The money we spent on moving….whew! Substantial distance or not, and regardless of size of home, it’s hard to walk away from a move without some sort of dent in your financial plan.

Moving is an expensive ordeal, we all know it, but what if there were a few tidbits of the process that would help keep your paycheck in your wallet? Well, today I want to share with you a few ways to save money during this chaotic time in your life, and do just that.

 

 

Moving Boxes:

 

You never know how much stuff you have until you have to configure it into boxes. It’s enough to convert anyone to minimalism. The need for us to find as many boxes as we could during our move was paramount, as it is for most moving humans.

A great way to get boxes is to trot over to Menards (and possibly other hardware stores in your area, even check Walmart) and dig through their recycling bins. It might sound strange, but they are already broken down, they range in size, and the staff is okay with it. They just require a look through your cart.

 

Disclaimer: We ended up buying some cardboard boxes in a kit that included packing paper, tape and a bundle of medium and large boxes, which was great, and also collected a few from my parents. You won’t be able to take home the amount of boxes that will fit everything in your move from Menards, but a few free boxes aren’t bad!

 

Moving Truck:

 

If you’ve read my Moving Budget Checklist post, you’ll remember me mentioning the moving truck vs. moving company decision. Again, every state, moving situation, and distance is different, so what might be best for you could be different than what worked for us.

We found that renting a moving truck was significantly cheaper than hiring a moving company. We did not have the convenience of the workers carrying our items up three flights of stairs, but with nearly an extra $2420 in our pocket, we could manage.

After calling for quotes from several companies, I learned that most charged a minimum base fee if the move exceeded a certain distance. Our particular move was 4 hours, meeting the criteria for the base fee. We were looking at spending just under $3000 if we went that route.

The 22’ moving truck we rented cost us roughly $580 including gas to fill it back up. For us, this option was worth it. While we had to drive it, load it and unload it, the financial savings were more important to us. Even with giving our family and friends who helped us move a tip, we still had an enormous savings.

If you’re moving farther than we did or much closer, it might be feasible and more convenient to hire a company. But in our experience, it was the obvious choice to do it ourselves.

 

Food:

 

Anytime you’re in a situation where the environment around you seems out of control or your current life stage is messy and disorganized, it’s too easy to avoid cooking and grab something out. The temptation is real, especially during a move when half of your kitchen appliances are packed away (some prematurely on purpose to avoid such task).

Something I wish we had planned for a little better during our move was our eating out budget. Now, in hindsight, I realize doing this tip might have saved us a lot of money.

Take the time to meal prep. I’m not talking about time consuming, all day planning and chopping meal prep. I’m simply suggesting that the day of your move and some of the days leading up to it can benefit from a pre-made sandwich or a sub with your favorite fixin’s. You don’t need anything extravagant, just a meal you already love and a cooler to transport it.

And if you do find yourself at a restaurant or scouring the pages of a menu at Pizza Hut, instead of tossing or refusing to box up the leftovers (if there are any), bring them home and enjoy the next day.

Moving is tiring enough, and you might hate the idea of getting meals prepared on top of your already packed to-do list, but having something to munch on at home will a) provide an instant resource of energy during the busiest times, and b) lighten the load on your restaurant budget line.

 

There are so many little details to remember, prepare for, and iron out that sometimes we forget what we are spending. It’s easy to spot floating dollars after the fact, but when you’re at the register and in a body tomb of stress already, the money seems to leave your wallet a little easier.

Keeping track of what’s being spent is pivotal during this phase. And finding ways to trim expenses is icing. Applying these three tips might just help your move be a little less financially suffocating.

For a checklist of moving expenses I’ve learned about firsthand, check out this post.

 

What are some ways you’ve found to save money during a move? Let me know in the comments!

 

Cheers!