How To Save Money While Moving

Moving is literally my idea of hell because of all the stress involved. But in addition to the actual stress of moving, there is the stress of the cost as well. Here are some ways that you can save money while moving, so the financial aspect at least won't be as painful.

Moving to a new home can be an intimidating experience, especially if you’re doing this for the first time. The idea of leaving a place where you’ve created some of the best memories and starting a life somewhere else isn’t one that many people take lightly. But that’s not the only daunting factor; there is also the financial aspect.

There is a lot of budgeting that goes into the moving process. For one, you might be forced to pay for professional moving and packing services if you don’t have an ideal means of transport at your disposal. Without a good plan in place, you could end up spending hundreds of dollars that could have been otherwise saved. So how can you cut the cost of moving? Read on to learn more.

Get rid of the items you no longer use

Everyone has a set of items they rarely or no longer use. Of course, decluttering can be quite hard, especially if you’re attached to some of your old belongings. However, if you are looking to move to a new home, you might have to give up some of these things to save time and money.

So what are some of the items you should consider? There is no rule when it comes to this process because people have different things in their possession. Nevertheless, here are some items that should be on your declutter list if you have them:

• Excess or old throw blankets
• Magazine
• Books that you no longer need
• Decorative pillows
• Old or broken electronics
• Artwork that no longer suit your style

This list should give you an idea of what to throw away. But you don’t necessarily need to dispose them; you can donate some of your clothes to charity. Electronics, no matter how old or useless they may seem, can fetch you a few dollars, which could come in handy during your relocation. You can use the money to pay the transport company or to buy packaging materials.

Start early

If you’ve moved before, you’ll realize that most of the unnecessary expenses come up during the final days. This is mostly due to unpreparedness which forces one to purchase items in a hurry. As such, you might end up spending more money than expected.

Therefore, you need to start preparing months before the big day. This way, you’ll be able to gather everything you need at an affordable price. In fact, you can take your time finding any outlet that has exciting offers that can help you save some extra coins.

Another advantage of kicking off your plans early is that you’ll have enough time to research on all available service providers. You probably have more than one moving companies in your mind, but which one offers the best services at an affordable price? Starting late won’t give you an opportunity to assess all the candidates and come up with the right answer to that question. Therefore, you might end up choosing a mover who’ll demand more money than what you initially had in your budget. 

Do the packing

While hiring professional movers is a good idea, there are some things that you can do by yourself to save on time and money. For one, you can do all the packing as you wait for the move. Sorting fragile items and packing them in secure boxes is part of what most moving companies offer to their clients.

But if you are on a tight budget, you can take care of those tasks, then talk to your preferred moving company to do the rest at a lower price. This could help you save a lot of money which may, in turn, be used to pay for other important services.

However, keep in mind that saving money during this process comes with its fair share of risks. When you pack all the items by yourself, you lose insurance protection since the movers may not be liable to any breakage that happens due to poor packing. Be sure to consider the fragility of your items to avoid any frustrations.

Make use of what you have

You probably have a lot of packing materials somewhere in your house. All those boxes and bags you used when carrying groceries or new electronics from the store can come in handy. Do you have any fragile items? Protect them using your blankets and other leftover shock-absorbing stuff you might have. Towels, linens, and sheets can also be used to pack some of the things.

There is no need to spend money, regardless of the amount, buying new packing materials when you already have some at your disposal. Remember, every cent matters during the moving process because it comes with a lot of expenses.

Get help from friends and family

As earlier mentioned, there are some things that might not need the services of professional movers. This actually applies to the whole process. The main reason why people hire movers is to guarantee safe transportation and to save on time. However, if you are working with a tight budget, you can do everything by yourself, provided you have the necessary resources.

Family and friends will help you with the packing and loading the items in the truck. It goes without saying that you’ll need a spacious-enough truck to fit all your items. Of course, if it’s not a long distance, you might use a smaller truck and make a few trips. However, if that’s not a viable option, you can hire a trucking company for transport services only. 

Conclusion

Whether you are moving out of state or just to the other end of your hometown, you will always need a few tricks to save money before, during, and after the moving process. First, you could sell or donate some of the items you no longer use. This will reduce your luggage and the number of packing materials you’ll need. Getting help from friends and family is another thing you’ll want to consider if you’re on a tight budget. There is always before making any final decisions.

What are your tips for saving money while moving, or just in general to make it less hellish?