In a town in Georgia close to Moody Air Force Base, a war veteran went onto his phone under the Reddit handle Sad-Feature9867 and made a post he did not imagine would go very far. But within hours, the post lit the r/VeteransBenefits subreddit on fire with upvotes, thank yous, and comparable anecdotes.
His post was short: “Hey, I figured many folks didn’t know this existed…”
What followed was a story not just of dollars saved, but of the unspoken brotherhood that veterans share.
Finding the discount that no one talks about
Recently working through a medical board at Moody, Sad-Feature9867 was shopping around for a deal on off-road tires—an expensive but necessary upgrade for his truck. That’s when he stumbled upon something hidden in the perks section of his USAA account: a 25% discount on Goodyear tires.
Not one to keep a good thing to himself, he headed to Reddit to share his discovery. “USAA partnered with Goodyear, and you get 25% off your order at checkout,” he shared. “If you want to get wild, send that price on over to Discount Tire—they’ll beat it by about ten dollars—and then you can apply an additional 5% military discount at checkout with them.
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Others jump in, offering their thanks—and their advice
In a matter of minutes, other veterans piped in.
“Thank you,” responded Bucknutz. “I needed tires and received a good deal from them today. Getting them installed tomorrow.”
Others proposed substitutes. Backsight-Foreskin, a former Army serviceman, referenced the deals offered by the Veterans Canteen Service (VCS), offering fleet price and no tax on some tires. Another vet testified to Sam’s Club, and even a retired tire plant manager chimed in to ensure Michelin is still the best in quality.
Still, for those in tight spots, Sad-Feature9867’s solution seemed unbeatable.
“I just bought tires for, like, 700 bucks,” lamented one user. “What the [heck] man…”
“At least you’ll know for next time!” the original poster replied sympathetically.
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Beyond tires: Hidden gems in USAA perks
The post didn’t stop with tires. Sad-Feature9867 urged other service members to take advantage of the whole USAA line of discounts. Rental cars without the under-25 charge, theme park discount tickets, and more—”a resource more people should know about,” he termed it.
And maybe that’s the point. Veterans are usually made aware of benefits by word of mouth, years after they’ve needed them. But posts like this one—straightforward, kind, and among comrades—are changing that.
As EdgeCityRed, a veteran of the Air Force, so aptly put it, “I do need new tires, so this is timely.”
In the end, it’s not about the money—it’s about taking care of each other, long after the uniforms are dropped.
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