navy advance travel pay calculator

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The Advance Pay Option: Should You Take the Money and Run?

When making a permanent change of station or PCS, the military allows service members to request an advance of up to three months of basic pay to cover unreimbursed expenses. The question is, should you utilize this option?

"Because advance pay is essentially an interest-free loan, some people see it as a 'Why not?' opportunity," says Scott Halliwell, a Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner with USAA. "But there can be significant downsides. Asking for advance pay should really be a last resort move."

What's the harm?

First off, the advance pay option isn't "free money." It's a loan that must be paid back. Except in extreme cases, you're required to repay the advance in monthly installments over the course of a year, starting the first month after you receive the money.

"If you take the advance, you're committing yourself to a smaller paycheck for the next year," says Halliwell. "That can cause problems when other big expenses pop up after the move."

Already living on a reduced income, military families could find themselves stuck in a dangerous cycle of debt, spending on credit cards or even taking out a new loan while they pay off the original advance.

Does it ever make sense?

While the military provides allowances to help pay for PCS expenses, sometimes the circumstances under which you move can create extraordinary costs. Transportation of people and vehicles, temporary storage of household items and/or delays in securing a new home can cost big bucks — often more than the government reimburses — especially when you have a spouse and children in tow.

"If you're facing unavoidable expenses and you don't have savings to pay for them, the advance pay option could be the best choice," says Halliwell. "Since the debt is interest-free and you're forced to pay it back quickly, it's probably a better option than using a credit card, where the debt could linger for years."

All requests for advance pay must be reviewed and approved by your commander or a higher authority, depending on how much money you apply for. The approval process helps to ensure service members are taking the loan for the right reasons and could require you to provide proof of need. Since there's no guarantee you'll be approved, it's better not to need the money in the first place.

Better Alternatives

When you join the military, it's all but certain that you'll have to PCS within a few years. "So start saving for it now," says Halliwell.

"Contributing a small amount of money every month to a savings account can add up over time and give you a financial cushion when you need it," he says.

If you're still in a pinch when it's time to PCS, there are other ways to drum up some extra cash. Hold a garage sale, for example, or sell some of your unneeded items online or through newspaper classifieds. Not only will it help pay for moving expenses, it will lighten your load and reduce the cost and effort of transporting your belongings.

As you get established in your new home, Halliwell also suggests using the move as an opportunity to re-evaluate your budget and make changes.

"In a way, PCS allows you to hit the reset button and start over, making better financial decisions," he says. Choosing to live in a less expensive house or apartment, switching to a more economical car or opting out of the 900-channel satellite package can free up cash quickly.

So the next time PCS orders come your way, borrowing money may never cross your mind.

USAA's licensed, salaried financial advisors know the military and know how to help during big moves like PCS. To get free, professional guidance, call a USAA Financial Advisor at 1-800-771-9960.

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The Military Wallet

2024 Military Pay Calculator

Military pay includes diverse types of compensation, including base salary and allowances. The DoD tailors military pay and allowances to the service member’s rank, years of service, number of dependents and location. Our military pay calculator offers a clear estimate of total earnings, factoring in all these components for a comprehensive overview.

Calculate Your Military Compensation

• Housing Allowance (BAH)
• Subsistence Allowance (BAS)
• Taxable Portion
• Non-taxable Portion

Our military pay calculator makes understanding military pay easy, helping you or your loved ones determine earnings. This calculator looks at your rank, time in service, location, and more to give you a detailed overview of your pay, including your salary, extra money for housing and food, special bonuses, and how taxes fit into the equation.

Key Military Pay Calculator Features:

• Rank and Service-Based Calculations:  Tailor your results according to rank and years of service, reflecting increases in pay over time.
• Allowances:  From housing to subsistence allowances, our calculator factors in the extras that can significantly impact take-home pay.
• Location-Specific Adjustments:  Input your duty station to calculate location-based allowances accurately, including Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) and Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA).
• Tax Considerations:  Get an insight into which parts of your military pay are taxable and which benefits are tax-exempt, helping you plan your finances better.
• User-Friendly Interface:  Our easy-to-navigate design ensures you can quickly input your details and understand your compensation package without needing a deep understanding of military pay systems.

Whether planning for the future, budgeting for today, or just curious about military compensation, our military pay calculator is your go-to resource for clear, accurate, and comprehensive pay estimates. 

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Dity Move/PPM Calculator

Allowances and Expenses Calculator for PCS Moves

DITY Move and PPM (Personally Procured Move) Calculator – Calculate Allowances and Expenses for your PCS – UPDATED FOR 2022

Frequently Asked Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

If you don’t find the answer to your question below, here are two great resources to use. Everything should be able to be found in the Joint Travel Regulations, it’s just a matter of finding the right section and making sense of the language. If you can’t find your answer here, it’s a always a good idea to ask your finance or travel management office. If you still can’t find an answer, send me an email at [email protected] and I’ll see if I can help!

–   JTR (Joint Travel Regulation) – The official source for all military travel regulations.

–   Defense Travel Site PCS FAQ

What is a DITY move?

A DITY (Do IT Yourself) move, now called a Personally Procured Move (PPM), is a type of PCS move in which you are reimbursed for moving part (partial DITY) or all (full DITY) of your own stuff, whether you’re using your own vehicle, a rental truck/vehicle, or borrowing someone else’s vehicle.

Will this calculator work for any PCS move?

This calculator only works for CONUS-CONUS PCS moves (Alaska included). If you are driving to your new base but the government is moving all of your stuff for you, the HHG Weight box, Reimbursement for Movement of HHG box, and some of the expenses boxes will not be applicable. But, you will still receive DLA and Per Diem and can use this calculator to find what you will get. This calculator is not meant for those who are traveling by commercial means (i.e. flying).

What allowances will I receive if I do a DITY move?

Most members will receive MALT (Monetary Allowance in Lieu of Transportation), Per Diem, and DLA (Dislocation Allowance). You will also be compensated for moving your own household goods, paid by the pound. Please see the explanations under each allowance in the “Allowances” section of the calculator for more information.

Does this calculator estimate reimbursement for moving household goods?

Yes. Enter your estimated weight (in pounds) of household goods that you will be moving in the HHG Weight box and see a rough estimate of the compensation you will receive in Reimbursement for Movement of HHG box. See the Calculating DITY Move Weight Rates  blog post for information on how weight rates are calculated.

How accurate is this calculator?

The DLA, Per Diem, and MALT allowances are accurate down to the penny and are always kept up to date. The HHG Reimbursement estimate is a rough estimate and should only be taken as so.

Is it worth doing a DITY move?

In addition to the potential expenses listed in the expenses section, remember to account for your time spent organizing everything, properly packing everything, and moving all the boxes and furniture into the truck. If you still think the potential profit from a full DITY is worth it, then go for it! If not, you can always do a partial DITY and get reimbursed for just the stuff you move in your own car.

Will I get reimbursed for…

• Yes, per diem should cover hotel expenses; and you get to keep it even if you don’t actually stay at hotels.
• Yes, you will still most likely get DLA, per diem, and MALT even if the government moves your stuff and you just drive to your new duty station.
• A rental car is considered a POV so you will get MALT to partially cover it but you will not get directly reimbursed for it.
• Yes, if the trailer “single axle, no more than 12 feet long or 8 feet wide, with side rails or body less than 28 inches high and ramp or gate less than 4 feet high unless detachable. For civilian employees, vehicles other than a POV must be of reasonable size and fit into a moving van. ”
• Yes, up to 2,000 lbs in general. Pro-gear is not counted against your regular weight allowance. Pro-gear must be declared at the origin of shipment and must be documented.
• Generally no. In certain situations you can elect to receive reimbursement for moving a mobile home instead of HHG. See Chapter 5 Part D in the JTR for more info.
• Possible, if you have dependents. See Chapter 5 Part E in the JTR for more info.
• Yes, a motorcycle is considered HHG.
• Yes, per diem is meant to cover meals and hotels and is set at a flat rate.

When and where should I get the weight tickets?

For the Air Force, it should not matter when you get the weight tickets, so long as you get one for each empty vehicle and one for each fully loaded vehicle. You can get the empty one before packing the car or after unloading it, it is up to you which one you prefer. For other branches, there may be different requirements for how many weight tickets you need and when you need to submit them, so please check with your travel office. You can get the weight tickets at any certified vehicle weight scale. The most common are probably the CAT scales, which are located all over the U.S. To locate certified scales and to find more information on weight tickets, check out the weight tickets and weigh stations post .

I’m hiring a moving company to move my stuff, do I still need weight tickets?

First off, ask the moving company if they will be weighing your HHG. They may, and they may also provide you weight tickets at the end of the move. If not, they may go by cubic feet instead of weight. If this is the case, the government MAY use a constructed weight of 7 lbs per cubic foot to estimate the weight of HHG moved. You should always find out how weight estimation will work with a moving company before hiring them, and then check with your travel office to make sure you will get reimbursed for the HHG the company you hired is moving.

Can I get an advance of funds for a DITY/PPM?

The JTR states in paragraph 051307 that an amount of 60% of the PPM monetary allowance for HHG reimbursement is allowed when the service member moves his or herself. Since the rate for HHG reimbursement is always changing, you will need to talk to your travel office to find out exactly how much you can get.