Moving is a nightmare and that is before you wake up and get the bill for moving. Moving expenses can quickly add up to thousands of dollars if you are not careful. However, you can save money on moving costs if you plan ahead and do a little shopping around. Before packing your first box, take my advice and save money on moving costs the way we did during out last move.
Ways to save money when moving
DIY as much as possible
Doing it yourself will save you money when you are moving. It can cost thousands of dollars to hire professional movers so the more you can do yourself the less it will cost you. In fact, you can cut the costs of hiring movers down to a few hundred dollars if you do all of your packing, drive the moving truck yourself and simply hire the movers to load heavy items for you.
Shop around
If you must hire movers or if you are just renting a truck, get estimates before you chose a company. Shopping around for the best moving company can save you a lot of money in addition to getting better service. When getting quotes from moving companies, make sure you ask what the service includes and read all of the fine print. Do not forget to read online reviews for each company and check online databases such as Angie's List.
Save money on shipping supplies
Do not buy boxes unless you absolutely cannot find them for free. Ask neighbors, friends and family to save boxes for you in addition to nabbing all of the boxes you can from work (i.e. supply boxes, shipping boxes, etc.) that are headed to the recycle bin. Instead of buying expensive packing peanuts or other packing material, use towels and linens to cushion breakables.
Sell, donate or throw away
As you pack, take the opportunity to go through everything and toss broken items rather than pay to move them to a new house. Shred documents that you no longer need. Items that you no longer need should be donated or sold rather than packed, moved and unpacked again.
Pack with care to save money. It is easy to get frustrated with packing and begin throwing items in at random. This will only cost you money when you have to replace broken items. Lastly, remember to keep your receipts for moving expenses if your move is job related. Some or all of the expenses may be tax deductible - - if so, you will need the receipts to take to your accountant at tax time.
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