We had a reader ask about ways to make moving thrifty. There really is not any way to move thrifty. Moving does cost alot. Sarah has moved all of 2 times. Once when she first married me, to our other house, which is now our rental. Then again when we moved into our current home. So I don’t think she would be the best and most experienced person to answer this. I have lived in 7 states back east, and multiple homes here in Idaho. Here are some Thrifty Tips for moving. If you have any more, which I sure others will, post them here.
The packing – Do it yourself. I have moved with my parents, when my dad’s company paid to pack us. It was terrible from what I remember. It was almost as if they scoped out our stuff to figure out what they wanted to keep. And no this wasn’t some mom and pop company, and was a large national company. Do it your self to make sure your glass china is packed correctly, and if it breaks you can only be upset at yourself.
The box’s – Drive behind grocery stores, warehouses, and other major stores that get shipments. Dumpster dive. These boxes for the most part will be clean, many are still glued together. Also craigslist.org always has boxes in your local area, many times they are new, and just used once. They are usually free as well.
The moving trucks? Well if you need a moving truck for across country, or from one state to another, shop around for shipping container rates. Not the name brand stuff, that you see on TV, but the actually shipping and trucking companies. My brother moved across the country and he called a trucking company by the name of ABF, and they had different size shipping containers, 8×8, 12×8, 16×8. (Not exact sizes but along those lines). Surprising they where incredibly cheap. You just had to bring your stuff to the truck yard and pack your stuff. They then delivered it directly to your new home and drop it off. It only took a few days in transport.
Once in your new home your biggest expense will probably be curtains and blinds. These are one of those expenses that either you make the curtains your self, or you go and buy the blinds at warehouse stores.
One of the best ways to cut cost on any move is to pull up your britches and do the labor yourself. Ask your church, or folks at work for help. Its a good way to hang out together, and in some cases they may be excited to get rid of you. What are some of the ways you have saved in moving?
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Around here (Treasure Valley) places like Macy’s has tons of boxes. I don’t know about there new location, but the old one they would just put them out side their back doors and you could go through them whenever you wanted. I found mostly medium & smaller sizes the last time I looked. If you are just moving across town see if someone has a trailer. When we got married we used our bosses enclosed trailer & I think we were able to get everything in one trip and didn’t have to tarp anything (it decided to POUR that day)
I found IKEA had great deals on curtains and rods and blinds. They’re often cheaper than buying the fabric and making curtains yourself, especially once you factor in lining and trim.
When we moved across town the last time we moved we did pack our own boxes but hired someone to move them. This entailed them loading/unloading all the boxes and furniture (but we were present for both loading and unloading). We figured that the $200 we paid was worth it to make sure that our furniture was moved well without damage. They had all the proper blankets, pads, tie-downs, etc. My thinking was that they have insurance to cover if something gets damaged; but if my hubby threw out his back we could easily spend more than $200 in medical costs – likewise if he damaged my best furniture we would be stuck with fixing it ourselves (and probably paying for marriage counseling!) Anyways, everyone has to decided for themselves and their own situation, but sometimes spending a little bit wisely is thrifty.
Liquor stores are a great place to get some free smaller boxes. And they generally don’t break them down so you don’t have to use as much tape
You can call Walmart in the evening and ask them to save boxes for you (so they don’t compact them) and they will have them ready for you to pick up in the morning–free!
My husband and I moved seven times in the first five years we were married. We have lived in our current home for the past seven, and every time we have thought about upgrading I’m reminded of how much I HATE moving and we stay put.
However, the list you have is pretty right on. The main tip I have is to let people help you. Too many times I didn’t want to bother people or when they offered I would say no thanks even when we could have used the help. Don’t do this. People offer to help you because they love you and are trying to show their friendship and concern, so let them.
Craigs list is a great place to find boxes. Look under the category of “free” I got mine free from CL then after I moved, I posted my boxes for free on CL again. So much better than the landfill and it will save you time. Usually, you will just need to go to one place and get all the boxes you need.
Actually, on Upromise, I’ve been able to save on my cable installation. The deposits, down payments,utilities hook-ups all add up so I was thrilled to save on this!
I have found a great place to get sturdy, good quality boxes is from hospitals. They have TONS of different sizes as well. Again, you just go behind them like you would a store.
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