3 On Your Side: Veteran Discounts
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Are you always on the lookout for simple ways to save money? Well if you're a veteran, saving money may be as easy as posing for the camera. 3 On Your Side's Jim Donovan has details about a little known program with big benefits.
James Glass is a veteran of United States Air Force. On this day he's getting a new photo ID, which will become his ticket to savings.
It's all part of the Veteran's Photo ID program which was started by Nancy Becker, the Montgomery County Recorder of Deeds.
"Part of the job of the Recorder of Deeds is to record the veterans discharges. And the veterans should make an attempt to record their discharges in the county where they live," said Nancy Becker.
To encourage vets to come in and record their military discharge paperwork, known as a DD-214, Nancy started recruiting Montgomery county businesses to get involved.
"We have almost 300 businesses that give our veterans either a discount or incentive," said Becker.
"I was really surprised how many there are," said James Glass.
Some restaurants offer as much as 25 percent off meals for showing the veteran ID card. Often there's discounted dental care, even grocery savings.
"If we can give them help by a 5 percent discount at a grocery store it gives, well it gives me great pleasure to do this," said Becker.
And the veterans are pleased too.
"Since we started the program we've photographed over 3,000 veterans," said Becker.
"I thought it was great. I can't really wait to use it," said Glass.
Many counties offer similar discount programs to encourage vets to register, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Burlington counties to name a few.
So if you or a member of your family served in the military check with your county. Depending on where you live, different departments handle these types of programs.
LINKS:
http://www.montcopa.org/index.aspx?NID=478
http://www.buckscounty.org/government/communityservices/MilitaryAffairs/DiscountCards
http://www.chesco.org/index.aspx?NID=1361
http://www.co.delaware.pa.us/newsreleases/releases/12VeteransIDrelease.pdf
http://www.co.burlington.nj.us/upload/Sheriff/Images/VeteranIDCards.pdf
