Moving can be a huge expense. Depending on where you are now and how far you plan to go, moving can cost you thousands. And that’s before you factor in other expenses like putting down a new deposit on a place and setting up essential services including power and water in your new place. If you are already living paycheck-to-paycheck, it almost makes more sense to stay in your current home.
However, sometimes we don’t really have a choice when it comes to moving. Whether you’re relocating for a better employment opportunity or you want to be somewhere closer to those you love, there are a lot of compelling reasons that inspire a person’s move. If you’re a bit shaky financially speaking, you can still make the change without going broke. Here are ways to save money and stay within your budget when planning your move.
Establish Your Moving Budget
If you want to stay within budget, the first thing you have to do is make a budget. The best tool you have for planning a budget is a spreadsheet-- whether you do it in Excel, Google Sheets, Smartsheets, or any of the other software programs that offer this service. Make a list of all the expenses you expect and the maximum estimated costs. You can split up the expenses into categories to get a clearer idea regarding what it is you are spending money on.
For instance, you can insert the costs for hiring movers under one section: deposit, rate of move, packing services and insurance all separated into their own row. Then as you shop around with different movers, you can create a column for each company and log everyone’s quotes in one place. This makes it easy to find the best deal while collecting estimates so you can save for the actual thing.
Other expenses you want to budget for:
● Self-moving expenses such as equipment rentals, cost of gas and packing materials.
● Costs of leaving your current place including cleaning and final meter readings.
● Costs of finding a new place including setting up utilities, buying insurance and deposits.
● Extra funds for things such as redecorating, replacing items and stocking the refrigerator.
● Unexpected fees, costs of damages and other expenses.
Cut Costs Where You Can
Once you know about how much you will need to spend, you can put in the work to cut down moving costs as much as possible. For instance, you can reduce how much you spend on movers by spending the weeks leading up to your move downsizing the amount of stuff you plan to bring with you. As most moving companies charge by the weight of the move, unloading pounds will also help you save money.
Most of us live with way more junk than we need. Then when you consider things such as furniture, there is a good chance what you have now isn’t going to fit in at your new place. Now’s the time to consider what things in your life could really use an update, and leave stuff behind that doesn’t make the cut.
For instance, mattresses are an easy target: they need updating after just 7 to 10 years of use. If your current mattress is approaching that age, it behooves you to ditch it now and replace it after you arrive at your new locale. A new mattress will not only welcome you to your new home, but will also improve your quality of sleep. In addition, an aging mattress is full of bacteria and dust mites, so it’s best to start fresh into your new bedroom.
Declutter your current home and list things that are still in good condition on sites such as Craigslist to make a little cash that you can contribute to your moving fund. Things that are in not-so-great condition can be donated or given away through sites including Freecycle or the Craigslist “free stuff” section. The more time you give yourself to do this, the better the chances of you getting a good price on what you sell and a happy home for what you give away.
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Moving can cost you thousands of dollars, but you don’t have to end up drowning in debt to relocate. Plan a budget and shop around to get the best price on moving. If you are planning to hire movers, reducing the amount of stuff you have is an easy way to save money while simplifying your relocation.
