Now that we have officially wrapped up moving from Alabama to Tennessee. It’s time to take a look back at how we kept moving costs down.  This was our first big move and we aren’t exactly experts but we do have a few pointer to pass along.

7 Tips for an Inexpensive Move

1. Don’t Buy Boxes

That’s right, don’t buy boxes.  We moved our entire house with out buying a single box!  How did we do it?  Since Young Living has become such an integral part of our lives we get boxes of shipments each month.  About six months ago I started collapsing the boxes down and storing them in the attic. I knew the day would come when we need them.  Let’s face it, Michael Luke and I find joy in saving money and this was one little piece of joy in our moving process.

Michael Luke snagged several boxes from the hospital.  They get broken down and recycled everyday so he just made it a point to stop by the pile every morning and grab us a few.  Some of our most sturdy boxes came from the hospital.

We also used one of the oldest tricks in the book and one that most college students are smart enough to know about. We stopped by the liquor store and stocked up on empty liquor boxes.  Nothing like giving the impression of “party animals” to the neighbors when you move in.

When it came down to the final days we posted on Facebook asking if anyone had any boxes.  Some good friends of ours ended up giving us our final stash of boxes that helped us move without purchasing a single box.

2. Buy Tape and Bubble Wrap in Bulk

Moving can get costly if you run down to the corner drug store every time you need a new roll of tape.  Plan ahead.  You are packing an entire house!   it’s going to take a few rolls or a few dozen rolls.

Bubble wrap is also affordable bought in bulk. I think we went through three big boxes of bubble wrap.  It was actually one of the most calming parts of packing to me. Call me crazy.

3. Recruiting Friends with Food

Ok, this one is only feasible if you are doing a partial move or maybe a move across town.  DO NOT try to recruit your friends to help you load an entire truck.  Seriously, that’s not how they envisioned spending their day.

We did however recruit friends for the first U-Haul load of stuff we took to Tennessee.  It was a relatively small U-Haul pulled by a truck so it only took a couple of hours for five guys to get it loaded.  I in turn payed them with elk stew and rice.  They considered it a fair trade.

4. Start Early and Pack Yourselves

One of the simplest ways to save money when moving is to pack yourselves.  We started about two months in advance. Why so early? It wasn’t like I was packing non-stop everyday for two months.  I packed a couple of boxes a day and then once we got back from Thrive we put into high gear and packed non-stop for about three days.  Once you factor in your attic and storage room it really is amazing how much packing there is to do.  I mean there may be a few moments of panic and wondering, “What have I signed myself up for?” but seriously it beats having to shell out the cash for someone else to do it for you.  Plus, look at the bright side.  You have a better chance of knowing what box your favorite coffee mug, book, or picture is in if you pack it yourself.

5.  Drive the Truck Yourself

Major money can be saved by not having moving guys on the clock while they drive your belongings to your new home.  This was the first time that Michael Luke had ever driven trucks this big.  The second one had twenty-six feet of storage in the back!  He drove it without any problems though.  I mean as long as you don’t consider not being able to drive over seventy miles per hour a problem.

6. Ensure You Have FAST MOVERS

Seriously, I cannot emphasize this enough.  Our movers in Birmingham were awesome.  They were friendly towards the girls, careful with our belonging, and most importantly busting it to get the job done!

The movers in Collierville were just a completely different story.  I wanted to pull my “mom card” with them and jump all over them for just standing around.  Investigate your movers beforehand.  Read reviews.  Try to grasp how they load and unload things.  Do they value your possessions?  Will you be paying them to argue over who should take what inside?

7. Company Reimbursement

Finally, you may be able to save money moving if your company will reimburse all or part of your moving expenses.  I never would have thought it would have been a possibility for us but it was.  They even had a relocation company that we were able to work through to help us set up movers on both ends.  Even if it’s not mentioned in your interview don’t hesitate to ask.  What if they accidentally left it out?  You could be missing out.

So there you have it.  Our 7 tips for an inexpensive move.  Do you have any others to add it to?  What are some of the ways you cut costs during your previous moves?

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