13 Ways To Lower Moving Costs

1. Short and Sweet

Many people have extended moving processes. Be aggressive and aim to finish your move over the weekend or within a day (depending on how far you're moving). It's super aggressive but also cheaper.

The longer you wait to complete your move, the more money you spend and throw away on unnecessary expenses.

2. Everyone Can Help

Every person you live with is a potential helper. This could be a family member, a friend, a child, a new roommate, or a spouse. 

3. Use What You Have

I often don't invest in a ton of boxes when I move. I aim to utilize what I have because I won't need the boxes after moving.

One of the goals of moving should not be to acquire more stuff but to complete the move with less stuff than you had initially.

Most of us have containers, baskets, and bags that can be used to transport items securely and safely.

Socks, clothes, paper, and blankets can protect any delicate or breakable items.

4. Always Go Smaller

On one of my first moves, I ordered the largest U-Haul available. And I had so few belongings that the truck was not a quarter full! What a waste that was. From now on, I always start smaller. If my stuff can't fit (which never happens), I can always get rid of stuff.

The smaller you go, the cheaper you pay.

5. Eradication

You always realize how much crap you're lugging around when moving.

Often, we don't even realize how much we've accumulated. It might seem like we don't have much, but when the packing starts, we start trying to figure out where all our stuff came from. And much of the stuff has gone unused for ages.

Months leading up to your move, practice eradication every weekend.

Continue to get rid of stuff in every room of your residence until you've reached the barest level possible.

A good rule of thumb for buying: Whenever you buy one thing, let go of one thing.

6. Sell Your Stuff

Everything you find that you no longer need or use can be sold. Imagine that. You can essentially cover your moving costs by turning junk into cash!

There are too many sites to name that grant you the opportunity to sell your stuff.

Snap a pic, upload, and turn a profit.

7. Give Away Your Stuff

It will not only help others but also give you a tax deduction.

The more you give, the better your life is. There's nothing sweeter than giving.

8. Don't Pay For Storage

The best way to avoid monthly storage costs is to practice eradication in step 5. Sometimes, storage is needed because our housing situation is temporary, but even then, ask yourself: Is everything in storage necessary?

Those monthly storage costs add up. Instead of investing in a storage unit, you could double or triple that money with a solid investment strategy.

9. Move Your Own Stuff

Here's the process many people take for moving:

Rent a truck

Hire people to load the truck

Have hired people to move your stuff to a new location

Have hired people to unload your stuff

This is an optimal process that can be much more efficient if you have a lot of stuff. Still, we often underestimate how easy moving is - especially after getting rid of many possessions.

Get some friends and family to help you load and unload the truck and split the truck driving. It's cheaper and may decrease your costs by 2–10x.

You could even rent a small truck (e.g., F-150) or SUV, which is large enough for people with fewer belongings.

10. Hold Off On Furnishing

When we get a new place, we can be eager to furnish it and make it nice and pretty. Instead of buying everything immediately, get items and spread out your purchases one at a time.

The goal is to decrease your upfront costs. So, think carefully about how you want to furnish your place and save money over time.

We tend to buy one thing and spiral into a consumption rampage called "The Diderot Effect."

Here is an example from James Clear:

"You buy a new couch, and suddenly you're questioning the layout of your entire living room. Those chairs? That coffee table? That rug? They all gotta go."

What happens? You go on a shopping spree until you're finally satisfied (at least temporarily).

A remedy to the Diderot Effect: Buy one thing and stop there. Take 2–14 days to determine your next purchase. Waiting always benefits our finances.

Moving can be one of our highest expenses if we're not careful. If you can afford it, continue lugging around all that extra stuff you possess, but if you could use the savings, try implementing some of these steps for your next move.

For those who are struggling to part with their possessions, remember this one thing:

"[…] in a society of ever-bigger houses and ever more possessions: [...] there's a hidden cost to all of that accumulating." - The Daily Stoic p 75

The more we accumulate, the more we burden ourselves, which can affect our mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being.

11. Simplify

Moving doesn't need to be complicated. I have often had less than a week to plan out my move. The key is not to stress and simplify. Simplification looks different for everyone. Take all of the details, stress, and anxiety, and address them immediately to determine what can be eradicated and simplified. For me, simplification looks like this:

Purge stuff from my home often.

Live a minimalist lifestyle.

Always be ready to move by not accumulating too much stuff.

12. Plan

If your move is approaching within 1–12 months, don't spend unnecessary resources on travel, shopping, and superfluous items. Instead, focus on saving, eradicating stuff from your home, and developing a game plan to help you slash your moving costs tremendously.

13. Implement A Phased Approach

Similar to #10, you don't need to furnish everything right away or make all your home modifications at once. Complete setting up your home in phases to delay costs.

I've completed about 10 moves in 7 years. The most impactful strategy that has helped me is not having a lot of stuff. It simplifies things quite exponentially.

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This article is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered Financial or Legal Advice. Not all information will be accurate. Consult a financial professional before making any major financial decisions.