Army families-- living on post is it worth it?

Unless you are planning on staying in the Fort Hood area after discharge or retirement and want the hassle of buying a house in the area living on post is great. At Fort Drum I lived both on and off post. Never paid a dime in electric, heat, AC..heck you can even go to self help and get light bulbs that have burned out....

And not to mention, especially compared to Killeen...it is much safer.

Living off post, you'll receive BAH to subsidize your living costs. You'll have utility accounts for water, power and gas (unless you're renting a place where utilities are included or prorated) and those accounts will have nothing to do with the military. You pay the rate for which you consume. Depending on how much your rent is and how much of those utilities you use, your BAH may cover it all plus some or may fall short.

With a rank E-4 or higher and a family of three, you've got a good chance of having some of your BAH left over at the end of the month. The more your family grows though, the more your BAH will need to stretch.

Just some tips, if you're looking to rent stay away from Hunter Rentals and look around Clear Creek Rd.

As a new military family I highly suggest you move on post. Most everything is taken care of for you so you will better be able to live off of your "paltry" pay until the military member can get promoted and make more money.

I lived on post when I first got married and loved it. We were able to ration my E4 (SPC) pay wisely and lived pretty well. Not to mention that most posts, including Ft Hood, have built fairly new housing so they are much better now. And you will be better located to take advantage of all of the resources the military provides you (Commissary, PX, pools, etc.)

Given I am not stationed at Fort Hood..But here I love it, I wouldnt move off of post!! The whole electric thing..We have left lights on all night or tv's on all night and we have never went over, They are pretty good with giving you enough wiggle room!