7 Websites/Apps All Military Families Should Know About

Looking for that one website to solve your problems? Needing to get your hands  on the perfect app that speaks to what you need? I (hopefully) got your back. Here are some websites and apps that every military family should know about! Whether its just needed for the everyday military lifestyle, or to survive those dreaded deployments, I am sure one of these will be at your service. 

 1. Dogs on Deployment- Whether you want to be a user or volunteer, Dogs on Deployment is an amazing organization. You can post your dog (or cat) on here and tell the general area you live in and length of time you will need your pet to be watched. This keeps military families pets out of pounds and instead in a home being watched over. You can be comforted knowing your dog or cat is in good hands, or you can feel great about keeping a military personals pet.

2. Sandboxx- Sandboxx was created by servicemembers to help military families stay in touch from graduation to retirement. While at basic training or deployed, family and friends can send letters and photos from the Sandboxx app. Sandboxx prints and delivers them (um is that not the coolest thing?)- including a stamped, addressed return envelope for faster replies. Spouses and family members can also enter their loved ones’ unit details and stay in touch with the other families from those units. you can get the Sandboxx app here.

3. Viber- This is an app James and I used and oh my word y’all… Download it. It’s basically a free texting and phone call app and it worked great. HUGE TIP: You must download this before the deployment because you need to verify it with your own phone number. I can’t say enough great things about this app and it is way better compared to textfree or callfree. So, if your spouse is leaving for a deployment soon, this is the app you’ll want to keep communication via wifi.

4. USAA- If you have a pretty secure phone and lots of trust you won’t ever lose it, it might be a good idea to download the USAA bank app. I had it downloaded at one point and the interface was so easy to understand and navigate. If you are about to take over the bills and be in charge of payments, this app makes all of that easier for you.

5. Dropbox- Yes, they have an app! We loved using Dropbox during James’ last deployment because it made sharing pictures and videos so much easier. I was able to send him videos of my family and I so quickly and easily since some videos are too big for email. And he was able to upload pictures in a jiffy, even over his bad internet connection. Dropbox is also a website so you don’t have to have the app (I never could because I have 1,000+ photos on my phone lol woops). Just share the same account and whenever you upload something or vice versa, your Dropbox will automatically sync and you will be able to see what they uploaded right away.

6. Ibotta- Ibotta is a fun money saving app. It’s not entirely military related, other than the fact that you can save on your groceries from the Commissary! I’ve used this for about two weeks now (I’ve only been grocery shopping once since) and have earned a little bit! There will be different food items on the list that you can earn “rebates” for. So, say you by milk from the commissary, Ibotta will give you a dollar back. You unlock this rebate by either scanning the milk’s barcode or taking a picture of your receipt- that easy! Also, you easily cash out at $20 which is pretty cool! I’ve linked my referral code so we are helping each other out if you sign up. 

7. CanvasPop- Another not so military related, but y’all! If you are looking for amazing quality canvas’, this is the site to go to. I had the opportunity to receive a canvas and I of course chose one of my favorites from our wedding. I just simply sent in the photo, they sent back a preview and I could have made any last many adjustments, then it was shipped on its merry way! I am always afraid of ordering canvas prints because I fear they will come out low quality or blurry. But, mine turned out amazing and it even came with the hardware to hang it up and everything.