Want to save money on moving costs? Then here are some simple money-saving moving tips for you!
Moving is expensive. Often you think it will just be the cost of the rental truck and some packing tape and boxes, but every apartment is different, and you suddenly need things you may not have needed before, like floor lamps, or extension cords, or curtains, and you have to pay for setting up new services. It all adds up!
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We recently did a cross-country move cheaply from Indiana to Texas. We knew it would still be expensive so we prepped and saved, though still spent quite a bit. However, there are some simple, easy ways you can save money on moving costs.
How to Save on Moving Costs
1. Save on Moving Costs with Free Moving Boxes
I wrote an entire post on where to get free moving boxes, because boxes should not be part of your moving expenses, when good boxes can be had for free very easily.
2. Save on Moving Truck Costs
I don’t know much about hiring people to physically box and move your stuff. I’m a DIY mover (and certainly the foremost way to save money on moving costs is to do it yourself). So, we price compared the various DIY moving truck and pod options available. Rental moving trucks were cheaper
We price compared the various DIY moving truck and pod options available. Rental moving trucks were cheaper than storage cubes for us (but that could be different in your area). We also found that, if you are flexible on your moving dates, you can save money on moving trucks during the middle of the week and the middle of the month. Move then if you can.
The best rental truck deal we found (in the size we needed) was for a Budget Rental Truck. But, we have also used and loved our experience using UPack (see our UPack review here and get a free quote).
3. Save Money on Hotels during a Cross Country Move
If you are going to have to stay in a hotel for a few nights either before the big move, during it, or after, try to find ways to save on the hotel! They aren’t cheap!
We didn’t know for sure where we’d end up stopping on our way down to Texas, so we didn’t get very great rates, and it was a hit to the pocketbook for sure. If you do know where you’ll be at and when, I recommend reserving them ahead of time at hotels.com! They always have promos running as well as their hotels.com rewards where you book 10 nights you get 1 free.
4. Save on New Furnishings
New apartments (and especially new homes!) need a lot of new furnishings, coats of paint, doodads, baby-proofing goods, and more. The moving costs really start to accumulate once you get into your new place.
My suggestion is to first make a list and wait until you have a pretty long list before you go running out to get this or that. You’ll save some gas money (and be sure to check out my post on how to save money at the pump), and you can then stack on some savings!
Did you know in those USPS change of address packets there is a 10% of your entire purchase at Lowe’s coupon, as well as one for Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and Best Buy. By waiting, you can save some big bucks! Some of these codes may be able to be redeemed online.
5. Save on Services in Your New Town
If you are moving to a new town, it is often hard to know who to trust when it comes to certain services, like home repairs, car maintenance, and even doctors! I have really enjoyed being an Angie’s List member for this reason. Not only is it cheap to be a member, but you can get discounts on your services for being a member, thus it pays for itself.
Plus, the people at Angie’s List offer great customer service. After we moved to Texas they called us and we got a 5-year membership for less than $20. Now I can easily check out reviews on doctors, dentists, and mechanics wherever we may move to in the next five years.
Also, I have found that in order to get the cheapest price on new services, like internet and cable, you should definitely shop around, and then call three times if you have to, until you get the person who will actually get you the lowest deal available. We did it with our Comcast service a few years ago.
And if you need help staying organized, I highly suggest The Dating Diva’s Moving Organization Kit! It will help you move without completely losing your mind.
Be sure to check my other posts on moving too!:
Apartment Hunting Checklist: How to Find the Perfect New Apartment Home
Top Moving & Packing Tips and Tricks
And those are my tips on saving money on moving costs! I wish I had more, because it’s still expensive. Best of luck on your move and your new home.
Diamond says
And a big one is to de-clutter prior to moving. The more stuff you move, the more it costs!
Katelyn Fagan says
Yes! I agree! I should have mentioned that! The more you can sell before you move the smaller truck you can rent, which will save you money, and the more cash you can have if you sell a lot of it.
Lenore Williamson says
These are quite helpful tips! My sister’s moving soon and as it’s her first move, she has no idea how to organize everything properly and on which aspects she could save some money too. I’m definitely recommending your post to her. Thank you for all this nice info!