Moving on a Budget
By julianne, May 21, 2010, Home Services
Summer is the season for lazy afternoons by the pool, backyard grilling, and baseball games. With the school season over and the warm temperatures, most people also choose this time of the year to move to a new house. I never actually moved by myself before but in a couple of months, I’ll be moving into my own place in the city. So recently I’ve been thinking about what I need to do to plan for the big move. Being a recent college grad, I don’t have a lot of money so I’m going to have to come up with innovative ways to save on moving expenses.
A post on the Bounce Energy blog talked about whether or not you should hire professional movers or do the move yourself. There are pros and cons for each alternative but if you’re looking for the cheapest option, your best bet is to do the moving yourself. Not only will it save you money, but you’ll have full control on packing and unpacking all your belongings.
If you need extra money before the big move, hold a garage or yard sale. A moving sale is a great way to get rid of all the household items you don’t use anymore. You can earn money to go towards moving and reduce the things you’d have to pack or bring along.
As for packing supplies, you can get most of it for free. My friend told me that you can order boxes from USPS for free. These boxes are the flat-rate boxes so the largest size they have is 12″ x 12″ x 5.5″. For other boxes, warehouse stores like Sam’s Club or Cost Co. often have boxes available. You can pick these up in bins on the way out of the store. It would probably be a good idea to ask for permission to take the boxes just in case. Another option is to utilize suitcases or backpacks since they’re meant to store items anyways. You’ll already be bringing them along with the move so why not use them for something useful? Packing peanuts can be costly so reuse old magazines or newspapers to wrap breakable items.
Moving can be a big task so to make a move simple, make sure you visit Bounce Energy’s Move Center. There, you can download a moving checklist to help guide you through your move, find tips to help make moving day easier, and find links to resources like truck and storage rental and home utilities connections.
For even more tips, read 10 Money Savings Tips for Summer Moves.
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