3 Ways to Take the Stress out of Moving

Moving causes a lot of stress and is often a large expense that you must factor into your budget. COVID-19 caused a huge spike in those looking to move. In 2021, 56% of Americans reported to be planning a move. Planning and little tips and tricks along the way can help save your sanity and your wallet.

1. Explore Different Pricing for Moving Companies

Whether you are moving across the street or to a new state, hiring resources and people to help you move can be a costly expense. Consider and price out all your options before you move.

Hire Professional Movers

Often the most expensive option, movers are great when you have many heavy items that are a struggle to move. Since it is such a large expense, obtain quotes from multiple moving companies to find the best deal. Online reviews, personal testimonies, and interviewing these movers can provide added insight to your decision.

Rent a Moving Truck

Often the cheapest way to move a large quantity of items at once, moving trucks come in various sizes suited to meet different sized households. Typically, you rent a truck for a set number of hours and handle loading, driving, and unloading your items without the help of professionals. When renting a moving truck, consider the following:

• Account for fuel costs
• Reserve your truck days in advance
• It is often cheaper to drive the truck back to the pick-up point rather than drop it off to the nearest return center near your new home

Rent a Moving Container

Companies deliver storage pods to your current address for you to fill. These containers are great for storage or if you must move out of your old home before moving to your new location. The company that you are renting from handles the shipping or storing of your container. Price different companies and put in your specific pick-up and drop-off point to get the most accurate quotes.

2. Do Not Waste Your Money on Moving Materials

Repurpose Cardboard Boxes

Large cardboard boxes, package fillers, and labels add up over time. Reduce your waste and save your money by reusing and repurposing materials during your move. Saving and flattening all your boxes before you move accumulates over time and prevents you from having to buy more. If you have the space, save your cardboard boxes from your last move, save your delivery packages, and any durable boxes that may prove useful.

Another way to avoid paying for cardboard boxes is asking local restaurants, grocery stores, and other locations going through large quantities of inventory if they have any boxes they plan on getting rid of. Chances are, these boxes are ending up in the dumpster at the end of the night, so many organizations are happy to pass them off if you ask.

Protect Breakables with Clothes and Blankets

You will quickly go through rolls of padding when packing up fragile items highly concentrated in areas like your kitchen. Those rolls are not cheap and are typically single-use materials. A better way to pack fragile items is wrapping them in cushioned materials you are bringing with you anyways. Pillows and blankets give added support, dish towels work great at separating your plates, and socks are often wrapped around glasses to prevent them from clinking together. Achieve two things at once and save space by packing your fragile items with your textiles.

DIY Moving Labels

Labels specifically designed for an organized move can be easily recreated at home and offers a customized experience. Use colored post-it notes or index cards to color code your boxes before moving. A pink note would indicate to your movers that that box contains bathroom items and to transport it directly to its corresponding room. For added organization, write the content of the box on the label.

3. Divide Up Your Workload

Moving can be a very overwhelming time and often seems like a rushed affair. Break up your packing over a longer span of time to prevent any last minute scrambling. Setting aside a couple hours every weekend leading up to the move will give you a huge head start. Start with packing non-essential items — like extra toiletries and knick-knacks — that you will not miss but take a long time to organize.

If you choose to do all the heavy lifting yourself during moving day, reach out to family and friends in efforts to garner some help. Providing lunch, offering to repay the favor, and finding a weekend that works best for everyone in your moving party ensures that you have as many hands as possible to divide up your workload.

If you are considering a move, don’t forget that you still have health insurance options. These qualifying life events afford you a fresh chance to shop for affordable health insurance via the Marketplace. And to help you navigate this special enrollment period and to help you calculate your eligible tax benefits, browse with W3LL.