Military.com estimates that during a PCS, the average Military family will spend about $1,725 in non-reimbursable costs.

When you consider that the average time between PCS moves is between two to four years, you can just imagine how things add up if you haven’t experienced them yet first hand.

Here are a few quick tips to keep those non-reimbursable costs to a minimum and keep your PCS as stress-free as possible.

Understand what Uncle Sam will cover

Consult your branch and base resources. Asking questions about moving finance and transportation will help you understand what is and isn’t reimbursable. Understanding these costs will help your family strategize the best way to conquer your next move.

The stress-relief that is the TMO

Most PCS moves are taken care of by the Transportation Management Office (TMO). In most cases, they’ll plan and carry out your move, taking a huge chunk of stress out of your life.

The DITY approach

If you’d prefer to have more control over your next move, there’s always the Do-it-yourself (DITY) option. You can move your belongings as you’d like, and there’s also another benefit to this approach: making some extra cash. The government will reimburse you 95% of what it would cost them to move you (up to your maximum authorized weight allowance – determined by pay grade and number of dependents).

The government will also supply $25,000 insurance coverage; and in some cases, they’ll provide some of this money up front. If you’re able to keep your costs down, you’ll keep the difference.