Budget-friendly tips for nationwide moving

Relocating across the nation can be an expensive proposition. One that you will want to budget very carefully, lest you find yourself in an awkward financial situation. Luckily, there are numerous budget-friendly tips for nationwide moving that you can take advantage of to make your relocation cost less. You will need to spend quite some time throughout the process, though, whether it is searching for the best interstate moving companies, finding free packing supplies, looking for deals/discounts, etc. To assist you with this endeavor, we are going to provide you with all the information you might need.

Best budget-friendly tips for nationwide moving

Here’s a useful checklist of all the things you can do to make your nationwide relocation less expensive:

• Declutter
• Choose the right time to move
• Find a cost-effective moving company
• Get some help from friends and family
• Search for discounts and deals
• Consider a portable moving container
• Get free packing supplies
• Consider a DIY relocation

You can choose to employ some or all of the above tips. It all depends on how much time and energy you are willing to invest in the process. At the very least, you should familiarize yourself with all the options.

The importance of decluttering

Moving companies charge by the weight, volume, and size of your shipment for nationwide moves. Therefore, you will want to make sure that you are only taking with you what is absolutely necessary. By lowering the number of items that are taking the trip to your new home, you will be able to considerably reduce the cost of your relocation. Furthermore, you can sell the items that you don’t need and reinforce your moving budget even more.

Garage/Yard sale

Usually, the best way to spend your time and energy selling your items is by holding a garage or a yard sale. These sales are very popular and have the potential to allow you to quickly get rid of your items and make some money while you are doing so. The most important thing, however, is that you market your sale properly. You may want to start by telling as many people as possible about the sale and tell them to spread the word. Word of mouth is still quite an effective way to organize a garage sale, even in this day and age.

Of course, that does not mean that you can afford to ignore the power of the internet. You will also want to post your sale on as many specialized sites as you can, and you might also want to post it on your local community websites. The more time you spend marketing your garage sale, the more effective it will be. Alternatively, if your relocation is quite some time away, you can choose to hold several sales until the moving day arrives. That way, you can afford to wait to sell some of your items to the right buyer.

Selling your items online

You can also choose to list your items on various websites such as eBay and Craigslist. In fact, you might want to do that even if you are planning on holding a garage sale in the future. The more avenues of sale you have, the better. Online retailers are a great way to sell your items quickly, provided that you underprice them. If you are only concerned with getting some of your belongings “out of the way”, posting them at low prices is the way to go.

Donating your belongings

If you are against selling your items, you can choose to donate them instead. There are numerous charities that will come by your home and pick up some of your belongings, at no cost to you whatsoever. The “catch” is that no charity will pick up everything you have. Different charities have different priorities, after all. You will need to talk to a few of them and see what items they are interested in. Of course, all of the belongings that you are planning to donate must be in good condition. While donating might not provide you with pocket money, you may be able to get some tax deductions instead.

Donating to a good cause is great in and of itself but you stand to profit from it, due to tax returns. These returns will most likely be lower than what you could get from the items if you sold them, though.

Choosing the right time to relocate is one of the best budget-friendly tips for nationwide moving

Moving companies also vary their prices according to the time and date. If you are looking to save some money on your relocation, you should avoid the summer as it is the prime moving season. Most people choose to relocate during the summer because it is the most convenient time for them. If you can manage to schedule your nationwide move in the winter, however, your relocation is going to be much less expensive.

Furthermore, choosing to move in the middle of the week is less expensive than on the weekend. It may be worth your while to try and organize a relocation that is more convenient to your movers than it is to you, as that will mean that you will pay less. Another thing that you will want to do is pay attention to the current economical factors, as well as research and compare moving companies. For example, if the gas prices are extremely high at the moment, you may want to try and postpone the relocation for when they go back to normal. This is a risky proposition, however, as you simply can’t know what the future might bring.

Get some free help

There is a lot of work involved in a nationwide relocation. If you can manage to get some friends and/or family members to help you out, it can drastically lower your relocation costs. Not only that, but you will get to spend some quality time with your inner circle, even if there is work involved.

To make asking for help easier, you should provide your friends&family with plenty of notice, as well as remind them from time to time that the relocation effort is going to start soon. People have busy lives and these notices and reminders are usually very welcome when planning your long distance moving process. Furthermore, you don’t want to force the issue on anyone or appear disappointed if your friends have other obligations. Start asking early and you will be able to plan out the best course of action.

Always be on the lookout for deals and discounts

The moving industry is ever-changing. New moving companies are entering the market on a daily basis. What this means is that there is an opportunity to take advantage of promotional deals and discounts. Even well-established nationwide movers provide occasional deals to their customers, as a means to promote their business even further. Looking for discounts is one of the best money-saving tips when hiring movers, after all. However, what you need to do is start looking for these deals straight away. Every day brings a new possibility of a moving company offering an amazing deal.

But you can’t simply “jump” on a deal without any thinking. We live in a world where moving scams are a frequent thing. Fraudulent movers thrive on people who want to make their relocation cheaper by offering deals that are too good to be true. What you need to do is thoroughly research each mover before you commit to anything. That is the only way to avoid being a victim of a moving scam.

A portable moving container provides a much cheaper alternative

Moving containers present a much cheaper alternative to full-service moving. You will need to load and unload the container on your own, or you can hire labor-only services. Either way, relocating with a portable moving container will make the moving process less convenient but much less expensive as well. If you have secured the help of your friends and family members, you can load the container at the time of your choosing.

Getting free packing supplies

No matter how you choose to move, you are going to need packing supplies, which will put yet another dent in your moving budget. Unless, of course, you get them for free! For moving boxes, all you need to do is visit some of the stores you normally frequent and ask if they can spare a few. Most of the time, doing so will provide you with all the boxes you need.

For packing supplies, you may want to join a local “pass it forward” group, such as Freecycle. These nonprofit groups are there to help people get free stuff in their own towns, packing supplies included. If you are not so keen on taking someone else’s things for free, you can list some of your own items to pass forward. Do note that you are not guaranteed to get all the supplies you will require. Most of the time, you will need to purchase some supplies from a local store or your moving company.

DIY relocation is the cheapest way to move across the nation

As far as budget-friendly tips for nationwide moving go, a DIY relocation is the cheapest way to relocate. If you can rent a truck and drive it to your destination, you will be able to save quite a bit on your relocation. At Consumer Opinion Guide, we have a list of all the top companies that can provide you with a rented truck, as well as all the top nationwide movers. Explore our website at your leisure and you will find all sorts of useful information that can make your relocation cheaper, more reliable, as well as more convenient.