What would save a lot of money is do away with foreign excursions, the need which is trumped up on manipulated evidence, along with the idea of spreading democracy which does nothing but lead to wars and terrorism.
I've given the following example before but I'll offer it again. The west enters Muslim countries and tries to change their way of life and religion which is one and the same. For example, doing away with women having to wear the hijab. Why should women have to cover their head? They deserve to be "free".
Now let's put the shoe on the other foot. Let's suppose the US was occupied by a country that tolerates women going topless. For example, the women in southern France. Let's suppose the occupiers told you your teenage daughter could go topless if she wanted and if local government officials tried to stop her they would be arrested just as happens in Muslin countries that are occupied regarding young girls attending school. There were incidents showing western troops protecting girls going to school preventing local authorities from upholding their legal and religious obligations.
How would people react here? Wouldn't terrorists.....oops, patriots....be fighting back any way they could? Wouldn't you fight back any way you could? And if you knew the occupiers were sanctioned by a government duly elected by the citizens of a certain country wouldn't attacks on that country, those citizens, be justified? After all, the citizens voted for that government and are supporting the military financially by voluntarily paying taxes.
Now do you see the problem? And all the while western countries involve themselves in such actions they whine and cry about having no money for medical care and homes and basic necessities for their own citizens.
Pardon the language but it seems pretty fucked up to me.