Stress-free Military Move: DIY Moving PCS Binder

Military moves are never easy but are an inevitable part of this lifestyle.  (See: DITY Move in 1 Week)  My friend Joy gave me advice before she moved to Texas about creating a moving binder to keep things organized and easily accessible during a move.  I thought it was a great idea and wanted to adapt the idea to work for us.  I took some time to get together a moving binder so that when the time comes, whether it's weeks or months from now, I will be prepared.  While a bit time consuming at first, the majority of the work is done for all of our future moves.  All I will have to do is update new/changes in the binder.  I love to-do lists so these lists are perfect for keeping me sane during moves!


To make my moving binder, I used a 1/2 inch binder and put everything below inside plastic sleeves.  (That way I can use wet erase markers to cross items off the list and then just wipe it down after the move)  My moving binder contains:
     - To-do Lists for "Before Order Arrive", "Orders Arrive", "1 Week Before Move", "1 Day Before Move", "Day of Move" and "Arrival".
     - Copies of all important documents:
                -Birth Certificates
                -Social Security Cards
                -Passports
                -Military Ids and Drivers License
                -Insurance
                -Marriage Certificate
                -Power of Attorney
                -Car Titles
                -Car Insurance
                -Orders
                -Military Moving Forms
     -Serial numbers for all big items (electronics, furniture, etc.)
     -Photos of all big items (electronics, furniture, etc.)
     -List of abbreviations the movers use
     -Addresses and phone numbers for hotels/stops along the way
     -Moving box color code sheet
     -An empty sleeve for weight tickets, receipts, etc

Working on the moving binder helped me realize that while I may not know where or when we will be moving, there are plenty of things I can work on ahead of time to get prepared.  The lists are pretty customized to our life/belongings (ie. no pets, our amount of stuff, etc) but might be a great jumping off point for you to get started.  If you are interested in getting copies to make your own binder, email me at wearereddy@gmail.com or leave your email in a comment below and I would be more than happy to send you my lists!