Planning a Move – Tips for Savings

In less than two months I am making a fairly big move.  From one city to another.  From one school district to another.  From one house to another.  From the suburbs to the country.  From a house on a normal size lot in a neighborhood to a house sitting on five acres.  I’m excited.  I’m nervous.

With a move comes an expense.  Packing boxes, movers or moving truck rentals, fees charged by utility companies and of course anytime you move to a new home you usually buy at least one new piece of furniture, decor or organization item.

Below are tips for saving money when planning a move, brought to you by BM Savings.

• Free Moving Boxes – Call your local grocery stores and feed stores to find out which day of the week they receive new inventory.  Store managers usually put their boxes out for their customers to pick up two days a week after they finish stocking their stores.

• Save Newspapers – If you live in a neighborhood where you receive a community newspaper free of charge, start stocking up a pile of them in your garage to use as packing paper.  Prevent your dishes and photo frames from breaking by properly wrapping them before packing.

• Find the Best Savings Accounts – As soon as you know you are going to be moving or building a home, open a savings account to stash away as much money as possible.  Some banks even offer an option to transfer a set amount of money to your savings account each time you use your checking account debit card.  For example every time you use your debit card at the store $1 will transfer to your savings account.  I know I use my debit card a lot so even at $1 each time that would add up quick.

• Spring Clean – During a move is the perfect time to sort through your belongings and get rid of stuff.  Make Craig’s List your go-to website to list items to sale.  Facebook is also another great resource with all your local friends.  With so many people connected online, someone will know someone that wants what you are selling.  There are also Facebook groups called Freecycle if you search for your city.  These groups offer a place for people to trade items.  It’s also an easy place to find someone to pick up large items you want to donate but do not have the option of moving it yourself.

• Review Utilities – When it’s time to switch your utilities from your current home to your new home, it’s the time perfect to review your accounts.  Are you paying for cable channels you never watch?  Spending money on a home phone line that you never use?  While you have the utility companies on the phone ask them about special rates and way to save on your monthly bills.

Full Disclosure: I was compensated for my time sharing these tips with you.

How do you save money for big life changes? Do you have a tip to share for making my move a smooth and inexpensive one?