Aside from being one of the most stressful things that you can do, moving house can also cost you and your family a great deal of money. Fortunately, there are some tactics you can use to keep your moving costs as low as possible. Keep reading to find out how to Save Money While You Move: A Simple Guide.
Save Money While You Move: A Simple Guide
Find out if you get a paid moving day
When money is tight, missing out on an entire day’s pay is not ideal. Even when that day is spent doing something as important as moving all your worldly possessions from your old house to the new one. With that in mind, it is well worth finding out if your employer offers paid moving days. Of course, this will depend on who you work for as it’s more of a benefit than a right.
However, if your employer doesn’t offer paid days for you to move, you may wish to consider another option. The first of these is to plan your move for the weekend, something that is entirely possible, even when completing on a business day.
Alternatively, you may wish to use some of your paid vacation days to cover your move, something that allows you the time you need to ensure everything goes smoothly, while not having to worry about a reduced paycheck.
Don’t buy boxes and packaging materials
There is no getting around it, you will need boxes and packing materials when you move home. However, instead of paying through the nose for brand new supplies, it’s best to find secondhand or free ones instead.
Sometimes supermarkets will have boxes that they provide to you for free. You may even be lucky enough to know someone that works in the warehouse that can put some aside for you? Alternatively, you may wish to hire your boxes.
This can be particularly beneficial because not only will you save money, but you can also be sure that the boxes you choose will be of fantastic quality as well, something that means you don’t have to worry about them ripping and damaging the precious contents inside.
When it comes to packaging materials it’s best to steer clear of buying brand new rolls of tissue paper and bubble wrap. Instead set aside any textiles such as sheets, and clothes that you won’t be using until after the move and use those to protect your items.
Avoid takeaways
With all the stress and chaos of moving house, it can be very tempting to rely on takeaways. After all, they are quick and easy, and you may find that once your kitchen is packed up you don’t have the tools or the space to cook from scratch.
The problem with takeaways is that they are also very expensive, and are a poor choice for anyone looking to keep the costs of moving house low. Also, as you will have to use precious resources to transport any food items that you don’t use, from your old property to your new one it makes much more sense to use up everything you have before you go.
There are even apps available where you input the ingredients you have and they show you suggestions of what to cook. Make some meals like these in advance and then when that craving for a takeaway hits, you will be able to stay strong and save money!
Choose an affordable mover
Most people use a removal firm when moving house. However, the charges that different movers make for very similar services can vary widely, something that means you could end up paying way more than you need to.
The way to avoid this is to get quotes from at least 2 or 3 companies before you make your decision. Then you will be able to compare their costs, choose the most affordable movers and ensure you save as much money as possible. All without having to compromise on the service you receive.
Label your boxes well
While labeling your boxes properly may not seem like a strategy that will save you any money, nothing could be further than the truth. This is because, despite our good intentions, few people unpack completely as soon as they arrive in their new home.
What this means is, it is common to find that you need a certain tool, item, or piece of clothing that you can’t find because it’s still packed.
Unfortunately, what usually happens, in this case, is that we cave to convenience and go out and buy a replacement item, even when we have a perfectly good one at home (albeit still packed at the time).
Of course, when you think about it in these terms this is a tremendous waste of money. A waste that could easily be avoided by making a list of items that each box contains.
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