The costs of moving can add up fast. Luckily, there are many ways to save money. We’ll go over how to plan ahead, declutter, and save on moving supplies and movers to make your move as affordable as possible.
Plan Ahead
One key way of saving money on moving is to plan ahead.
First, create a moving budget. Factor in the many expenses that come with a move. These expenses may include cleaning and packing supplies, moving insurance, movers and moving trucks, and storage unit rental costs. Also, consider costs like hotel rooms as you travel to a new location. There are ways to reduce some of these expenses down the line, but having a budget will help you start saving for the move early.
In addition, start buying supplies and booking services well before the move. This will prevent you from needing to spend a lot of money on last-minute plans or purchases.
Also, consider getting moving insurance. If any of your items are damaged during the move, moving insurance will help cover the costs. Of course, you need to weigh the cost of moving insurance with the cost of potential damages.
Closer to the move, make sure you cancel your utilities promptly to avoid any extra charges. While you move, remember many moving companies charge by the hour. Thus, have all your boxes ready when movers show up, and come up with systems like color-coding your boxes by room to make unpacking quick and easy.
Declutter
While you’re packing, you can usually save money by putting in the time to declutter. With fewer items to move, you won’t need to buy as many boxes or packing supplies, and you can rent a smaller truck. Additionally, if you’re hiring movers, you’ll probably spend less if you have fewer possessions. This money-saving tip is especially important for long-distance moves.
You can also make some money by selling the belongings you don’t take with you. Hold a garage sale, or post about them online. However, you can also donate the items you don’t need.
Save on Moving Supplies
There are many ways to save money on packing supplies. See if you can get supplies like boxes for free. You can ask around to see if anyone who has recently moved will give you some supplies, or you can ask some businesses like grocery stores for free boxes. You can also post online to see if friendly strangers have moving supplies they’re willing to give away.
Additionally, use items you already own for packing. For example, rather than buying packing peanuts, use linens or blankets for padding. You can also use plastic bins or suitcases you might already have instead of buying boxes.
Save on Moving Services
There are various services you might want during a move, including cleaning services, packing services, movers, and truck rentals. Of course, the more of these things you do yourself, the more money you save.
It’s possible to save money by moving without movers but balance budgeting with what’s feasible for you. If you do hire movers, there are a variety of options for saving money.
One of the most affordable types of movers is labor-only movers like UniMovers. UniMovers charges affordable hourly rates for moving labor and saves you the expense of hiring full-service moving companies with trucks. With a service like UniMovers, you can pick and choose what you want help with, and thus only pay for services that are essential for you.
If you’re hiring movers, another way to save is by moving during the off-season—ideally in the winter, or anytime between the fall and the spring. You can also save money by moving in the middle of a work week, though this isn’t always possible. In addition, get an estimate from multiple moving companies to see which options are the most affordable. Do the same thing for moving truck rentals. You can also try to negotiate with companies for lower rates, especially if you do things like provide your own moving supplies.
Conclusion
Now you know some simple ways to save money on a move. Plan ahead to avoid extra expenses and declutter in advance so you don’t have as many possessions to take with you. Additionally, look into ways to save on packing supplies and when hiring moving services. For example, consider hiring an affordable, labor-only moving company like UniMovers. Hopefully, these tips give you some breathing room in your budget and ease your stress around moving!
Sophie Pollack-Milgate has a day job as a research assistant. In her free time, she likes to read 10% of the library books she checks out, complain about how either ice or heat are ruining her runs (depending on the season), and modify recipes beyond recognition.
