Moving Tips – Top 10 Simple Ways to Cut Costs on Moving Expenses

Moving from one home to another or into your next apartment is expensive. But, there are many moving tips that can help you save money on moving expenses.

I have come to find this out the hard way. For years, I have been blessed with an employer that covered all of my moving costs, but this time it is different. This time I am footing the bill by myself.

You may remember that I have been interviewing property managers to help me rent out my current home. So, without my employer helping with this move, I have to find ways to cut costs on moving expenses incurred. The good news is that there are a lot of ways to cut costs on your moving expenses.

Moving Tips to Cut Costs on Moving Expenses

Get Multiple Quotes

If you think that you will use a moving company, you need to get several quotes before you decide. Another one of the best moving tips is to get three quotes. Three quotes are a great number to give you a sense of how much your move will cost and whether or not you should simply do it yourself. While this may seem like a lot of quotes, you want to make sure that you get the best deal.

The more quotes that you have, the better feel that you will have for how much your move will cost and what company to use. You can also ask family members and friends for moving company references. The more information that you have, the better idea you will have of whether or not you are getting the best price.

One of the biggest benefits of getting quotes from several companies is that it will give you a better feel for the market rate.  It may turn out that your local moving company is charging less than some of these national companies, but they are still reliable so you can go with them. The more quotes that you get, the better feel you will have for what the going rates are and whether or not there is a company out there who can do it cheaper.

Pack Yourself

One way to save over half of the cost of a local move is to simply pack your own belongings instead of having the moving company do it. I was recently quoted over $1,500 in boxes and packing fees alone for my 30-mile local move for the approximate 8,000 pounds of household items and furniture I wanted to be moved.

• Start the moving process early by sorting through things in order to determine what to keep, sell or donate.
• Make moving day easier by moving heavy or awkward items first. This way you can unpack the lighter and bulky items last.
• Pack heavy boxes first and label them accordingly so they are easily accessible during your move. Stack lighter boxes on top of heavier boxes. Label all boxes with contents and room location on move day to avoid moving items out of order.
• You can purchase moving supplies at U-Haul or other moving stores. Moving supplies include moving boxes, tape guns, bubble cushioning wrap, moving labels and moving straps.

Bribe Your Friends

Another one of the best moving tips to save money on moving expenses is to recruit your friends to help you move. A few cases of beer, a pizza or two, and a little begging can go a long way to help you save money on labor.

When you are quoted thousands of dollars to have a three to four-person professional moving crew move your belongings, $100 in beer and pizza is a small price to pay to help find ways to cut costs on your moving expenses incurred. Even hiring your neighbor’s teenage son for the afternoon is twenty times cheaper than the moving crew.

And, give your friends that help you move the first chance to take anything that you originally planned to sell or donate. It’s a great way to get rid of even more things you don’t need or didn’t want to move.

You can even go as far as putting moving flyers on cars in your neighborhood (with permission) before moving day. They are very effective at helping you find some help to cut your moving expenses.  You can also try advertising your need for volunteers on Craigslist, but you should approach this with caution because there are more than a few dishonest people on there looking to take advantage of someone.

It is always best to find people you know and trust, if at all possible. Moving can be a very stressful time, and bringing one more person into it that you simply cannot count on, can make moving even more stressful.

Get Free Boxes

Boxes are one of the biggest expenses that you will encounter when you are moving. Buying boxes and the packing service were even more expensive on the quote I received from moving companies than the actual travel cost with their truck. There are a lot of places that you can get free boxes.

My mother used to go to the liquor store and raid their extras. Most stores also simply crush their boxes and are more than willing to give them to you instead if you ask. You can also find people giving away boxes that they have used in their moves on sites like FreeCycle.

I’m a huge fan of selling stuff on eBay and other sites. This is a great way to get rid of the extra stuff you have in your home and make a few extra dollars to help out with the move. I recently took the plunge and used Craigslist to sell some of our bigger items we didn’t want to move, and now I’m hooked on selling things on Craigslist. It is a great resource to help you downsize before the move.

Give Your Stuff Away

When I was growing up, my mother would always purge the excess items in our homes about once a quarter. She called a local charity that picked up donated items. It was great. We simply left the things we wanted to donate on the porch, and they were gone by the time we got home from school in the evening. I found a great free website, Donation Town, that helps you find charities in your area that will pick up donations from your home.

Pack Smartly

Don’t buy very much bubble wrap if you can help it. This is an expense that will quickly add up. You can save a lot of money by wrapping some of your breakables in your own towels or bed linens. You may also find newspapers or ask friends and family members to start saving their newspapers for you to use.

Another way to save money is to take apart furniture before moving it. If you can disassemble your furniture, you will help lessen moving costs. For example, if you have an armoire that is just wide open now, try taking the doors off or moving it without the top section. You may even want to remove any drawers that you don’t need moving with the rest of your items.

Wrapping dishes and other breakables in your towels or linens can help reduce moving costs. You may even want to remove drawers that you don’t need moving with the rest of your items.

Once again, moving is expensive enough without having to pay for excessive supplies. If you can purchase larger boxes than what you actually need, then do it. You may not think paying $4 for a box is very much, but it can add up very quickly. When moving, you need to make sure that everything is packed carefully and securely in order to prevent damage. But, you also want to pack efficiently as well.

Recycle moving boxes whenever possible and do not over-purchase moving supplies. If you can purchase larger boxes than what you actually need, then do it. The fewer moving boxes that you have, the more money that is saved moving.

Moving day can be one of the most stressful days in your life, but if you are well prepared for it then it may not be half as bad as you think.

Rent Your Own Moving Truck

If you are moving by yourself instead of hiring someone, it almost makes sense to simply renting your own U-Haul or moving truck instead of using a pickup truck. You can make fewer trips, save on gas, and save time.

Be Flexible

If you have to use a moving company, such as these movers in Toms River, and are not doing it yourself, you can save money on your move by being flexible on the dates that you want to be packed and moved. As you can guess, the weekends are the prime time families across America want to be moved.

Moving on a weekday when there is an opening in the moving company’s schedule will save you money. It’s one of my favorite moving tips that you can easily use to save money.

Update Your Home Inventory

Now that you are moving and most likely packing your boxes yourself, it is a good time to take a new inventory of the items you have in your home. If there is a loss, you will need your inventory and possibly pictures to help you prove what you had to your insurance company when you file a claim. Ensure that you do not let your renter’s insurance lapse during this time of transition as well.

Moving is expensive, but that does not mean that there are not ways to cut costs with moving tips. You can save a lot of money on your move by planning ahead and thinking outside of the box a little.

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