myFSpal https://www.myfspal.com/blog Practical tips, real stories and free tools for Foreign Service families. An unofficial, personal project, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of State. en-us Thu, 12 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.myfspal.com/assets/686865f45db8016bfc7ab23d_FS.png myFSpal https://www.myfspal.com/blog Meet myBidPal: one sheet for your bid list https://www.myfspal.com/blog/introducing-mybidpal?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed https://www.myfspal.com/blog/introducing-mybidpal Thu, 12 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT A wordless multicolored waypost points in multiple different directions.

A bid list usually lives in a spreadsheet, a pile of tabs, a Trailing Houses post, and a few long text threads. myBidPal puts the facts and everyone's opinions in one place.

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]]> EFM employment, explained: every way a Foreign Service family member can work at post https://www.myfspal.com/blog/efm-employment-guide?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed https://www.myfspal.com/blog/efm-employment-guide Mon, 02 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Overhead view of a woman at a white desk working on a laptop beside an open book, a phone and a cup of coffee

Fewer than one in five adult family members overseas works in the embassy. Here are all seven ways to work at post, who qualifies for each, the approval everyone forgets, and a lookup that tells you whether your country has a work agreement.

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]]> Foreign Service pay explained: reading the pay scale, what a promotion pays and what the calculator adds https://www.myfspal.com/blog/foreign-service-pay-explained?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed https://www.myfspal.com/blog/foreign-service-pay-explained Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Fanned euro banknotes in green and orange above wooden letter tiles spelling the word SALARY on a dark surface

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.

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]]> FSBP vs other FEHB plans for 2027, and the Self Plus One check https://www.myfspal.com/blog/fehb-open-season-2026-fsbp-self-plus-one?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed https://www.myfspal.com/blog/fehb-open-season-2026-fsbp-self-plus-one Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Two people passing tax and benefits paperwork across a wooden desk with a calculator and a magnifying glass

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.

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]]> Latest Updates for myFSpal https://www.myfspal.com/blog/latest-updates-for-myfspal?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed https://www.myfspal.com/blog/latest-updates-for-myfspal Mon, 12 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT wooden blocks with letters spelling out Latest News

Our tools now look and feel the same, clearer sourcing and explanations, privacy policy updates, and new data. Here is the short tour.

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]]> UPDATED: The Foreign Service cell plan debate https://www.myfspal.com/blog/fs-cell-plan-compare?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed https://www.myfspal.com/blog/fs-cell-plan-compare Wed, 09 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT Two hands holding up a U.S. passport and a phone screen that says eSIM in a park

Keeping your U.S. number and staying connected at post, updated for October 2026: Google Fi's government verification, each carrier's limits on living abroad, eSIMs and a checklist.

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