Summer is knocking on the door, and as the weather heats up, countless military families will be embarking on PCS moves while their kids are off from school.
Sara Roder, military spouse and Director of Partnerships at Armed Forces Mutual, has a wealth of hands-on expert advice on how to make these life-altering moves go off as seamlessly as possible for all members of the family.
“As a very young military spouse, I remember our very first PCS and I very naively thought the military's gonna take care of everything,” Roder said. “They are gonna just show up, and they're gonna pack me up, and then they're gonna take care of everything, and I will have zero expense except for the gas to get to my next place. That was very naive.”
Most people know moving involves having first and last months' rent and fees to hook up utilities. Roder said military families should also consider the intangibles of relocation while financially preparing to move.
“What you don't realize sometimes is, what if my household goods don't arrive when they're supposed to arrive, if I'm not moving them and I have to literally go buy clothes for myself and my children, because I only packed four days because they were supposed to be here, and we're 2 weeks in,” Roder said.
Unlike the civilian population, military families move every two to four years, meaning children have to be re-enrolled into sports programs and extracurricular activities.
“You're buying all new uniforms, you're paying all new re-enrollment fees for your kids,” Roder explained. “It is so expensive. That was one of the very big hidden costs. I didn't budget to have an extra $700 in just enrollment fees and jerseys and all of the stuff.”
There are also hidden expenses as military families turn their new house into a home.
“All your furniture from one home may not fit into your new home. It may be too much or too little, and then you have to figure that out,” Roder said. “There can be thousands of dollars in extra added expenses to make a home.”
One of the ways to alleviate the stress associated with moving is to have your financial house in good order and setting up a budget, Roder said.
“It might not be the most fun thing to do, but it is something you can control, you can do it,” she said. “We really strongly advise in any season of life, regardless of your rank or income, having a budget, writing the budget down, putting it somewhere, making sure you and your spouse are communicating about that budget.”
Armed Forces Mutual offers a budget worksheet to help families get started on that, based on a 50-30-20 split of their income, said Roder.
“Fifty percent is for my living expenses, the expenses I must have, my rent, my gas, you know, the things I have to have to live,” she explained. “Thirty percent is for my entertainment, and 20% is for savings, emergency funds, and then 10% into investable assets.”
Roder stressed that it's never too late to establish a budget.
“When people are talking about finances, they sometimes feel like they are already behind when they haven't even started,” she said. “You just start today, because today is better than tomorrow, and it's as simple as that.”
Military spouses should begin networking and searching for employment opportunities about six months before moving day, Roder said.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
