The prospect of making money off your next permanent change-of-station (PCS) move -- by making the arrangements yourself -- may sound appealing, and at the same time, you may not have a choice.
Since 2020, in particular, the tight labor market has cut into the availability of a typical military PCS set up through the base transportation office.
Stay-at-home mom and 15-year Army spouse Mallory Pevoto has been the internet's "DITY Mama" since before the military changed the term from "do-it-yourself" to personally procured move (PPM).
In an episode of "PCS with Military.com," Pevoto shares some of the strategies she's learned throughout her family's 11 "DITY" moves in 13 years, with some in-town moves in-between.
You Don't Literally Have to Move Yourself
The fear that, "Oh my goodness, I literally have to do everything" is "a huge misconception" of PPMs, Pevoto said. "You have the ability to outsource."
Related: Why You Should Move Yourself and Tips for Making a Military PPM Happen
Just like how the military will hire packers and movers to move your things, it will pay you to hire people. The military reimburses according to a formula that takes into account the weight of your goods and other factors; how you get it done is up to you.
"So it's different for everybody," Pevoto said. "With every move, you're just going to have to look back and say, 'Is this in my budget to outsource? Where can I outsource, and what do I need to do myself, and what can I let other people do?'"
A PPM or 'DITY' Move Has Certain Advantages
Even a typical military move arranged through the base transportation office -- in which the base hires all the movers -- takes work.
"It's just a different type of hard," Pevoto said. "It's almost like you pick your hard."
Depending on your preferences, arranging the move yourself can have advantages. Some of the ones Pevoto has discovered:
- You're in control. A PPM provides choices, Pevoto pointed out. "You are able to choose your own moving truck," she said. "You are in control of your timeline, when you get your items, when they arrive, who's going to help you unload and load."
- You could have a shorter transition. A "door-to-door" move can be especially valuable for families with kids, Pevoto said. "You drive to your new duty station. You arrive at your home. Your stuff is either with you or shortly behind you," she said. "Instead of living in an empty home or having to stay in a hotel -- or just kind of being in those really long transition periods without your things -- a DITY move is the way to go if you're like, 'We want our stuff right away. We want to get going right away. We don't want to wait.'"
- You're forced to stay organized. Because you're likely packing items yourself, "you have the ability to be like, 'You know what, I'm not moving with that,'" Pevoto said. "You know how everyone talks about that one box they move around with -- it's full of like a bunch of cords or things; they don't even know what's inside of it -- with a DITY move .. you have only what you decided to keep. You know everything that you own."
- You could make a profit. Pevoto advises people to have a secondary motivation for choosing a PPM besides the money, because the numbers don't always work out. But in her family's case, they've either made money or broken about even.
But a Profit Isn't Guaranteed
Pevoto's family has made money on almost every move, but this won't always happen, she warned. The formula may not add up in your favor, or something unexpected could happen.
"Because no move is perfect," Pevoto said. "You may have one size truck and have been budgeting your move for that, and then a few days before your move, you're like, 'Oh my goodness, we need a bigger truck.' ... You have to be OK with knowing that you might not make as much as you were hoping."
Get Ready Anyway, Even if You Don't Want a PPM
Whether uncertainty surrounds your PCS orders or it turns out the base just can't accommodate you within the system, Pevoto advised emotionally preparing yourself for the task of moving.
"Although I love it, I know it's not for everybody, and there are certain seasons in our lives where that's just so much harder," she acknowledged.
But you might have no choice in the matter. "It's so common these days that I feel like that's something that we should all be prepared for before it happens," Pevoto said.
Mentally you just have to decide, "OK, we're going to do this," she said. "Just kind of have that in the back of your mind, like, 'This may happen.'"
Having a plan and preparing little by little can help.
"Maybe that means just having a few extra boxes laying around. Don't throw all your boxes out," Pevoto said. "Maybe take the steps to start working toward that so it's not so incredibly last minute."
-- Amanda Miller can be reached at amanda.miller@military.com.
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