1. Start the Planning Early

Moving takes work. Waiting until the last minute ensures stress and possible forgotten items, not to mention paying top dollar on moving expenses.

Start planning your move months before the trucks pull away to save money. Planning is free. Plus, you’ll have plenty of time to find deals, discounts, and other money-saving options.

Early planning also helps plan for the unexpected. Consider setting up a savings account for moving expenses. Earlier planning means more monetary contributions to the moving fund.

2. Look for Discounts

As you plan your move, look for ways to save money at every step. Start with searching for discounted moving services.

There are countless discounts for many of the most needed moving services. For example:

• U-Haul and Penske offer deals on truck rentals through their websites.
• Many moving companies provide discounted services for teachers, military members, and older adults.
• Discounted packing services help save you time and money, leaving you free for other tasks.
• Students should look for dorm moving packages through popular moving companies, including U-Haul and SmartBox.

Don’t be afraid to ask for hidden discounts, either. Many moving companies have helpful services for all types of movers. Get out there and find yours.

3. Spend Wisely (and Hire the Professionals)

Discounts and savings are great, but you still have to spend money on the move. So, be sure to make every dollar count.

Hiring professional movers may seem like an unnecessary cost. However, packing and loading take time and effort from other tasks, and there are always other areas of the move that need attention. Consider letting the pros take on the bigger jobs.

Hiring a professional mover helps keep stress levels low in addition to leaving you free to tackle other tasks. As well, professional movers keep you from experiencing muscle strains, lost items, and mispacked trucks.

Also, consider professional packing services. Many moving companies offer this as well. With professional packing, your items make the move intact, without you having to break a sweat.

4. Stay Organized and On Task

So far, we’ve seen that moving involves many complex situations. For many, it’s all a bit overwhelming. Thus, stay organized to avoid struggling against the weight of a move.

Use checklists and schedules to ensure your moving steps proceed as intended. Be as detailed as you need to keep yourself on track. Taking care of loose ends and unanswered questions helps avoid last-minute expenses. It also gives you the time to look for discounts and other money-saving methods.

5. Avoid Peak Seasons

When choosing your moving date, shoot for an off-season day.

Millions of people move throughout the year, but the majority of moves occur during the summer. Specifically, May through August sees the most moves throughout the country. Fall through spring should offer lower moving costs.

6. Sell Seldom-Used Items for Extra Cash and Space

Once you start packing, take a look at what you have. Does everything need to come with you? If you have stuff that doesn’t need to make the trip, get rid of it.

The less you need to pack, the less you spend on packing supplies. You might even drop down a truck size, as well as avoiding the mental and emotional stress of having fewer items to move.

If you do have things to get rid of, try to make some money from them. Have a garage sale and bring out your unneeded and unused items. Use social media to advertise what needs to go. There are even online markets and consignment shops to sell gently-used items.

Donate anything that doesn’t sell. Just make sure it doesn’t end up on the moving truck.

7. Look for Alternative Moving Methods

Speaking of moving trucks, not all trucks are equal; nor are all moving methods.

Alternative moving methods help you save money by changing the traditional moving model. For instance:

• Rent a specific square foot space in a shared truck to cut costs.
• Use a portable container for easy storage and transportation before and after the move.
• Ship items to free up space. This cuts down on what needs to be “moved.”

A moving truck isn’t the only way to move. Look around for local alternative moving services, and save some money.

8. Call for Help from Friends and Family

A great way to save money is simply to avoid paying for things. Of course, in most places, this is considered theft. When employing your friends and family, though, alternative payment methods may be accepted.

If you don’t feel comfortable asking them for physical labor, ask for materials. Donations of boxes and packing supplies help you avoid unneeded costs. However, if your friends and family do offer to help, always accept.

Ask your friend with the big truck to help your local move. Call in your siblings to assist you in packing up your place. Providing food for their time is often a highly-appreciated payment, but consider tips or gifts as other ways to spread the love.

Of course, it’s expected that you too will help them when they move—and you should willingly do so. If you’re moving out of state, however, consider sending them gifts for the next year or so.