Well we have a move date!

Josh went to transportation today and set up our move! We take Gabe to the airport May 29th to meet his dad for his month in Florida. The movers will be here to pack us up the 30th and then back on the 31st to move us. Josh signs out later that day from his unit and then we're on the road.

SOOOOO....I need any and all PCS tips you have.

I know some of the basics, i.e. going through everything, weeding out stuff we don't need so we don't have to move it, either moving everything we are taking with us in a sepreate room and marking that room off-limits, bringing "necessities" with us.

It's the other tips I'm wanting...the little things that you've done to make life easier for you and your family. Do you have the movers unpack you or just deliver it to your house and then go from there? I do understand that but honestly I'd really them just rather set up the furniture and I'LL unpack the boxes, etc, so I can put things where I want them right away.

So, give me what you got!

OH another question...with the advance pays i.e. DLA/per diem how soon after you put in for it did you get it? We're just curious because we were wanting to plan a budget early on for how much we have, because we are going to relax and do something fun on the drive out and not try to rush there and we want to know how much we will have total.

I woud unpack yourself don't let them do it..make sure everything is there too sometimes items come up missing!

my hubby & i should be getting our first PCS orders very soon--by April 13th (but then again we're talking "marine corps time":freakout ). I found the book Married to the Military very helpful. it was printed in 2003, though. i'm assuming most of the info is still good. some helpful websites it gives: cinchouse.com, dtic.mil/perdiem/, & smartwebmove.navsup.navy.mil. (although why i say they're helpful i don't know (assuming again) because i haven't visited them yet :giggle ). good luck :D !

Get rid of anything you don't need/want before packing. Just makes unpacking easier. Lable the boxes by room, and keep track of how many boxes you have. That way you can count them and immediately know if something went AWOL after arrival.
Don't overestimate the tape, use more than you think its necessary, you'd be surprised how much stuff magically pops open during transit.
If you're packaging something fragile, pack it as if the people moving the boxes will treat them like soccer balls...because they usually do.

We take pictures of EVERYTHING and document all serial numbers. We take anything that can't be replaced such as pictures, home videos, and items that were passed on to us from our grandparents.

Make sure all your dishes are washed! They will pack them dirty. We always do a partial dity move and take the things we need to survive for 6 months. Also, put things in a pile that you would like a partial delivery. This makes it easier. Just write down the box numbers and ask for those to be delivered. Get rid of everything you don't need. Your next place could be smaller then what you had. (found that one out the hard way) Also, don't count on military money right away. It could take up to 3 months to get it back depending what cycle and when the paperwork was filled.

Good luck!

*bump* anyone else have tips?

I just took everything that was not replaceable with me...pictures, etc. I only moved once so I don't really know much. lol

Do not get moving money in advance.
If they over-estimate what it costs for you to move, you WILL have to pay it back.

We unpack, but they have to put back together anything that was taken apart (bunk beds for example).

You have to take batteries out of eveything - toys, remotes.
And watch they don't pack your garbage, I've known it happen to people - lol.

Put tape over your salt & pepper shakers!! I just moved last month (first move) and they brought everything into the new house and put the furniture (set-up) where I wanted it and then I just had them put the boxes in the rooms I wanted...then I unpacked!