Did you know that moving is one of the most stressful life events you can go through? While part of the stress of moving has to do with change, tension around planning a move can also be caused by budget concerns. Even local moves can come with some pretty hefty price tags, but you can use these tips to keep costs low and maximize your own moving budget.
Figure Out Your Moving Date
Planning a move is kind of like planning a wedding. Until you have a solid date, or at least a time of year, it can be difficult to know exactly what sort of prices to expect. Your moving date can impact the costs of things like professional moving services, but the date of your move can also make it harder to get help from friends and family. For example, the peak months for moving tend to cover late May through September (when most kids are out of school), so if you hire moving help during these months, you can expect to pay higher prices for those services.
Weather can also make moving during the off-peak season more difficult. So if you can make your moving date more flexible, you may have more room to negotiate lower prices, and you may also be able to avoid the added headache of moving during winter or in wetter weather. Then again, moving in the fall and winter months can also help you save money, so you will need to weigh the pros and cons of moving in each season if you have a flexible move date.
Determine Your DIY Moving Tasks
Completing moving tasks on your own is generally going to result in far fewer expenses than hiring professionals to help, but you also need to think about any additional responsibilities that may prevent you from taking on too much. For example, if you need to pay for childcare in order to manage meticulous packing or any other projects, you may be better off using those funds to have professional movers securely pack your belongings. Even if you can squeeze some DIY packing and cleaning into your busy schedule, there may be some projects that are worth investing a little extra money into hiring help, especially if it helps keep your sanity. Hiring professional cleaning services is one example of this type of moving task, especially because you will be able to dedicate your time and effort to other moving responsibilities. If you plan on selling your current home, it may also be prudent to consider any renovation costs that you need to cover.
Factor in Your Travel Expenses
A lot of your moving budget will be dedicated to hiring help or buying supplies for packing, but you also need to think about what it will cost to get all your things from your old home to the new one. If you are moving locally, you can cross this budget item off of your moving list. For long-distance moves, however, it is essential to add in the cost of hotels, gas, airline tickets, and other potential travel expenditures.
If you are also trying to maximize your moving budget, you need to research ways to reduce your travel expenses. You can find hotel savings hacks that can help you score rooms for less. Connecting with popular hotel chains via social media and email can be an effortless way to accomplish this. Trimming road trip costs can be easy, too, with the right apps to help you save on things like gas, restaurants, and even parking during your move. Even if you do plan on moving locally, you may also need to think about leaving room in your moving budget for takeout or delivery, or you can prep budget-friendly meals to bring and reheat.
Moving can be a stressful process, but it doesn’t have to be a pricey one. With the planning tips above, you can make sure your move goes off without a hitch! More importantly, you can also make sure your move doesn’t put a major dent in your finances.
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