The Fruits of April Showers: Prep for PCS Season with Smart Strategies

May is here, and with it comes the fruit of all the preparation and planning we military spouses put in during the earlier months of the year.

Back in April I wrote an blog post about using discipline to make military life a little easier.

If April is a time of “showers” ie. discipline, prepping, and organizing, then May is the season where those efforts bloom into a smooth(er) PCS transition.

I’ve PCS’d enough times to know that while we can’t control every aspect of a move, we can control how we prepare for it.

Through trial and error, I’ve found some simple but effective hacks that make the process smoother, minimize stress, and most importantly help preserve my sanity.

So, if you’re staring down another PCS season and wondering how to make it less of a chaotic mess, here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks that help turn the storm of moving into something far more manageable.

1. Glad Press’n Seal: The Sanity Saver

If you have kids, you already know that moving with them is not for the faint of heart. One of my favorite tricks to avoid unnecessary meltdowns (theirs and mine) is using Glad Press’n Seal to protect puzzles, board games, and other delicate items from turning into a disaster.

How to do it:

• Lay a sheet of Press’n Seal out that is twice the size of the puzzle
• Place the completed tray puzzle on the sheet. 
• Wrap the Press’n Seal completely around the puzzle firmly so all the pieces stay put.

This trick also works wonders for keeping game boards with small pieces intact and even securing simple Lego creations, or art supplies in containers before the move!

2. Pre-Bagging Items for Easy Unpacking

I used to waste hours sorting silverware, junk drawer items, and bathroom essentials after every move until I realized that the easiest way to keep things together is to (duh!) bag them in advance.

How to do it:

• Have different sized bags for different needs (for example, I use quart size bags for my baby cutlery and silicone cupcake liners but I use gallon bags for adult cutlery)
• Bag similar items together (e.g., all ladles and spatulas in a jumbo bag, all pot holders in another jumbo bag).
• I like to label each bag with a permanent marker in case it gets separated from the drawer it belongs to.

When you get to your new home, all you have to do is unzip the bags and slide the items back into their drawers. No more digging through random boxes for missing utensils!

3. Vacuum-Sealing Inside Bins

If you’re anything like me, clothing storage during a PCS can be a nightmare. We all know that mold is one of the military move’s worst nightmares. The last thing I want is my family’s clothes or linens getting dirty, damp, or molded in transit.

Enter: vacuum-seal bags inside plastic bins.

Why this works:

• Vacuum-sealed bags reduce the bulk of clothes and linens, making it easier to fit more into each bin.
• I separate each bag by size and by season (5T Summer, 7 Winter) and label it to make it easier to sort it back out if the movers decide to dump all my bins (which has only happened once so far…)
• I also vacuum seal all of my sheets, curtains, and linens. 
• They protect clothing from moisture, dust, and unexpected spills.

There are people that will say that this is too much and that is okay. I can say that in our last PCS when we had 51 lost items, that separation made it easier to check my home inventory when we were unpacking. I was able to check my spreadsheet and see that “8 Summer” and “3T winter“ didn’t make it off the truck, then I could use my spreadsheet to provide the accurate prices when we submitted our claim because I knew exactly what was in each bin and bag.

4. QR Code Stickers to Save Your Memory

One of my absolute favorite PCS hacks is using QR code stickers on storage bins to keep track of what’s inside in case the movers lose them. There is nothing worse than being asked to list out the items in the bin they can’t find, and you can’t remember it all.

How to do it:

• Create a household inventory spreadsheet in Google Sheets or Excel. (PCS Like a Pro has a great one that you can download for free!)
• I purchase QR code stickers on amazon designed for storage but you can also create your own using a free QR code generator and then print the stickers yourself.
• Stick the QR codes onto the outside of the bins.
• Link each bin with the details of its contents on your spreadsheet with the QR code.

When your goods arrive at your new home, you can simply scan the QR code to know exactly what’s inside each bin—no guessing, no digging, no frustration.

This makes it very easy to submit your claim without having to try and remember exactly how many sets of Christms lights were in the bin that now can’t be found by your moving company. 

PCS Success Comes from Preparation

At the end of the day, PCSing is never truly stress-free, but preparation and strategy can make all the difference.

By taking small, proactive steps, like keeping things grouped together, securing clothing, and using a smart inventory system, you can spend less time dealing with lost belongings and more time focusing on the excitement of a new adventure.

So, as we step into another PCS season, remember: the fruits of your preparations will make your PCS much smoother. A little planning now means a lot less stress later!

*Written by Morgan Farr

Morgan is a Texas-loving, succulent-cultivating book nerd and aspiring author. As an Army spouse, she has learned to lean heavily on Christ while walking this military life.

Morgan and her husband have four young children and two fantastic working dogs. As a jack-of-all-trades, Morgan is always learning something new.

When she isn’t homeschooling her children, writing for Christian publications, or training her Dutch Shepherd, Morgan can be found listening to Texas country music while lifting weights, reading, or cheering on the Texas Aggies.

Morgan is best known for her structure, discipline, and organization. She uses these skills as the Director of Publishing for Planting Roots and in various positions within Protestant Women of the Chapel.

*You can connect with Morgan on all major social media channels using her handle @morgandfarr.