Discover practical tips, real stories, and tools to help you and your family navigate every twist and turn. Whether you’re new to the journey or a seasoned pro, find resources, videos, and calculators to make life abroad easier.
Unofficial, personal project. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or speaking for the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Government. Always check official sources.
Estimate gross and net pay for various posts using 2026 scales.
See the 2026 pay table for every class and step, in DC, overseas or any locality.
Estimate K-12 costs for multiple children, compare posts, and demystify DSSR rules.
Estimate Travel Per Diem and Travel Comp Time in an easy-to-use tool
Find overseas schools that say they can support your child's special needs.
Weigh your bid list with your family. Invite-only beta: access code required.
Add the posts you are considering, say who is coming and what matters most to each of you, then compare the facts for each post side by side.
Enter beta access codeNow in beta: you need the access code you were given to open it.
Real stories, handy tips, and honest advice from folks who've been there and done that.
A plain-language guide to the 2026 Foreign Service pay table: where you sit, when the next step comes, what a promotion pays and what the pay table leaves out.
In 2027, Foreign Service Benefit Plan Self Plus One costs $46.70 more per pay period than Self and Family for the same two people. Check your code, and see how FSBP compares with GEHA and other plans, before Open Season closes on December 14, 2026.
Our tools now look and feel the same, clearer sourcing and explanations, privacy policy updates, and new data. Here is the short tour.