Businesses Begin Offering Feds Furlough Discounts

Worried about how upcoming federal furloughs will hit your wallet? Some retailers are cutting prices to help feds struggling to balance their checkbooks.

Federal employees looking to move out of the civil service may want to brush up on their CVs. Employment BOOST, a resume writing service, is offering a 20 percent discount for feds who want to polish up their resumes for job applications.

Of course, if you’re trying to go back to school instead, Troy University in Troy, Ala., is offering special scholarships for military personnel to lessen the impact of cuts to the Pentagon’s tuition assistance program.

The Washington Post reported last week that The Energy Club, a local Arlington, Va., based gym, would promote a “Don’t Furlough Your Fitness” campaign to encourage feds to exercise in their downtime. On days of unpaid leave, federal employees can bring their government ID and furlough papers and receive a free workout at the gym. The Post noted that once furloughs are over, the gym would offer special rates on memberships for feds who participated in the promotion.

The Daily Dish, a bistro in Silver Spring, Md., also is offering a “sequester special” for hungry civil servants. According to Zagat, federal employees can take a 20 percent discount on food during weekday lunches on furlough days.

Military towns are especially bracing for steep cutbacks in spending from sequestration. Many businesses near Fort Lee, Va.,  are offering discounts and promotions to encourage wary federal employees to spend their limited dollars, according to NBC12.

In Warner Robins, Ga., retired Maj. Gen. Robert MacMahon, the president of local community organization 21^st Century Partnership, is encouraging businesses to recognize every Thursday in April as Federal Employee Appreciation Day.  He told local Georgia newspaper The Telegraph that businesses had to “publicly show [federal employees] how much they mean to us.”

Defense Department employees in Fayetteville, N.C., can take advantage of discounts offered by local car parts retailer Auto Express, the Associated Press reported. Local Chamber President Doug Peters also told business leaders to offer additional discounts and temporary employment for furloughed feds, according to the Fayetteville Observer.

As furloughs start, there are certain to be more businesses trying to reach out to feds. Do you know of any that we missed? Feel free to add them in the comment section.  Also check out our Gimme My Discount directory for general tips on deals – furloughs or no furloughs.