One of the biggest budget busters in life are the costs incurred when you make a move, particularly one that will take you far away from your home. The further you travel, the more your costs will be. And that means finding the best ways to cut your moving costs.
1. Relocate lightly: How much stuff do you have to move? Does everything under your roof need to go with you? Quite frankly, the more stuff you have, the higher your moving costs. You can lower your costs by trimming your overhead — throw out what is broken, donate your excess to charity or hold a yard sale and commit those funds to your moving costs.
2. Choose a cost effective moving method: The most expensive way to move is by using the services of a moving company. By far, this cost exceeds the second costliest choice — renting a truck and moving yourself. Coming in third and the most efficient of all are portable storage units. Such units are dropped off at your house, filled by you, then carted on the back of the truck to your new location. Upon your arrival you’ll unload the unit and the empty container will be returned to the company. You can even have the unit stored for a period of time, if needed.
3. Move in the off season: The greater the demand on any moving services, the more money you will pay. In peak seasons, such as during the summer, moving service providers scramble to meet customer demand. If you can move at some other time of the year, you stand to save some money. Your costs may be lowest during the winter months when moving may be the last thing on most people’s minds.
4. Ship some items ahead: You may still find yourself holding onto a lot of items even after decluttering. Your prized book collection is something you can’t get rid of. In that case, boxing these books and sending them via media mail to your new location may be a cost effective approach. Check with the United States Postal Service (USPS) to find the mailing plan right for you.
5. Sell your excess vehicles: Shipping a car across the country is not cheap. You may be prepared to drive one vehicle, but driving two cars could be too much, especially with young children in your family. The best approach here may be to sell one car and keep the other. Save the money from the sale to buy another vehicle when you arrive at your new location. Besides, the wear and tear on your old car may be too much for it to make a long trip.
6. Obtain packing supplies for free: Boxes, filler material, tape and the like can cost you hundreds of dollars. On the other hand, there are usually stores that will supply you with boxes to help you make your move. Approach the managers of your local hardware stores, grocery stores, warehouse club and other outlets, and ask for boxes. You can also use newspaper as filler material. Check your junk drawer for packing tape and stickers — you may already have everything else, otherwise a trip to your office store will allow you to get whatever you still need.
Keep Your Records
If your move is for work and takes you more than 50 miles from your current address, then that relocation comes with tax deductible benefits. Therefore, keep all receipts related to your move and have these on hand for the next time you complete your taxes. Your tax savings will reduce your overall moving costs.