PCS season, oh PCS season. How we love to hate you, and you love to torment us. But as much as we've learned from the military spouses who have come before us about how important planning and preparing is, we are over it.
We're simply not going to stop our lives to move anymore. We're not going to spend hours and hours doing everything ourselves. Because, well, we don't have to.
One way to save time in life is to outsource those things you can. Think about it. Some of you outsource your kids' education to a school. Some of you outsource your grocery shopping, kitchen cleaning and landscaping.
But how many of you have outsourced your PCS? Hear me out. This makes sense.
You already know you can't do it all even in a perfect world, and this one isn't perfect. So, here are three ways to outsource your PCS.
1. House Listings
Whether you are selling your current house, renting it out as you move to the next place or looking for a place to live, check out the listing options on Millie. Right now, military families can list (for free) one house for sale or rent. There are additional options for military landlords and real estate agents, as well.
Why share your listing here? Because it looks amazing. They give you a great professional way to share your listing on social media platforms. The listing will also have information on the neighborhood, which is really what you need to know when house hunting. Which means, if you're looking for a house at the next duty station, this is a great place to look.
2. Research the Heck Out of It
I'm sure you know this, but you are not the first milspouse to move to your next duty station. And why research the same questions that others have asked (and answered) several times before. Let someone else do this for you! Promise, it's worth it.
For reliable information you know you can trust, check out the Military.com Base Guides. These guides aggregate resources for local bases. And, in partnership with Millie, you can also find links to even more information, including neighborhood details and even the best local attractions.
3. Hire Someone to Look for You
Here's the best part. Do you need someone to walk through your house before you sign a lease or to let the cleaning company in? What about someone to help you with packing out -- because you can't send your kids to Grandma's house right now. Or someone to help check off the inventory because your spouse is gone?
If you had a friend already living at the base, this would be the perfect job for them. But you likely don’t. And that’s what a Millie Scout is for.
Since they are current or recently retired milspouses, they know what you're going through and what you're looking for. Nothing fazes them, and they will get it done. In fact, they are so important to the community that other people are taking notice. Lowe's recently partnered with Millie to fund 300 jobs for scouts. To learn more about what scouts can do to help you outsource your PCS, visit their website.
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--Rebecca Alwine can be reached at rebecca.alwine@monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebecca_alwine.
