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Saving a Buck
Moving to a new city is tough enough without having to think about spending a load of money to relocate. Some estimates say it can cost as much as $10,000 or more. When one Silicon Valley blogger moved from a four bedroom home into a new home that was only thirty minutes away, he had to spend $1,500 for one mover’s truck and two or three movers for the day. What happens if you move to a new state or country? Here are some tricks to help keep your moving costs to a minimum.
1. Make the boss pay. If you are moving for your job, find out if your employer is willing to pay the costs of your move.
2. Know your numbers. Understanding the cost of living in your new city is key to helping you know if you will be able to maintain your current standard of living. Check out this nifty calculator to see how much it will cost to live in your new locale.
3. Timing is everything. Just like a wedding or vacation, there are on- and off-seasons for moving. If you can move between October and April, then you will be more likely to get a discount on moving fees. Be sure to get quotes from several different companies and check out your movers with the local Better Business Bureau.
We’re curious: How were you able to keep your moving costs low? [The Digerati Life]
Force your friends to help you! Okay, maybe that doesn't work for a long-distance move, but if you're just moving across town or within an hour, have a moving party...bring beer and make food...and get help with packing and transport.
U-Hauls tend to help keep moving costs down. But my biggest advice is to remember that no matter what, moving is expensive. If you find a moving company that seems too good to be true, it probably is. I got scammed by Union Moving who had a Better Business Bureau logo and everything. It ended up costing me almost triple what my estimate was and took and extra month and a half to get to me. After several complaints and calls to different bureaus to report them, the only thing that I accomplished was helping to have them remove their BBB accreditation. That was a very sad, frustrating and expensive lesson to learn. If you need a moving company go with the big name professionals. Whatever you decide to go with, make sure to check them out at Protect Your Move (Link), as moving scams are very common.
Moved in the summer (less clothes that way) and drastically reduced my belongings to two suitcases, so I only paid the $25 second bag fee on my one-way flight. A cheap way to move, if you ask me! (Although it's getting cold and I need those jackets now...)