Military spouse, financial expert shares tips with SJ community

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Tammie Moore
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  Ellie Kay, a best-selling author of 14 books, a financial expert featured on ABCs "Good Money" and an Air Force spouse, provided two free seminars here to reveal ways to save money and stay sane as a military spouse.

More than 100 military members and spouses attended the event held on Sept. 17. The seminar was the long-time brainstorm of Dee Dee Doherty, spouse of Col. Patrick Doherty, the 4th Fighter Wing commander. Several years ago, Mrs. Doherty was reading Ellie Kay's book "Heroes at Home" when her husband was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. It was then that she decided that Ellie Kay could be a learning tool for military families.

"I felt the book contained not only educational topics, but also insightful information for dependents and active-duty members alike," Mrs. Doherty said.

With the support of Chap. (Lt. Col.) Bill O'Sullivan, Chap. (Maj.) Mike Myers and her husband, the event was able to come to life at Seymour Johnson. During the one-day seminar, Mrs. Kay focused on topics in her books "Living Rich for Less" and "Heroes at Home."

"Financial difficulties can be stressful and a distraction for anyone," Mrs. Doherty said. "When deployed Airmen get distracted with issues at home they may not perform to the best of their ability, which could prove detrimental to the mission."

Despite being a financial advisor, Mrs. Kay had to overcome the burdens of mismanaged finances early on in her marriage to retired fighter pilot, Bob Kay. Her and her husband paid off $40,000 in consumer debt, while supporting seven children on a single income.

"Not only is she a financial expert, but she is also an expert on ways to stretch the dollar while providing an excellent home life for her family," Mrs. Doherty said. "'Living Rich for Less' provides sound, practical advice for saving and spending money. In today's economy, we could all use practical and unique ways to manage our money."

Mrs. Kay uses her knowledge of living on a tight budget to reach out to mainstream Americans and military families.

"When it comes to teaching families about money, I'm a little bit different than some of the other financial experts," Mrs. Kay said. "A lot of the investment advice they give is geared toward families making six figures or more. The average American family is making around $55,000 a year and, in that regards, my information is a little bit different. (I use) a family approach rather than just a personal finance approach. So, I'm helping families get out of debt, set up budgets, put kids through college, teach kids about money (and other) things that really help the family."

While financial struggles are not uncommon, Mrs. Kay's book "Heroes at Home" deals with issues mainstream Americans are unfamiliar with.

"'Heroes at Home' was selected because it emphasizes the unique struggles our military families face during deployments, change-of-duty station and the demands of everyday life," Mrs. Doherty said. "This book is not only motivating, but it adds humor to many of the situations in which we can all relate to at one point or another in our lives."

While Mrs. Kay's professional career revolves around her financial knowledge and skills, she takes a great deal of enjoyment from working with military families.

"My passion is military families," she said. "When I look at military families and I see that they are part of an all volunteer force, with an ops tempo the way that it is today, I know I'm looking at America's greatest generation."

Mrs. Kay uses her personal experiences as the child of a Sailor and a military spouse to help audience members relate to her.

"I have been a military spouse, I've been the mother of a lot of kids, I've moved a whole lot of times, I've coped with military deployments," she said. "I think, to be honest, it gives me more credibility. When people look at me they don't say you don't understand my life because I totally understand their life."

Establishing this common ground with her audiences is part of what makes visiting bases and speaking with spouses special to Mrs. Kay. During her visit, she met many military spouses following her seminars.

"What is really cool is hearing younger military spouses saying, 'now I know what I need to do,'" Mrs. Kay said. "You don't always know what your role is, it is not like the military spouse goes through some kind of course to learn how to cope with (everything). The most gratifying part of speaking to the military are the people themselves and telling them on behalf of America that 'We love you, we're proud of you, and together we're going to be alright."

For more information about Ellie Kay or to utilize her free budgeting tools, visit www.elliekay.com.