NYC moving tips – moving on a tight budget
Moving in NYC can be very challenging both for you and your wallet, but don’t be discouraged by the calculation of moving costs. There are still a few tricks for moving on a tight budget. It’s not necessary to spend an enormous amount of cash during the moving process at all. If you are moving on a tight budget, a good strategy can help you save a lot of money. However, lack of finances may require thorough preparation, time and energy from your end.
Should you hire a moving company if moving on a tight budget?
First of all, decide whether you need professional moving assistance or you can perform the move on your own. People mostly have the wrong impression that moving on their own is somehow cheaper than hiring professional movers. After the move, they actually realize that renting a moving truck and purchasing/renting other moving supplies can be more expensive than hiring professionals. So, in order to avoid unpleasant surprises, compare carefully both options before making the final decision.
How to choose reliable movers?
Research carefully the moving companies you are interested in. Take a look at online reviews, previous customers’ experiences, references, and check every single company at FMCSA. Get as many quotes as you can and don’t fall for an extremely low moving costs estimate. If it’s too good to be true, be aware that something’s wrong, and remember – good service does cost money.
When moving on a tight budget, many people choose to pay for moving services that are too cheap to be reliable. Risky movers can cause a lot of troubles, so stay away from them. That is why you should look for reliable local movers in NYC and take a good look at their references. Don’t miss checking out all the positive and negative reviews, too.
In case you are moving during fall or winter, there’s a possibility to negotiate about the rate and get a discount. So, set a moving date during the off-season and avoid peak seasons. By hiring a professional moving company, you can save a lot of time and energy. But unless you want to be charged additionally, take care of as many tasks as you can. The movers can provide you with all the information regarding the packing process, so get to work. If you cannot handle the packing of some items, just leave them in the middle of the room where movers will have easy access.
DIY moving – does it pay off?
Planning a move without professional assistance is not easy. In case you think you have time to manage it, keep reading. For a successful DIY move, you should have a few facts in mind:
- Set the moving date on time. A rush hour is not part of the day when you will drive your moving truck. Also, make sure to gather enough helpers – friends, relatives, neighbors, …
- Start planning the moving process a few months ahead in order to create a moving strategy according to your budget. On the other hand, the last-minute moving rush requires some additional, unexpected costs.
- Moving usually turns out to be more expensive than expected, which is especially problematic if your funds are already limited. Having some savings can allow you to cover some of the hidden moving costs. So, be informed about all possible additional costs that might appear while moving.
- Being resourceful enough you can get the moving boxes without purchasing them. There are a lot of them available in your nearest liquor store, grocery store, book store, restaurant…You can probably find them at your workplace or get them from a friend who has moved recently.
- Once the move is done, you will realize that there is a lot of waste. However, you can get rid of those boxes by selling them or by recycling them. And mind your environment while moving!
How to calculate your relocation costs?
The overall cost of your move will depend on many factors. If your friends had an easy and cheap relocation, it doesn’t have the same way for you and vice versa. For example, you can choose cheap movers in NYC but hire them in the busiest time of the year. Or, you could find cheap packing supplies and make the mistake of hiring a moving company that is not reliable. In order to calculate your costs when moving on a tight budget, you must do the following:
- Access your inventory. There will probably be many items that you don’t need to move to your new home. Also, accessing your inventory will help you sort the items by size, shape, and weight.
- Declutter and get rid of unnecessary items. This process will help you minimize your moving costs.
- Decide which moving service you need. Keep in mind that some companies offer a discount when choosing a full-moving service.
- Choose a moving company wisely. Do a thorough background check on the company you plan to hire. Moving scams happen more often than you may think, so make sure to avoid them.
- Start planning your moving costs in advance. The sooner you start planning the moving day, the more money you will save. Also, scheduling a moving day in advance will be cheaper, at least when it comes to hiring a moving company.
Saving money while moving on a budget
Planning a moving budget varies on many factors. You could choose to hire movers but to save money and pack on your own. Also, you could just plan your move in advance and choose the less busy time of the year for your relocation. No matter what your plans are, moving your inventory will probably take the most of your budget. For this reason, take a look at some tips that will help you save money when moving on a tight budget.
Packing
There are many to save some money on packing. What you can do is to use your suitcases or bags to pack clothes. Instead of buying air bubble cushioning material, you can wrap all fragile items in bed linens, blankets, clothes, napkins… However, this option is good for your wallet, but not so convenient for your washing machine and people usually realize that while unpacking.
Changing utilities
Remember to discontinue services provided by utility companies (cable, internet, and other) so that you don’t have to pay for an extra month. You can live without cable for a week or two.
While sorting your goods, you will notice those you don’t want to use any more. The easiest way may be to throw them away but try organizing a garage sale. In order to reduce the amount of inventory to move, you should get rid of unnecessary or unused items by donating or selling them. You could certainly use extra cash and at the same time, packing and unpacking will be much easier. Persons who are loading and unloading the truck will be grateful, too.
Plan your move smart!
Moving on a tight budget might be a smart thing to do if you know how to handle all of your moving costs wisely. Don’t worry about having less money than expected for your moving process. After all, there are many smart ways to save money while moving. No matter what your financial situation is, we hope that this article helped you narrow down your moving costs. With smart planning, everyone can save money while moving!