Service members navigate BAH that varies by zip code, deployment income shifts, multi-state taxes, and a move every two to three years.
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Active-duty pay has many components: base pay, BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing), BAS (Basic Allowance for Subsistence), and during deployments, Hardship Duty Pay, Family Separation Allowance, and Combat Zone Tax Exclusion. The 2024 DFAS data shows BAH alone varies from $1,500 to $4,800/month depending on zip code and rank. Cash Compass tags each pay component so you see what's stable versus what's deployment-temporary.
Most service members PCS (Permanent Change of Station) every 2-4 years. The 2024 DoD data put average reimbursable PCS costs at $9,500 per move, with about $1,800-$3,500 in out-of-pocket expenses families typically don't get back. Cash Compass tracks PCS sinking funds, the actual move expenses, and the post-move budget reset for the new location's cost of living.
No bank-sync to break when accounts change between bases. iCloud sync keeps the budget intact across PCS moves, deployments, and the spouse's transitions in and out of the workforce. Works offline — useful in transit, on flights, or in OCONUS locations with poor connectivity. Free tier handles basics; premium adds unlimited voice and OCR for the receipt-heavy PCS months.
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Weekly chart shows where money went. Adjust caps before the month is over, not after.
Build two budgets — garrison and deployed — and use whichever applies. Deployment usually adds Family Separation Allowance ($250/month), Hardship Duty Pay ($50-$150/month depending on location), Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger Pay ($225/month if applicable), and Combat Zone Tax Exclusion which makes much of the deployment income federally tax-free. The 2024 DFAS data showed average deployment-period pay increase of $400-$1,800/month depending on rank and location. Most financial advisors recommend treating that bump as savings-only — fund the Roth TSP up to the elective limit ($23,500 in 2025, higher in combat zones), pay down high-interest debt, build a 6-12 month emergency fund. Don't expand lifestyle spending against deployment income because it disappears at homecoming.
It moves with you because there's no bank-sync, no zip-code-locked features. iCloud sync keeps your data on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac regardless of where you PCS. The harder part is the budget reset — BAH varies massively by location, so a $2,800/month BAH at one base might drop to $1,900 or jump to $4,200 at the next. The 2024 DoD BAH calculator shows the spread is widest for O-3 and E-7 ranks across continental U.S. duty stations. When you get PCS orders, update your fixed categories (rent or mortgage, utilities, insurance) for the new location and review variable categories (groceries, gas, kids' activities) once you've been there 60 days. Cash Compass keeps the historical data so you can compare cost-of-living between duty stations.
Mid-year PCS moves usually require filing in both states. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) lets the active-duty member keep their tax-home state of legal residence (SLR) regardless of duty station — most service members elect a no-state-income-tax SLR like Texas, Florida, or Washington if they're stationed there at the right time. The Military Spouses Residency Relief Act (MSRRA) extends similar protection to spouses. Cash Compass doesn't do tax filing, but the CSV export sorts income and expenses by date so a tax preparer (or MilTax, the free DoD-provided service) can allocate by state if needed. The 2024 IRS data showed about 38% of military families with mid-year moves filed in 2 or more states.
Yes, and Apple Family Sharing makes this clean. Subscribe to Cash Compass premium on one device; up to five family members are covered. Many military spouses run side businesses (Etsy, photography, virtual assistant work, freelance writing) that work around frequent moves. Tag spouse income separately from the service member's pay so the household budget shows both streams. The 2024 Hiring Our Heroes spouse-employment report showed about 22% of military spouses earned self-employment income, with median $14,200/year. Use the CSV export at year-end to separate the Schedule C income/expenses for the spouse's tax filing. Cash Compass treats it the same as any small-business expense tracking.
Built native for iPhone, iPad, and Mac with iCloud sync. Works offline.
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Manual entry, charts, category tracking — all free, forever. Premium is optional.
Free to start. Premium $29.99/year covers the whole family under Apple Family Sharing — across every duty station.
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