Today’s economy forces people into looking for economical ways to save money on many types of services. Moving to a new home is no exception. Whether moving locally in Halifax, within Nova Scotia, or across the country, you’re most likely looking for different ways to save money at this time. Below we’ll discuss a number of money saving moving tips for your consideration.

The Cost of Packing Supplies

Packing supplies can add up quickly when you’re moving, but if you know some tricks it doesn’t have to be that way. When you have a limited budget for your move, the first item to consider is the cost of good quality moving boxes. Most people don’t realize that it’s actually very easy to get free boxes, and I’m not talking about the ones your get from the local store.

Start by asking family or friends if they have any boxes from their last move or if they know anyone who may have them. Many people will be happy to loan them to you for your move, or alternately; sell them to you at a reduced price. After family and friends, try social media sites where you can post requests to see if anyone is willing to help you. These can include Kijiji and Freecycle. These are excellent sites to help your connect with others in your community.

When packing, consider using towels and sheets to protect items instead of purchasing “packing peanuts,” bubble wrap or using dirty newspapers. If needed, your local Thrift Store and Value Village offer both these items at bargain prices.

Boxes from local stores, often grocery stores, can be acceptable if the items you’re moving are such that they do not need strong moving boxes. Clothing and other light items come to mind.

Turn Trash into Cash

A large percentage of people will have a yard or garage sale to rid themselves of unwanted items and earn cash to help with the move. Depending on your situation, you could realize a significant amount of cash from having a sale. You can then put this money toward your moving expenses, and if you’ve done really well it could even pay for your entire move. This is really a case of one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. If you have a lot of items to sell and they are of some value, consider hiring a professional to do the sale for you. Besides taking the burden off of you, they can actually wind up paying for themselves by selling more stuff and getting better prices than you might get on your own.

The more you reduce the items being moved from your home to your new residence, the more savings you’ll realize. Don’t forget that items you don’t want anymore, and which may not be suitable for a garage sale, can be donated to local charity stores in the area.

Do Your Research Before Hiring Movers

While the budget-minded will often pass on hiring movers, reputable professional movers can actually be a smart financial decision, which we wrote about earlier. So if you do decide to hire movers, be sure to check out Homestars and Yelp for reputable companies. The best moving companies will:

• arrive on-time, preventing potentially costly delays
• properly wrap your items, preventing expensive items from getting broken
• have proper insurance, in the event something does break in transit
• charge a reasonable amount for their time, equipment, and packing supplies

These tips will help you get started to save money for your upcoming move. Be sure to check our blog for lots of other great moving tips!