Costs Of A PCS Part 2
Continuing with the hidden costs of a PCS, let’s tackle some more of that list today. I’m sure I will miss things, so hopefully, you can point out my blind spots. I am primarily making this list from the perspective of a military-covered move rather than a PPM or DITY, but most of these things pop up after the move. No matter how we get to our new station, we incur these fees that are not covered by the military.
1. Utility bill set-up fees
Every time you start service at a new location, there is some sort of set-up, turn-on, or deposit fee required. It was $30 for our electricity and $55 for our water in Georgia (although that included a $30 same-day turn-on fee that not everyone would have). We still don’t have Wi-Fi set up, so I don’t know the fees associated with that, and we still don’t have trash service (it turns out it’s a colossal pain here), but that cost will be $30 whenever it happens. It may not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but that $115 can be a big deal for some families, making that first bill look a lot bigger than it usually would.
2. Utilities in general
Moving to a new place can bring up new bills and differences in rates. At our last house, we had a gas stove, which meant that we added a gas bill to our usual electric and water bills. Trash services are calculated differently in our new county (which I have not been able to set up yet, so if someone has an in at the Macon-Bibb County Commissioner’s office, please let me know). Still, it will probably end up being cheaper here than it was in Oklahoma. But everything that ends up being cheaper here will be more expensive at the next assignment. We will always get used to living under certain bills, so it can be stressful when those change.
3. Pet fees
Vet fees add up really quickly, and all sorts of things happen at the worst possible time. There can be a lot of fees associated with moving an animal to a new place, such as adding a pet to a flight, making a hotel reservation, or boarding during the moving process. I know that many of our friends found out that their animals were allergic to the state of Oklahoma and had to factor in frequent allergy shots into their budget. Moving an animal internationally can be very expensive, especially if they have to quarantine for a time or require specific vaccinations before travel. There is something new in effect this year where the military will cover up to $4,000 in expenses of moving a pet, but I don’t know the specifics of where that starts and ends. We don’t have any animals since I am pretty allergic, so that won’t be a bridge we have to cross.
4. Cost of living at a new duty station
We were fortunate to find a house that kept us at the same ratio of BAH spending that we had been before. A lot of families discover that BAH barely covers, if it covers, the cost of the house that would support their needs. Every family has different priorities when it comes to housing, but BAH usually falls to the lowest common denominator. Families with more children, animals, or needs than the average can quickly find that they are spending more than it covers. Also BAH tends to be a few years behind on what the cost of living actually is. Fortunately, our new base just got a raise, but I know that didn’t help everyone.
5. Children
If we were flying to a new duty station, we would need a new car seat that fits plane
guidelines. Maybe kids need a new car seat for the long road trip. Maybe we need new toys or games to survive the thirteen-plus hours in a car. Maybe we need babysitters for move-in and move-out days. Maybe we do some excursions during the travel days. Maybe we need pre-packaged food for the trip. We switched our son to a toddler formula during the trip because we didn’t want to deal with a cooler for milk. It was significantly cheaper than infant formula but way more than buying a gallon of milk. These may seem like optional expenses for some families, but for others, they are mandatory for survival.
6. Moving products
I packed a decent amount of our house before the packers came because we had to slim it down for showings. I got boxes and packing paper from fellow military families who had just moved in, but the cost of tape, bubble wrap, and a storage unit were on us. I also bought a significant number of storage containers that we will reuse throughout the years, but that was still an upfront cost. This is also a time when many people need new suitcases because the old ones won’t survive the trip, or they added new members to the family during their assignment.
7. Clothing
Hill AFB in Utah was the other duty station at the top of our list. Moving there in the middle of January would have required us to upgrade our winter wardrobe. Heavy-duty jackets, boots, gloves, and hats would add up quickly. The same goes for moving from a cold climate to a hot one. The clothes that worked year-round in Utah would not get the job done in Hawaii. This wasn’t an expense for our PCS, but it is worth considering, depending on where you’re heading next.
8. Vehicles
Driving the vehicle to the new location usually requires some maintenance beforehand. It also means getting a new registration once you get to the state. There are exceptions for that in the military, but I am not super informed about them. We just switched our insurance and registration to the new state, especially since we didn’t maintain a mailing address in the previous one. Some families may end up shipping a car, which will be an out-of-pocket cost if it’s a CONUS move or if it is a second vehicle for an OCONUS move. Families going OCONUS also choose to buy a second car at the new location, but this requires the money for a new vehicle, title, tags, registration, and any specific country regulations.
I’ve just got a few more things to add to this list, so stay tuned for Friday’s post. Let me know if anything is missing because PCSing is hard, and it’s even harder when everything feels like a surprise that’s pushing us behind. Having a little notice can help with a game plan, and maybe we can identify better ways for the systems in place to support us.