By Amanda Huffman
Veteran Military Spouse

You know it’s coming. Soon, it will be time to make your PCS move. You have your assignment and are ready to start putting everything in place, but you still haven’t received orders. This time between finding out your next assignment and receiving orders can stretch from weeks to months. “Hurry up and wait” is the perfect way to describe preparing for a military move. But there are a lot of things you can do before your orders arrive. 

Prepare Your Finances

While the military does help cover moving costs, many of those expenses are reimbursed after you incur them instead of getting the money upfront ahead of time. Since having to pay for your move can be stressful on your budget, if you know several months ahead that you will be moving, you should immediately start saving. You can also plan even further ahead by setting aside some or all of your tax return to help cover your moving costs. Whatever you can do to save a little extra will  help lessen the financial strain of a move. 

Begin Purging

There are always things that find their way into our homes that we either never really wanted in the first place or no longer need. Prior to receiving orders, start purging by going room by room to get rid of things you either don’t need or won’t need at your new assignment. Consider the climate where you are going and your children’s ages. If you can’t remember the last time you used an item, it might be time to get rid of it. 

Do Your Home Repairs/Clean-Up

If you own your home, the months leading up to a move are a great time to work on projects to get your house ready to go on the market or to make it ready to rent. Your plans and the current condition of your home will determine what projects you need to do. Planning ahead will give you the time and flexibility you need to get the projects completed — or hired out to be completed by someone else. 

Research Your New Assignment

There are so many things to figure out about your new location: whether you should live on or off base, what the schools are like, where you will get your healthcare, etc. Beginning your research early will help make the move easier. Even though there will still be requirements that can’t be done until you arrive or pick where you are going to live, having all the information mapped out will make it easier. 

Pro Tip: Join the local military community Facebook Group so you can have a place to ask questions and see what others are saying about where you are moving to. You can also join local groups for areas you are interested in to help you get connected before you arrive. 

Hurry Up and Wait

Preparing early and waiting for the next thing on your checklist can make moving easier. So, utilize the time you have right now and begin preparing for your next move today before your orders arrive. 

Whenever you are facing a change, it’s a good time to ensure you have enough life insurance coverage to protect your finances for the unexpected. Visit aafmaa.com/life to review your options or apply today.