by Janine Boldrin

Your Move

24 www.Ame r i F o r c e . n e t

From fees to unexpected

out-of-pocket expenses to

replacing damaged items,

military families can easily

throw away money in the

hurried rush of a move. So

whether you’re packing up

for the first or 12th time, make

sure your next Permanent

Change of Station (PCS)

move doesn’t cost more

than it should by following

these ten tips:

1 Get organized

Whether you use an old-fash-ioned notebook and binder, orkeep all of your notes on thecomputer and scan your docu-ments, designate one place forkeeping all of your records from

the move. Print out a copy of onlineinformation you gather or keep linksto sites for easy reference. Keeptrack of your expenses and designateone large envelope for the associatedreceipts. And, most importantly, donot pack the notebook, files or com-puter where you store this data. Youmay need the information while intransit and lost information can becostly when it comes time to recon-cile your trip and moving expenses.

2 Get educated

Educate yourself on any new movingprocesses as soon as you becomeaware you will be making a PCSmove. The best place to start iswww.move.mil, a website that canbe used by all service members and

Department of Defense FederalService civilians and their familiesfor managing personal propertymoves.

“Members have the option of visitingtheir installation transportation officeor personal property shipping office(PPSO) to receive a relocation brief-ing or go directly to the move.milwebsite and self counsel them-selves,” says John Johnson, Chief ofthe personal property branch at theMilitary Surface Deployment andDistribution Command.

Johnson adds that the move.mil “canbe a bit intimidating at first” and sug-gests viewing the online video andPowerPoint presentation thatexplains the moving process, locatedon the opening page of the website.Service members and their families

can follow the step-by-stepprocess and use additionallearning tools located on thesite to avoid making commonmistakes that could cost themtime and money along theway to their new home.

3 Know your

“What adds up and what isneglected is not keeping upon what you’re entitled to,”says Susanna Haynie, militaryspouse and operator of

10 Money Saving Tips for Your Next Move

Get organized

Get educated

Know yourentitlements

What is DP3?In November 2008, the legacy TransportationOperational Personal Property StandardSystem or TOPS was replaced by a new per-sonal property program called DefensePersonal Property Program (DP3). The back-bone of the new system is the DefensePersonal Property System (DPS) which auto-mates the PCS move process. DPS is the tech-nology side of DP3, and can be accessed atwww.move.mil.

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www.militarydutystations.com, awebsite devoted to military familiessharing information on the movingprocess. “Make sure that you areactually getting (what you’re owed)by knowing your allowance rates,what paperwork to keep and whatyou need to do in order to fulfill therequirements to get the allowance.”

“Bottom line [is] don’t rely on themilitary to plan your move,” addsRaquel Theibes, a former servicemember, military brat and nowArmy spouse who writes a blogcalled Life Lessons of a MilitaryWife. “You need to take charge ofyour move and do some researchahead of time.”

4 Pitch before you ship

According to DefenseTransportation Regulations,charges for excess weight canrange from several hundred to sev-eral thousand dollars so it is impor-tant to know your weight limitsand have a good estimate of yourweight allowance.

“Members are encouraged to dis-pose of unnecessaryitems to reduce theweight of their shipmentas any weight shipped inexcess of their entitle-ment will be charged tothem,” says Johnson.

Also, know what can bemoved and what can-not, and determinewhether it is worthwhileto sell these items ormove them yourself. Ifyou want to move themyourself, you may beable to apply for a par-tial Personal ProcuredMove (formally called a“DITY” move).

Eliminating items before the movecan also reduce storage fees if newquarters are smaller than your pre-vious location.

“European homes do tend to besmaller with not a lot of storagespace, so keep that mind,” saysThiebes who has lived in bothGermany and Belgium with the mil-itary. In fact, housing in most over-seas locations are typically smaller,and have fewer storage choicesthan those in the United States, soplan accordingly.

5 Protect your belong-ingsThe best bet for irreplaceable itemslike special mementos or photo-graphs or small, valuable items likejewelry, devices like iPods, collec-tions or stocks/bonds and otherimportant paperwork is to trans-port it yourself. For larger valuableitems, consider getting an appraisalof the item done prior to movingand locate any receipts associatedwith the item. Appraisals are notpaid for by government but canhelp you in the event of filing for aloss or damage claim.

For the majority of your householdgoods, take the time to video thecontents of your home while takingextra time documenting largeritems that may become damaged intransport. This will help to showthe condition prior to moving whenfiling a loss or damage claim.Electrical equipment should bedocumented as working andshown on the video. Make sure to take all of these documents and videos with you and not packthem so they won’t be lost duringthe move.

6 Pick out the profes-sional (gear)Service members and their depen-dant spouses may be able todeclare a certain amount of theirprofessional books, gear andequipment under a separate classi-fication known as Pro-Gear orPBP&E. If you have Pro-Gear todeclare it must be done at the timeof counseling and must be separat-ed from the rest of your householditems so it can be packed, markedand weighed separately. An addi-tional 500 pounds of Pro-Gear maybe authorized for a spouse who

requires the items foremployment or communitysupport activities.

And don’t listen to a movingcompany representative whosays you do not have to sepa-rate the items for packingand documenting—do it any-way, and make sure it is get-ting recorded as your profes-sional gear.

Classifying items helps toeliminate possible weightoverages and the associatedcost.

“It goes back to knowingwhat it takes to qualify for a

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Protect yourbelongings

Pitch beforeyou ship

Pick out the professional(gear)

A Costly MistakeIt is important to stay in continuous contact withyour Transportation Service Provider (TSP) through-out the move process and be present at your resi-dence on the scheduled pick up or delivery dates,according to John Johnson, Chief of the personalproperty branch at the Military Surface Deploymentand Distribution Command. If members or their des-ignated reps are not at their residence when the TSParrives, they may be liable for an attempted pick upor delivery charge. To avoid any confusion, it isextremely important to keep your phone number, e-mail address and contact information updated inDPS through www.move.mil.

continued on page 26

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special allowance,” says Hayniewho also reminds service membersto discuss any special medicalequipment they may have withtheir counselor at their transporta-tion office to also have it separatelyclassified.

7 Rethink your utilities

“We always call utilitiesto cancel before mov-ing with the intent ofasking if they are avail-able in the area we aremoving to and whatthey can do for me tokeep me as a cus-tomer,” says BetsieMcKenna, a militaryspouse who just completed a moveto North Carolina. “(It) saved usquite a bit this year.”

Many service members are findingthey are skipping the fees of hook-ing up landlines by abandoningthem altogether. However, beforeyou take this approach make sureyour cellular provider is reliable inthe area where you are moving.Fees for installing cable can beeliminated by switching to Web orsatellite television. And, when andif you chose a provider, don’t forgetto ask if they have a military dis-count. Many of the major cellularphone providers offer discounts onservices or reduced activation fees.

8 Decorate for tomor-row“Families who move often face aunique challenge regarding homefurnishing choices,” says GerryGwinn, interior designer and ownerof Gerry Gwinn Design & Staging.“Flexibility is key. Furniture itemsthat can be moved from room toroom and are not oversized willwork the best.”

Gwinn also suggestsrethinking the usage ofcertain pieces, saying thatan interesting bachelor’schest may be used as anightstand in one homeand be moved to the foyeror hallway in another.

“Window treatment choices can bea challenge as well,” adds Gwinn.“Stay away from board mounted

styles, which allowfor little flexibility.Panels or top treat-ments with a gath-ered top will be amore practicalchoice.”

“When there’s room,go to a longer length

and hang them higher than the topof the window. Your next homemay have 9 foot ceilings instead of8 foot and you’ll be relieved thatyou’ve thought ahead. Buying afew extra yards of fabric or buyingan extra panel of drapery, just incase, might possibly solve a futureproblem as well.”

9Plan for Fido

Consider future moves when itcomes to choosing a new pet.

“If you have pets, the military willnot pay to move that pet, so you’relooking at flights, possible kennel-ing, vet bills,” says Thiebes.“On-post vet clinics typically onlydo routine care if you can get in.”

Presently, mandatory pet quaran-tine fees are reimbursable withincertain limits but are only applica-bly to dogs and cats. Other expens-es can include fees at hotels andadditional pet deposits at apart-ment and home rentals. Privatizedmilitary housing may also limit thenumber of pets in quarters and the

types of pets that areaccepted. Additionally,some countries ban cer-tain types and breeds ofanimals.

It is incredibly heart-breaking when a beloved familypet needs to be adopted outbecause of these limitations, so be aware of current policiesand consider your financial situation.

10 Watch in-tran-sit expensesIt pays to be frugally mindedwhen in transit by choosing lessexpensive and sometimeshealthier meal options. By fillinga cooler with sandwiches, fruitand snacks it can keep the tripgoing while cutting down on thenumber of fast food stops. Whileon the road, try to find hotelsthat offer a substantial freebreakfast so you can get a goodstart in the morning withouthaving to find a restaurant. Andalways be sure to documentyour in-transit expenditures andkeep the associated receipts.Not only will this keep you ontrack to staying in budget butmay also be needed when set-tling any entitlements or claimswhen you finish your trip.

Rethink yourutilities

26 www.Ame r i F o r c e . n e t

Decorate fortomorrow

Plan for Fido

Watch in-transitexpenses

continued from page 25

Janine Boldrin is a freelance writer and military spouse who

lives in West Point, N.Y.She will be making her

8th military move this summer.

F rag i le

Th iss ideup

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