7 Tips to Help You Save Money During Your Move

7 tips to help you save money during your move

Let’s face it: everyone hates moving.

Everyone hates moving so much, in fact, that a recent survey found that Americans find more stressful than literally anything else. Whether it’s divorce, raising children, or starting a new job, moving takes the cake as the most stressful thing we do.

Not only is moving stressful, but it’s always ends up being so expensive. That is, if you don’t follow these tips to help you save money.

Let’s take a look at how to reduce moving costs and keep your wits about you at the same time.

1. Do It Alone

Remember: there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. If you opt to try and save money by avoiding hiring movers, you’ll end up spending something else that might even be more precious: time.

You’ll save money, but it won’t be free. You’ll have to rent a truck, buy or rent supplies, and fuel your willing but grumpy cousin, best friend, and neighbor with pizza and beer.

This is a classic way to save money while moving. That being said, you’d better hope that nobody signed on to help you bails at the last minute or twists their ankle trying to move that workout equipment you swear you’ll start using soon.

2. Pack Yourself and Pay Movers

This is a reasonable option if you’re wondering how to save money during a move. You can pack up all your own belongings and then hire a professional mover to help load, move, and unload your belongings.

The other thing that is great about this method is that it allows you to go through all of your stuff while packing. That means that you won’t end up unpacking weird, forgotten objects that the movers threw into a box. You can make sure that the only stuff you take with you are the things you actually want in your new home.

3. Move During the Off-Season

Most people move during the warmer months, so the rates to hire a moving professional or moving companies are going to be higher between May and October. If you’re wondering how to save money while moving, you might consider making your move somewhere between November and April.

If you move during this time, you’ll also find that there’s more flexibility in terms of when you can schedule movers. Their schedules aren’t so packed, so you have your choice of days. This also means that you might not have to lose a day’s wages by taking a day off to manage the move.

4. Get Rid of the Stuff You Don’t Need

Alright, this is going to hurt. You have a ton of stuff you don’t need, you’ll never use, and frankly, you don’t even want anymore. On average, each American home has 300,000 items.

Do you really need 300,000 items?

Why pay to move things that you don’t really need anyway?

Whether you toss, sell, or donate your items is up to you. There are a bunch of great websites you can use to make a few bucks off while you lighten your load at the same time. Offerup, Facebook Marketplace, and Craiglist all allow you to swap your extra weight for some cold hard cash.

Be honest with yourself. Did you experiment in brewing craft beer at home never really pan out? Maybe it’s time to pass those carboys onto the next hobbyist so you can save a few bucks during your move.

What about all those old board games stuffed in the back of your closet? Moving is a time to start over fresh, so don’t drag your old trash along with you. Take the time to go through your stuff ahead of time and you’ll be sure to save some money. Plus, you’ll thank yourself when it comes time to unpack.

5. Plan Ahead When It Comes to Parking and Loading

Moving in a city can add more stress on top of what’s already a stress sandwich. Make your life easier by planning ahead. When you reserve loading areas and obtain parking permits for moving trucks, you’ll be able to access the moving truck easier and save time and money doing so.

6. Hire the Right Company

Oh really? There’s a guy on Craigslist saying that he’ll help you move for seven dollars an hour? And all you have to do is pay all the money upfront?

Stop! You’re about to get scammed, and you might be wiser after the fact but you’ll be sadly none the richer.

When it comes time to move, do your research. Read reviews and ask for referrals. When you’re allowing people into your home to shuffle around your personal belongings, hiring a professional, legitimate, and well-reviewed company or moving professional is absolutely essential.

7. Get Organized Ahead of Time

Whatever route you choose, be it moving yourself, working with a professional mover, or hiring a full service moving company, you want to be as organized and prepared as possible when the big day actually comes.

If you’re not hiring a company to pack your belongings, absolutely everything should be packed when the movers show up. Don’t have random loose objects lying around that have to be inefficiently carried down one by one. If you put in the upfront work of getting organized and packing your own stuff, you’ll save time, money, and all those icky stressy feelings.

Follow These Tips to Help You Save Money During Your Move

Out of these tips to help you save money during your move, one of the best options is to hire a professional mover to work with. This way, you get the help you need without all of the extra expenses from a full moving company.

So follow these tips to help you save money. And if you’d like to hire AdamHelper to help you with your move, reach out today!