopardy game was fun and educational. Military Saves is a good thing for Sailors.

It shows us what’s out there,” said Operations Specialist Seaman Anthony Bovee, of USS Shoup (DDG 86).

NAS Whidbey Island FFSC even took the opportunity to educate the teens at the Youth Activity Center with “The Game of Life,” an activity that taught them about budgeting by showing how real life expenses, such as rent, utilities, entertainment, insurance, vehicles and sustenance goods, deplete a monthly pay check.

A version of “The Price is Right” was also played to teach them how much the things they may want, like a new car, a college education or vacations, cost and how much they would need to save.

“The two games that we played tonight really opened [the children’s] eyes as to how much it costs for rent and other expenses that you might not expect having when you’re living out on your own,” said Mike Lacey, a School Age Care education technician with NAS Whidbey Island Youth Activities Center. “The earlier they start the better off they’ll be. They can plan to save and figure out how much money they need to make when they get out in the real world. I just wish that when I was younger I had something like this.”

Participants were appreciative of the efforts by the FFSCs to put on the events.

“Military Saves is a great program. There are a lot of junior personnel who don’t know how to properly save money. This teaches them how to invest money for the future and be smart about their investments,” said Seaman Victor Gonzalez, from Shoup.

“I think this is great, and they should do this more often. It really shows that Fleet and Family cares about the kids that they would take the time out to hang out with these high school and middle school kids,” said Lacey.