The Frugal Mover: How to Create a Moving Budget

Moving Budget Ideas to Move Within Your Means

If you want your next move to be smooth, create a moving budget. A moving budget can cushion you in case of an unexpected expense. It can also help you save money.

Are you getting ready for a move? Moving can easily get expensive, but we’ll help you cut the moving expenses. Learn how to create a moving budget today with our guide.

Take Inventory

You may want to reduce some items when planning a budget move. You also want a hassle-free move to avoid unexpected costs and potential damages. An inventory of your belongings is one of the best things to do when moving on a budget.

If you want easy budgeting and packing, categorize items. Determine what you’re moving, leaving behind, discarding, and giving away.

Then inventory items starting with specialty items like electronics such as your piano. Check out our guide about how to move a piano to learn more.

Moving bulky items can also be challenging. So, have a clear plan of how you’ll move your furniture and any other heavy items.

After that, you’ll have the time to figure out how to move all the smaller items like utensils, beddings, and clothes. Make sure you categorize and color code everything by room. This way, you’ll make unpacking fast and simple. Remember to use labels, especially for fragile and essential items.

Create Your Moving Checklist

It’s possible to get confused and miss out on some moving costs when planning a move. There’s usually a lot of stress, pressure, and distractions during the whole process.

You must stay organized to ensure your move goes as planned. A moving checklist will help you stay on track and take all the activities into account. Remember, a good budget will help you to plan appropriately.

You’re less likely to forget budgeting for any activity, and that will also mean you’ll have all moving costs in check. Your moving costs will most likely cater to what you’re moving. You’ll even base decisions like how to pack for your move on your checklist.

How to create a moving checklist shouldn’t be complex. You can easily build an excel sheet or use ready-made moving checklist templates. Define your goals and tasks needed for your move and use them to develop your checklist.

Decide How You’ll Move

One of the most important things to decide early on before creating a moving budget is how you’ll move. Your moving costs will depend on whether you’re using a professional, DIY mover, or a hybrid.

Do your research, especially to figure out how to move on a budget. Have a rough idea of how much it will cost with a professional, DIY, or hybrid mover.

Professional Home Budget Movers Services

Hiring home moving services is often one of the most affordable and convenient ways to move. Professional movers will take all the heavy work, whether it’s a local or long-distance move, and make it really convenient.

If you find a trustworthy and cost-efficient mover, you cannot worry about hidden costs. Your mover should be upfront and honest about potential costs once you give them your quote.

Some of the costs to budget for when planning for a professional move include:

• Packing costs
• Moving costs and rates
• Moving insurance
• Valuables packing services
• Storage services
• Unpacking costs
• Hidden costs on damages, meals, tips, and more

Do your research to find a budget mover. Ask and compare quotes from different budget movers to find the best deal. Make sure you consider the provision of storage options, packing supplies, and move allowances when choosing a budget mover. With Fleet53, you can take comfort in knowing your move will be smooth, cost-effective, and on time.

You can be sure of saving a considerable part of your budget when moving with us. Our technology-driven process will ensure your move is efficient and affordable. We will customize your move based on your needs to ensure it’s within your means.

DIY Move

A DIY move is a minimalist’s move. It’s ideal for first-time moving or when you don’t have a lot of items to move. Otherwise, if you’re doing it to save money, you might spend more than with a professional.

You will still need a SMART budget to make your move seamless. Remember to consider the realities of you doing all the planning and the heavy work. Take into account potential risks and the fact you may ask your friends to help you with the heavy lifting.

You’re in the driving seat in a DIY move, figuring out all the logistics. It’s all on you from planning, budgeting, finding a truck rental, and proper storage unit. This will be hectic, so make sure your move budget is very considerate.

Here are some of the expenses to include in your budget:

• Packing materials (you should know where to find affordable moving boxes near you)
• Personal or family transportation, lodging, and food, especially when moving long-distance
• Moving truck rental and gas costs
• Insurance for the actual move, furniture, and specialty items
• Moving equipment rental
• Storage costs (make sure you contact different storage companies to compare costs)
• Extra costs such as track maintenance and unpacking
• Car shipping costs

A Hybrid Move

Hybrid moving costs depend on what services you’re outsourcing to a budget mover. A professional mover may, for example, provide packing and moving supplies and storage.

Cater for Potential Moving Budget Constraints

A moving budget is an account of potential and not actual moving costs. To avoid the risk of under-budgeting, make sure you create a contingency fund.

Multiply the approximate costs by 5% to find your best contingency buffer. This way, you can take care of unexpected costs or any cost differences.

Figure out How to Save Money During Your Move

After creating your contingency buffer, look for more budget moving ideas. Try to find more ways to figure out how to move on a budget. Here are some cost-saving moving tips to add to your list:

• Ask your moving company for a move allowance
• Declutter and sell excess items to fund your moving budget
• Donate or give away bulky items, especially if you can’t sell
• Freeze spending on new items
• Find budget movers
• Move during off-seasons to enjoy lower rates
• Pull a hybrid move to avoid costs on those things you can do yourself

Learn How to Move on a Budget

Include all the potential moving costs when creating your moving budget. Try to be realistic and compare different moving options before making your decisions.

Once you’ve found a trustworthy, cost-efficient, in-time mover and are ready to move, don’t forget to track your expenses. Pay attention to the cost differences to ensure you’re on the right track.

For fair costs and quality movers, contact us today or fill out a free home moving quote on your next move.