While it’s tempting to make an already tense time less stressful by purchasing expensive packing boxes, rolls of bubble wrap, and renting hand trucks from moving companies at the last minute, you can save hundreds of dollars by planning ahead and getting free or cheap moving supplies.
Following are some tips to help you save money when moving, either in town or hundreds of miles away.
Scrounge Free Moving Boxes
The trash can or recycling bin is a gold mine to those looking to score cardboard boxes for a move. Purchasing new moving boxes will put you back $100 or more for enough to fit the belongings of a standard size house. In the months before your move, put the word out at work and with your friends that you are looking for sturdy and clean cardboard boxes. Many will come your way without effort. Your local municipal recycling center may also allow you to take recycled boxes at their facilities; just refrain from picking them out of the neighbor’s recycling bin – in some areas, that’s considered a crime.
Bookworms will need many smaller, but sturdy, boxes that can hold heavy books. Liquor stores are a great source of book boxes. Befriend your local establishment and start packing books as soon as you have boxes.
Get End Rolls From the Local Newspaper
Cushion-y bubble wrap keeps glasses and dishes safe from the jostling of a move, but this handy packing aid costs a bundle and you’ll need a lot of it to individually wrap all of your delicate items. As an alternative, visit your local newspaper printer and ask for the “end rolls” of their newsprint paper. As their name suggests, these are the ends of the rolls of newsprint that are too skimpy for a print run but give you plenty of material to cushion your breakables. Use this paper to wrap plates or glasses individually and then crumple small pieces of paper to use as filler in the boxes. You’ll spend a small fraction of what you would have paid for bubble wrap.
Rent the Dolly, Invest in Moving Straps
Hand trucks, or dollies, aren’t that expensive to buy or rent and they are essential when moving large appliances and stacks of boxes. Another handy moving aid are Shoulder Dolly moving straps that allow you to distribute the weight of an item you’re carrying over your shoulder and back, making the heavy object seem much lighter. These shoulder straps get overwhelmingly positive reviews on Amazon, where purchasers claim the product helped them move heavy furniture around corners and up and down stairs. cek ongkir Wahana
Call Your Local U-Haul, Don’t Use the Website
Rental trucks for in-town and long-distance moves are usually a great deal for thrifty, do-it-yourself movers. U-Haul in particular has offices in both small and large towns across the U.S. Make sure you get a rental truck at a location closest to you by looking up the nearest location online and then calling the office directly. You’ll avoid the website’s moving equipment hard sell, in which you have to “uncheck” the moving supplies they automatically add to your order, and you will get the truck you want at the location that’s most convenient to you, which saves you the money you would have spent on driving to a distant location.
Plan Ahead and Save Money When Moving
Don’t wait until the last minute to get boxes and supplies and you’ll save hundreds of dollars on boxes, rental trucks, and packing supplies.