By Amanda Huffman
Veteran & Military Spouse
Moving is stressful, even for those who are not in the military. There are so many moving pieces and challenges your family must overcome to get from one duty assignment to the next, but having a plan for how you’ll handle it can make it much easier. For instance, one of the challenges of a military move is getting your cars, pets, and loved ones to a new location, which often makes a road trip necessary.
There are many ways to tackle this required task, depending on how far away your next location is as well as your family’s desires and obligations. If your work schedule and family life align and you have time to enjoy the journey to the new destination, it’s worth considering whether you can make your PCS road trip into a family vacation. After all, with this type of move, the military will cover most of your family experiences, so take advantage of the opportunity while you’ve got it.
4 Tips to Make a Military PCS Road Trip Fun and Financially Effective
1. Create a Budget Based on Your PCS Route
The first step to planning your route to your new destination is to calculate how many days the military gives you to get from one location to the other. The military allocates approximately 350 miles per day, or six hours of driving, and the miles are based on the most direct route to your new assignment. While it's possible to arrive at your duty station early, per diem pay stops when you arrive at your next assignment, so it is wise to use all your available days of travel to get there.
Use the number of days allotted and number of your family members to calculate how much your family will receive as per diem for the trip. You can also calculate how much you will be paid to drive your car using the current established cost per mile. Knowing these two numbers will help you create a budget for your PCS road trip.
2. Load Up Your Car
An additional way to bring in cash to help fund your PCS road trip is to weigh your car when it’s both empty and full. When you move your belongings across the country yourself, the military will pay based on the weight of your car, per mile driven. While this may be difficult to calculate in advance, check out the rates and calculate a general estimate of how much you can expect to receive. Alternatively, you can exclude this reimbursement from your road trip calculation and use it to help cover costs when you move to your new assignment.
3. Plan Your PCS Route
Once you’ve determined a budget based on what the military will provide you, you can determine whether you want to add additional personal funds to the trip, according to your planned route and the activities you want to do. Start by figuring out the most direct route from your start and end points. Then, figure out if there are specific locations or activities you’d like to do along the way, making these locations focus points as you start planning your trip.
Remember that you are estimated to drive approximately six hours a day. This gives you flexibility to start driving a little later in the morning or taking a side quest along the way. Having a general plan on where you will stop and what you want to do is the best way to see and do as much as you can while on your road trip.
4. Use Member Benefits and Discounts
When you’re planning your trip, you can use a variety of strategies to lower the cost of your hotel stays. First, staying with friends is a great way to help cut costs, as well as to reconnect with people you don’t often get to see. Second, consider military bases or military-focused travel locations that often provide discounted rates for military families. You can also join the free rewards programs offered by hotel chains and utilize their government rates, which can help save your military family money on hotel room costs — and you can accumulate points by staying at the same chain, allowing you to earn free hotel stays. Pro tip: This is a useful strategy if you’re doing some off-duty traveling as a military family, too!
Making the Most of Your Military PCS Move
Driving from one location to another can be just as stressful as moving itself, but it can also be an adventure. Look at it as an opportunity to visit different parts of the country that many people never get a chance to see. With a little planning and creativity, a road trip to your next duty assignment can become a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that will create great memories for your family.
Looking for help establishing a budget for your next PCS move? Strengthen your finances by putting smart plans in place for the future with Armed Forces Mutual. Find your path to financial success with our free downloadable, designed to help you get your savings on track and budget in line.