Moving can be a significant pain, mentally, physically, and financially. If you don’t plan, your move could cost far more than you plan for. Here are some tips to save money while moving.
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1. Do Everything Yourself
One of the easy ways to save money is to do all the moving by yourself. By not hiring a moving company, you can save lots of money. Ask your friends or family if they are willing to help you move some boxes. Free pizza and beer can be a great motivator.
2. De-clutter
If you can keep your move to things that you need to bring with you, it is a lot easier to save money. Ask yourself if you need this item or trinket in your new home. If it’s borderline, throw it out. The last thing you need is if you hire long-distance movers to be charged with moving items that aren’t important.
3. Get Free Boxes
Don’t spend money on boxes for your move. There are plenty of places to get some free boxes. Your local supermarket will take all the boxes to the backroom to crush. Ask them for some boxes, and they should be happy to provide them.
Another place to get free boxes is at any office. They will be happy to get rid of the clutter, and you will be happy with your new free boxes.
4. Hire Cheap Movers
Sometimes you can’t get your friends and family to help you move. This is where you need to do your homework – research online for moving companies that charge a flat rate. Once you have found some long-distance moving companies that charge an affordable flat rate, it’s time to check the reviews.
Most good moving companies should have reviews on Yelp or another moving service. Please pay attention to the companies that have poor reviews and avoid them. It’s never worth saving a few bucks to hire a company that does a terrible job. If you see a few companies that have a flat rate and good reviews, give them a call.
5. Prepare For The Quote
It would be best if you had all your stuff packaged in boxes when you ask for the quote. The company should send someone to your house, see the number of boxes you have, and give you a fair moving quote. It’s very easy for a company to provide you with a moving quote online, and then give you a completely different quote when they see all your stuff.
Just live everything else; the more prepared you are before the move, the better off you will be. It’s so much easier to save money when everything is organized, and you have a plan A, B, and C. Preparing for chaos while you move will keep money in your pocket.
6. Move When It’s Cold
The majority of moving takes place in the summer. That means that you should ideally look to move during the winter. Moving companies offer better deals in winter, as they have less business. Plus, the rent in your new place might be slightly lower in the winter.
It just makes sense to move when everything costs less. Plus, it’s very unpleasant to have to move boxes in severe heat. Get your coats and jackets on and move those boxes.
7. Don’t Pay For New Utilities Till You Have To
Once you are headed for your new place, make sure that you aren’t paying utilities until you are in your new place. The last thing you want to do is to be hit with water or an electrical bill without even being in your new place. Be sure to close out all the utility bills at your old place as well.
Using these tips should help you save money while moving. The key is to prepare and be a bit savvy and thrifty. By doing things yourself, getting rid of extra stuff, not paying for boxes, hiring movers with a flat rate, preparing for the quote, moving during the offseason, and not paying for utilities till you live in the new place, you will save money. Moving is stressful, but that doesn’t mean your finances have to be.
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