Military families often assume that movers will magically appear at your home, pack everything you own with care, and whisk it all away to meet you at your next duty station.
But that’s not always the case.
Sometimes, like when you do a Personally Procured Move (PPM), you have to do all the work yourself, including packing. And I can tell you from experience that those magical movers make it look way easier than it really is.
But there are some definite merits to PPM moves. So if you decide to skip the movers and do the work yourself, make sure you have a plan going into it. And thanks to the sage advice from our experienced Spouse by Military.com readers, we’ve come up with a list of top 10 tips for packing yourself up for a PCS:
10 Tips for Packing Yourself for a PCS
1. Get organized. Organization includes taking pictures of your more valuable items, saving money and bookmarking it for moving expenses, and keeping an inventory of your boxes.
Read More: Top 10 Ways to Prepare Military Kids for a PCS
2. Plan ahead. Time is another thing you have to organize. You probably don’t realize how much stuff you really have. And packing is very time-consuming.
3. Do a pre-packing purge. A move is the perfect time to toss all that unnecessary and unused junk that’s been hiding in the attic and under beds and in kids’ drawers.
4. Recycle. If possible, stock up on boxes you don’t have to pay for. Get packing boxes and paper from people who just had their stuff delivered. You can also get boxes from behind stores that recycle them.
5. Choose packing materials wisely. Unfortunately, not all packing materials can be reused like boxes. And not all materials are as good as others. Don’t pinch pennies when it comes to packing materials, especially for precious items, but for some items, it is OK to use your towels and sheets. Get plastic covers for your mattresses. Space Saver Bags and Stretch Wrap can be handy for wrapping and packing.
Read More: Military PCS Guide
6. Pack strategically. Use one color of marker for “unpack right away” boxes and another color for “when we get to it” boxes. As tempting as it is to have fewer boxes, don’t pack them too heavy. Pack plates standing up, not lying flat. You can also use patterned duct tape on the outside of boxes, with a different pattern for each room.
7. Get the kids involved. Kids love feeling helpful and being a part of the moving process. If young kids are involved, get them excited for the move, and let them label their boxes or put a sticker of their choice on the box which identifies it as theirs.
8. Accept help. If you have friends or family willing to put in the time and sweat to help you pack, then consider yourself incredibly lucky and accept without hesitation.
9. Look into PODS. PODS (Portable On-Demand Storage) can help with both your moving and storage needs. It also offers a military discount. Click here to learn more.
10. Don’t do it. Know your limits. Sometimes it’s better to pay for professional moving help and save your sanity.
Keep Up-to-Date for Your Next PCS
Get the inside information from those who know. Get PCS help and all the news and benefits information you need delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe to Military.com now
