Ways to Save Money When You Move

It doesn’t matter if you will just be moving across town or if you are making a huge move across the country. You can always make the move cost less than you might think. The critical part to making a move less stressful, less expensive, and less hectic comes down to organization and a positive attitude. There are quite a few ways to trim those moving costs.  Some of them might be pretty common sense, while others can be a bit less obvious. Here is a look at some that might help you.

Hiring a Moving Company

This is one thing that can make your whole move go more smoothly. And, especially for long distance moves, hiring one of the good cross country moving companies can actually be more cost effective than trying to move everything yourself. Yes, it will cost a bit of money, but think about what you would spend to hire a truck, the gas for the truck, the insurance for the truck, and then think about having to load and unload it once you finally arrive, dog tired, at your destination. Which one is the common sense choice here? Also, this should be one of the first decisions that you make once you know you will be moving. This means before packing, or anything else.

If you will be hiring professional movers, it will be cheaper to move during the off season. This is typically between the months of September and May. Most people who have children tend to move when school is out during the summer. This means that the demand for professional movers will be higher during those months and so will the costs. Also, moving on the weekend might cost more than making the move during the week. 

Downsizing

Moving companies tend to base what they charge on a variety of factors that can include the weight of the cargo and the number of vehicles that will be used. This means, if you want to save money on your move and you will be using a moving company, you might want to downsize a bit before the move. This is a great time to get rid of the things that you no longer use or want. Lightening the load can make it cheaper to move with a professional and easier if you will be moving your stuff yourself. Also, if you have a garage sale, or list your items on sites like Craigslist, EBay, or on apps like 5 Miles or LetGo, you can earn a bit of money in the process. 

Another thing you can do is to take these items to various charities that can get some use out of them. Many of the charitable organizations will even come to your home to pick up the larger items for free. You will also get a tax deduction for everything that you donate, so this can still end up putting money in your pocket. Remember that there is no sense in moving something that you are positive that you will never use. Recycle it, sell it, or donate it. 

Discounts

You look for discounts on the purchases that you make all the time, why wouldn’t you look for discounts that will help you save money on moving expenses? Look for the various discount retailers. Moving stores carry things like Styrofoam peanuts, bubble wrap, and packing tape, as well as boxes. Alternatively, you can go to various retailers and ask them for the boxes that they will be throwing out. Liquor stores are great for this. You can also check dollar stores for better prices on packing tape and markers to mark the boxes. You might also want to scour the internet for deals on these things.

Get Your Packing Done

You will be able to save money when you pack your items yourself as opposed to having the professional movers do it. You just need to ensure that you pack them in such a way that they will not be damaged during the move. Wrap breakable items in bubble wrap, newspapers, or towels. Mark each box with either a room or a short list of what is inside of it. This will also make things easier when you reach your destination.