How These Simple Moving Tips will Save your Budget

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This summer my family and I moved across the country. We decided that we were going to move from Illinois to Florida so we could be closer to the family. Since we were moving across the country, I thought about you, my reader often. I decided while we were moving to keep a little note on my phone how I could help you in your next move. These simple moving tips to help your budget is where I will begin.

This move taught me a TON about moving. From negotiating with the movers, to decluttering, to staying within a budget. Moving is expensive, but with a little knowledge, you can do it!

First, let me explain a little. I have decided to add a category to my blog called Moving. Over the last 13 years, my family has moved 6 times. That’s basically every 2 years. In the last 13 years, I have learned a lot about moving and how to keep my stuff from breaking, to how to use movers, and how to stay calm during the process. So if you are moving, check back because these posts will be able to help you with your next move!

Packing supplies

There are all kinds of places to get packing supplies. I used my local UHaul a lot. They had a box full of used boxes that were FREE! I would check there weekly and bring home boxes for our move.

I did order boxes from Amazon. This was nice because they just showed up at my door and all I had to do was fill them. I also loved the fact that with my Prime membership I had my boxes in 2 days! Also, I didn’t have to go track down boxes or tape for that matter. These are the boxes I ordered:

UBOXES Moving Boxes Medium 18x14x12-Inches (Pack of 10) Professional Moving Box

I don’t think you need to spend a fortune on packing supplies, but having boxes delivered to your door is amazing! It takes the stress of getting boxes off you and you just have to focus on filling the boxes.

Related: The Best Negotiating Strategies to Save Money When Moving

Other supplies I ordered:

Scotch Packing Tape

This already comes with the cutter so I didn’t order a dispenser. Though I did have some from our last move. So I bought tape without the cutter too.

Of course, you can always try Facebook to help you locate free boxes. Like I said, my local UHaul had free boxes.

Newsprint Packing Paper

Other Simple Moving Tips

Packing

When it came to packing, I packed as much as possible into each box without them getting too heavy. While I packed I also decluttered. You don’t realize how much stuff you have until you have to move it.

The kitchen had the most boxes! I am always surprised how many boxes of stuff that little room holds. But I guess those cabinets sure do hold a ton of stuff! For packing the breakables, I didn’t use the foam sleeves for the plates. I figured that since my stuff was going on a truck for 3 days that I better wrap it in the paper. So I did purchase packing paper.

Declutter

I had a friend who helped me pack. She was amazing! While she was packing, she would ask me questions. Keep, Trash or Donate. Just having someone there to help me think through if we needed that item or not was HUGE! Plus, I was able to get through stuff faster.

By the time we were done packing all our stuff and decluttering, I had taken so many trips to Goodwill that the guys at the drop-off area knew my car.

In hindsight, I wish I had gotten rid of more stuff. As I unpack there is more stuff that I am still getting rid of.

Sell your Stuff

This is an area that I started doing MONTHS before we officially decided to move to Florida. I had a hunch we were going to be moving so I started getting rid of obvious stuff that wasn’t going with us. The items I chose I sold on Facebook Garage Sale pages. I didn’t make much, but I made enough to pay for packing supplies.

How do you decide if its something worth selling? I figured if it was a bookshelf or a couch or a kids table, I would try and sell it on Facebook. If it sold right away, I was happy. If I had to relist it several times I would eventually just take it to Goodwill. I always tried to list my stuff on Thursday and hope it would be gone over the weekend.

Movers versus Moving Crates

We have a baby grand piano so using moving crates to move us wasn’t an option. We did explore the option because we thought we could store our stuff for a little while and purchase a home. But after we thought about the impact that would have on the piano we quickly moved to get movers. Obviously, you will have to decide which is better for you.

The movers were such a godsend! They were awesome! We worked really hard the last week of the move and had everything packed and ready for them. They moved quickly and had our whole house packed up in about 8 hours. It was awesome!

Another option is renting a truck. You have to get a truck and then load and unload the truck yourself. I have never done this but my friends told me they were able to hire guys who helped them load and unload the truck on both sides of their move. So they rented the truck and the guys loaded it, and then unloaded it at their new location. They found these moving crews through UHaul. My girlfriend said it was the best money she ever spent. I would imagine this is the cheapest option for moving.

My Open First Box

The last thing I want to share with you is that I had a box that I opened first. It had the coffee maker in it, scissors, and some other items I thought I needed to have access to right away. I have never done that in previous moves but I did it in this move. I loved knowing that box had all the essentials I needed to be able to have breakfast in my new home the following morning.

If you are planning a move right now, I want to encourage you that it will be over soon. You will learn what you do and do not need and what is really valuable and what is not. I would love to hear how you are getting your move to stay budget friendly! Drop me a line in an email after you sign up for my email list below!