If you have just bought a new house, or signed a lease for an apartment, you will most likely be wanting to save as much money during your move to purchase some new furniture or decorations for your new home. Moving into a new space is exciting, and wanting to make it happen at the best possible price is completely reasonable and common. However, moving is a pricey task to complete, and there are a lot of costs that add up to one another and can easily make it a nightmare. Professional movers, rental trucks, gas, packing supplies and additional fees are just a part of the cost of moving that can easily hurt your pockets much more than you have initially budgeted for. Thankfully, there are some ways you can save a few bucks during your move, and make it much more cost efficient than it can be at times. Check out our list below.
Move on a weekday
When hitting up your moving company to reserve them for your move, keep in mind that they most likely have a difference in their pricing during the weekend as opposed to weekday moves. This is also the case with mid-month or end of the month moves, as this is when moving companies are the busiest, and when most people tend to move. Picking the date of your move wisely, with cost efficiency in mind can make the world of the difference when you are provided with the final bill for the service you have received. During moving season, the prices are the highest – which is why moving in fall or winter could be an even better solution for your moving budget.
Hire your movers for a portion of your move
If you are extremely adamant about saving money, even if it means skipping your movers for the majority of your move and having much more to handle on your own – consider hiring your movers for the loading and unloading part of your move or moving only the heaviest furniture pieces that you own. This can save you a lot of money in the long run.
Pay a visit to the dollar store
Why spend money on moving and packing supplies that are way overpriced, when you can get everything you need at the fraction of the cost? Bubble wrap, scissors and tape can easily be purchased for a dollar each, as mover’s supplies can get expensive and add up to the cost more than you can imagine.
Get good deals on boxes
Looking for packing supplies and boxes online can be a good way to score up some good deals, but there are alternatives for that as well. Visit your local liquor store for wine boxes, which are quite sturdy and divided which make the world of a difference when packing bottles, mugs and glasses. Going to your local bookstore for extremely sturdy boxes can be another great option. Even your local grocery store can have some boxes to spare for you – all of this can make a huge difference in your moving costs, as packing supplies can get expensive very quickly – and these places can often provide them for you for free.
Packing alternatives
You might not need that many boxes for your move – there are other alternatives that you can use for the majority of your belongings instead. Laundry baskets and hampers, coolers and suitcases can be good alternatives for moving boxes, and if you need some extra padding materials – towels, blankets and clothing can save your life, and your budget.
Sell your unwanted items
Hosting a garage sale is a good way to get some money to fund your move, but this can often require a lot of effort, especially if you are in the middle of the process of packing your items. An amazing alternative for this is to take photos of your unwanted item collection and sell them online. Much less effort – same result.
Save money while packing clothing
If your moving company doesn’t provide you with wardrobe boxes, don’t even bother buying them. You’ll use them once or twice in your life and they can get very pricey. Instead, pack your clothing in trash bags, having the hanger stick out at the top and will provide you with the most efficient way of transferring and unpacking them at your destination.
Do some work before your movers arrive
As movers most often charge with an hourly rate, you can easily save money by doing some of the work beforehand. Organizing your boxes in a specific area to grant your movers easy access to them, and disassembling some of your furniture pieces on your own are just a few things that can speed up the entire moving process and save you some money in the long run.