What if someone handed you a cheat sheet for Foreign Service life?

Not another 100-page manual.

Not a list of official resources you already know about.

Just 40 practical shortcuts that can save you time, money, frustration—and maybe a little sanity.

Because after enough PCS moves, international flights, school transitions, home leaves, shipments, pets, reimbursements, and everyday life overseas, you start to realize:

There are A LOT of things experienced FS families know that you don’t necessarily learn during orientation.

And sometimes, one tiny shortcut can make a surprisingly big difference.

✈️ Like knowing how to make jet lag easier.

Long-haul travel with kids can be rough.

One shortcut we included in the guide is a tool that creates a personalized jet-lag plan based on your flight and destination—including when to sleep, seek light, avoid light, nap, and use caffeine.

Instead of figuring it out as you go, you have a plan.

That’s Shortcut #5.

And there are 39 more.

💰 Like knowing there may be money-saving benefits you’re overlooking.

Foreign Service life comes with allowances, reimbursements, and benefits that can be surprisingly complicated.

The problem isn’t always that the benefit doesn’t exist.

Sometimes it’s simply that you don’t know to ask for it.

We’ve included shortcuts covering money, reimbursements, allowances, and other ways FS families can make their resources stretch further.

🏠 Like making your next move a little less chaotic.

Moving into a new post is exciting…

…but so is discovering that your household shipment hasn’t arrived, your kids are asking when their stuff is coming, and you’re trying to figure out where to buy basic necessities.

The guide includes practical shortcuts for PCS moves, temporary housing, welcome kits, unpacking, and settling into a new post.

Because sometimes the best advice is simply:

“Here’s what I wish someone had told me before our first move.”

🧒 And then there’s the stuff nobody talks about enough.

Kids.

School transitions.

Keeping track of important documents.

Pets.

Mail.

Food.

Home leave.

Community.

The little logistics that somehow become your entire life when you’re living overseas.

We’ve pulled together shortcuts across all of those areas—and they’re not just ideas pulled from a textbook.

They’re real-life tips shared by FS families and lessons learned through more than a decade of Foreign Service moves.

You don’t have to learn everything the hard way.

Whether you’re heading to your first post, preparing for another PCS, navigating life overseas with kids, or you’ve been doing this for years, there’s a good chance you’ll find at least a few shortcuts that make you say:

“Why didn’t anyone tell me this sooner?”

That’s exactly why we created The FS Family Cheat Sheet: 40 Foreign Service Shortcuts That Save Time, Money, and Sanity.

And it’s FREE.

👉 Get your free copy of the 40 Shortcuts for FS Families

Your next PCS doesn’t have to be perfect.

But it might be a whole lot easier when you know the shortcuts.