How to Make Moving Affordable
For most people, moving is incredibly stressful. The amount of time, money, and back-breaking labor that can go into a move is enough to drive anyone crazy. Moving can be especially hard on individuals who may be doing so due to financial difficulty.
Whether this describes you or not, you still likely want to save as much money as you can during the move. And if you are able to approach this big transition with awareness and a few strategies up your sleeve, you could end up making your move far less stressful and way more affordable on your wallet.
Once you have decided to move, it’s important to start strategizing right away. Determine the general timeline you’ll need to follow for the move. Whether you are moving yourself or hiring a moving company, there are still plenty of ways to go about minimizing your costs and your overall stress levels.
Here are a few of the best moving tips:
Tips for Moving on a Budget
Want to minimize your moving budget? Looking for affordable tips and tricks? Keep reading!
1. Planning and Preparation
Moving is not a life event that should be taken as it comes. It’s best for your budget that there be no spontaneity. Use serious planning to prepare before the big day. Being proactive about your planning is the single most effective way to make your move go smoothly.
Let your inner organizer come out by making checklists and schedules weeks ahead of packing. With proper planning and preparation, you can make sure that you leave as little to do as possible on the actual moving day.
2. Throw Away and Give Away
If you have been at your current place for some time, there is likely a large number of items that you don’t use or need. There is no point in moving tons of belongings into your new place when you are just going to give or throw away those items a few months later. Do yourself a favor and get rid of all those unnecessary items now.
Inspire yourself by looking up minimalism advice and watching Marie Kondo videos. Learn how to let go of your belongings and how to minimize your wardrobe, kitchen gear, and more. After you are done categorizing your items into boxes labeled keep, donate, and throw away, you might have a whole lot less that you need to move. Less items mean less boxes, less stress, and less money spent!
3. Price Comparison Shop
If you are renting a truck, hiring a moving company, or simply hiring some extra hands for the day, always take the time to do your research and comparison shop. Even if you think you found an affordable option, the service could be subpar.
If you plan to move on your own with a rental truck or your own car, ask friends to help you out. You can ask them months in advance so that they don’t have clashing plans. Instead of paying them, you could offer free pizza and beer if they are willing to help you move. Also, maybe one of your buddies has a pick-up truck that would make a U-Haul rental unnecessary.
4. Don’t Spend a Dime on Boxes
You don’t need to spend any of your money on boxes. This is one of the most wasteful and unnecessary costs when moving. Moving companies overcharge and they can drive up the total overall expense needlessly. And the simple truth of the matter is you can find boxes everywhere for free.
You don’t have to spend a dime on boxes. Instead, simply ask around and keep your eyes open. Your employment office might have boxes, or you could ask friends, family, and colleagues to save boxes for you. You can ask your friends and followers on social media if they have any boxes just lying around, perhaps from their most recent move or ordering things online.
5. Move During the Off-Season
If you do plan to hire a moving company to do a majority of the work, then actively avoid moving during the popular moving season: summer. During the summer, moving prices can be higher due to demand. If you move during the winter, you can take advantage of great deals since moving companies tend to be actively searching for business. They might be more willing to negotiate as well.
6. Rely on Your Community
You don’t need to do this alone. Recruit friends and family to help you out before the actual moving date. See if a few people are free to help you pack up your items before actually moving. You can make the task fun by offering them wine and listening to music as you work. Ask for some unpacking help as well from people who understand your financial situation. Having some help during the unpacking process can be particularly helpful for getting you back to work quickly.
Never underestimate the way in which your community can gather around you during hard times. Most of them will be very glad to help.
Funding Your Move
No matter how you slice it, moving will cost you money. Unless you have some extra funds put aside somewhere, you may need to look for alternative ways to fund your move. From the truck rental to the security deposit on your new place, people can get easily overwhelmed by the overwhelming expenses of moving.
There is nothing wrong with dipping into your savings for the move or asking for financial help from family and friends. Some people put some of their moving expenses on a credit card or take out a small temporary loan like a title loan to cover the moving costs. There is nothing wrong with any of these options as long as you have a strategy in place for how to replace your savings or repay your debt.
The important thing to remember is that you can get through any stressful life transition by simply taking the time to think ahead and accept the help or knowledge that others offer.