{"id":60117,"date":"2018-03-26T15:35:12","date_gmt":"2018-03-26T15:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/03\/26\/did-a-pcs-move-bust-your-budget-heres-how-military-relief-agencies-can-help\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:25:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:25:02","slug":"did-a-pcs-move-bust-your-budget-heres-how-military-relief-agencies-can-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/home-hq\/2018\/03\/26\/did-a-pcs-move-bust-your-budget-heres-how-military-relief-agencies-can-help\/","title":{"rendered":"Did a PCS move bust your budget? Here\u2019s how military relief agencies can help"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s well known that making a permanent change-of-station move<\/a> can cost military families, even though the government reimburses many expenses. Families who find the ends don\u2019t quite meet can rely on military relief societies to fill the gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re always there as a safety net,\u201d said retired Army Col. Eldon Mullis, deputy director and chief operating officer of Army Emergency Relief<\/a>. The military relief societies (which also include Air Force Aid Society<\/a> and Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society<\/a>) can provide interest-free loans \u2014 and in some cases, grants \u2014 for financial emergencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving costs don\u2019t stop when the boxes are unpacked. Spouses often find it takes longer to get a comparable job \u2014 or any job \u2014 in the new location. Troops may get sticker shock moving from a low-cost area to a high-cost area. Expenses add up as families replace items discarded or used up during a move, such as cleaning supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frequent moves are among the top financial obstacles for 31 percent of military spouses and 27 percent of troops who responded to Blue Star Families\u2019 2017 Military Family Lifestyle Survey<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t