Moving on a Budget

Moving is stressful and costly. And those on a budget may find moving costs financially overwhelming, too. One of the easiest ways to cut moving costs is to do as much as possible by yourself. From packing to storage, you can set aside time to handle each task without the help of a moving company. A few other effective ways to manage moving costs include:

Estimating Actual Costs

Moving companies can give you an estimate of your moving costs, but the range can vary significantly on the day of the actual move. The best way to save is to get estimates on moving costs from at least 3-5 moving companies. Determining how much your move costs will help decide which moving company to work with, when to coordinate the move, and even how much of the move you can or have to do yourself.

How to cut Moving Costs with Professional Movers

One of the biggest moving costs when it comes to professional movers is packing and organizing. While a moving company will treat your goods like gold, you can cut moving costs by hiring them to only load the truck, move everything, and then unload. Or limit moving costs by asking for help from friends, family members, and coworkers to help with the packing.

Another way to cut moving costs is to be flexible with your move dates. Moving companies may give you a better rate for a weekday move, or extend a special offer for a move on a specific day of the month or year. Find out what your options are, and consider a few different dates if your schedule can manage it.

Cut Moving Costs on Supplies

One of the hidden moving costs is packing supplies. Don’t settle for overpriced supplies from your moving company or post office; round up packing supplies such as boxes, tape, newspaper, and other packing materials from a local supply store or big box superstore. People give away moving boxes on Craigslist and community newspapers; your supermarkets or big-box stores throw out acceptable boxes routinely. While we don’t suggest “dumpster-diving” shop around for the supplies and you’ll cut moving costs with ease.

Secure New Sources of Income

An easy way to reduce moving costs and time involved is to simply take less along! Organize a yard sale to get rid of anything you no longer need. This is also a great way to make some extra money that you can put towards your moving expenses.

Another way to manage moving costs is to take advantage of any employee benefits. Will your company help with moving costs? Do the research.

Planning ahead helps when it comes to reducing moving costs and sticking with your budget. When you manage a portion of the project yourself, you can also cut down on all the major moving costs with ease.

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