When you are in the military, the government pays to move you. And you move a lot. Most military families move every 2 to 3 years. The government will hire and pay a professional moving company to pack and move you. The government will also reimburse you for 90% or more of what it would have cost them to move you, if you do the move yourself (called a "DITY move"). Many military families choose to do a DITY move because they can actually make money on their moves. A DITY move involves a lot of planning and legwork in order to do it right. And tools like a DITY move calculator are an invaluable part of that careful planning. A weight estimation tool and DITY move calculator will help you determine if a DITY move is right for you and your family.
Before you hop online and search for a DITY move calculator to figure out how much money you could potentially make by doing a military move yourself, you need to have a good estimate of how much your household goods weigh. You can find weight estimation tools online or ask for assistance from your transportation office on base. A weight estimator will help you determine an estimated weight of everything you plan to move, based on factors like the number of people you have in your family and how many rooms are in your current home. Keep in mind that you must stay within your maximum allowable weight limit (based on rank and number of dependents). The government will not pay to move any household goods beyond that limit, whether you have the government handle your move or you do it yourself. Once you have a good weight estimate and know the location of your new assignment, you are ready to use a DITY move calculator to estimate how much you could be entitled to receive by doing the move yourself.
The estimate from the DITY move calculator can be alluring. But make sure you and your family are up for the work involved with a DITY move. The DITY move calculator cannot help you budget or find the best deals with moving companies, self service movers or rental equipment companies so that you maximize your potential earnings for all that hard work. That part is up to you. And no matter how attractive that estimate from your DITY move calculator is, make sure you are authorized to do a DITY move.