Whether you’re moving to another city or maybe to another state, the fact is moving can be expensive. In most cases, you can expect to pay between $2,000-$4,000 for your move. However, if you’re smart about a few things along the way, you should be able to save much more money on your move than you ever imagined. Should you be looking for super simple ways to save money when moving, here are eight tips you should keep in mind.
Find Free Boxes
If there is one thing many people do during a move that wastes hundreds of dollars, it is purchasing boxes from office supply stores. Rather than make this mistake, simply hunt around for free boxes. For starters, your friends and other family members probably have empty boxes scattered here and there that they would be happy to get rid of quickly. Also, many stores usually have empty boxes they are willing to part ways with, so don’t be shy about asking about these as well.
Reserve Your Movers Early
Rather than wait until the last second to line up your moving company, contact MoveDay Moving Company as early as possible prior to your move. By doing so, you can iron out the details of your move, compare quotes from other movers, and be assured you can get a great price and use the moving company that is your first choice.
Sell Some Stuff
It stands to reason that the more stuff you have to be moved, the more it will cost you to move. Therefore, take this opportunity to clear out some clutter from your life by selling or donating various things prior to moving day. By doing so, you can help a worthy cause while decreasing what you’ll spend on moving costs.
Ask Friends and Family to Help
While you will likely still need professional movers to help you move larger items and precious cargo to your new home, that doesn’t mean you can’t still enlist the help of your friends and family members when moving. If they own trucks and maybe some trailers, you will be surprised at how much you can get moved on your own. For most people, offering to buy them a delicious pizza or two at the end of a long moving day is all the incentive they will need to volunteer their services.
Label Your Boxes
Though you may be anxious to get everything packed and ready for your move, always make sure you take the time when packing to clearly label your boxes so that you know exactly what they contain. If you neglect to do so, chances are you will find dishes, glassware, or other fragile items getting broken when being moved from your current location to your new home. If this happens, any money you have saved in other areas will be negated once you have to replace these items.
Take a Tax Deduction
Unless you are very knowledgeable about tax laws, you may not realize that sometimes moving makes you eligible for a tax deduction. However, before you decide to go writing off your moving expenses on your next tax return, discuss it with an experienced accountant or tax professional. Since tax laws are always changing, you don’t want to find yourself in hot water with the IRS.
Be Creative When Packing Your Boxes
When you go on vacation and are ready to return home, you almost always find it hard to fit everything into your suitcase. However, with a little ingenuity and determination, you always find a way. If you take this same approach when moving, it will help you save money in that you won’t be using as many boxes, thus decreasing the amount of stuff actually having to be moved by the moving company. For example, use some old clothing or towels to pack fragile items, rather than using expensive bubble wrap. Also, try to fill up your boxes as much as possible. By getting creative, you’ll be surprised at just how much you can fit into your moving boxes.
Buy Packing Supplies at the Dollar Store
Chances are, you have a dollar store somewhere near your home. If so, go there if you absolutely have to have bubble wrap or other packing supplies. Not only will it probably be cheaper than at an office supply store, but you should also be able to buy it in bulk, which will save you even more money.
Whether you use only a few of these tips or each and every one of them, you will save plenty of money during your move. This will be important, since more than likely you’ll need that money to buy the pizzas and other goodies you promised to your friends and family members who assisted in your move.
