How can I save on moving expenses?

[lebaggblu]

Fold the boxes and save them

[skylovessea]

I have moved often and live in Ohio now- exactly where do you think you can find work? Just curious.

When I moved the first 7 or 8 times I rented a u-haul and did it myself. My last move I was 30+ and decided that hiring movers would let me live longer and earn more money (I have a bad back). A few of the moves friends let me borrow pick up trucks to save me the cost of the moving truck. Look at renting a pick up vs cost of a u-haul as a HUGE cost savings. A case of beer for use of a pickup truck will save you big time $$.

BOX everything. Start looking for rectangular shaped boxes and BOX everything. No "what not" allowed. Boxes allow things to sit on top of one another (and save space).

If something does not fit in a box, it is either furniture, packed last, or left behind. What you load first is unpacked last... remember that.

If you get a moving truck here is what I would do:

1) have EVERYTHING boxed beforehand
1a) have all boxes labeled
1b) the suggestion for clothes before was a good one
2) put the largest objects (couches, mattresses) in first.
3) set light boxes on top of couches and over the driver (if truck has overhang).
4) then load the largest boxes towards the back and bottom, stacking them before you move towards back of truck.
5) the boxes/stuff at the very back of the truck will be the things which come out first (think about where things go before packing). For example if you will not be lifting during the move, you might want to have a dresser at very back, with the clothes which go in it in the back- that way the dresser is unloaded first, you can then carry the boxes of clothes to go into the dresser in, and load the dresser while the men unpack the rest.

For me the big thing with moving is to make it happen in a day- I don't like living out of boxes... so I want to spend 3-5 days getting anything not needed in boxes before the move, labeling as I go... then the night before packing up the rest. A day to load the truck, then unload the whole truck and all boxes in a day.

We are moving just outside of the Cincinnati area.

Thank you for all the tips! They are great.

[jIM_Ohio]

We are moving just outside of the Cincinnati area.

Thank you for all the tips! They are great.

you can PM me if you need suggestions for the cheap places to live. If you look at Clermont or Brown County, for example, it will be MUCH cheaper than living in Hamilton county. It would increase commute times, but should cut housing (rent) in half or in a third.

I paid $700/mo on west side of clermont county when I moved here in 1997. Moving another 30 miles east could have cut my costs in half in that regard.

Not as familiar with northern counties (Butler or points north), but I would think similar trends- Cincinnati gets rural fast once you are 45-60 miles from the city center.

Many of the nurses I have met live in Indiana, which is about 50 miles from downtown and a 60 minute commute. Similar can be found in KY. Indiana and KY both have much cheaper state taxes than Ohio. I pay 6.6% state tax in Ohio... for KY it would be 3-4% and for Indiana it is 2-3% (for my income).

Ohio has a high state tax rate, plus ~7% sales tax (depends on county and city), plus high property taxes in suburbs. I can pretty much guarantee your taxes in Ohio will be higher than Tennessee, regardless of income.

[creditcardfree]

Leave out toilet paper, soap and a towel in the bathroom...because someone will need to go during loading.

Cleaning should be last, so keep your minimal supplies out. A vacuum, a trash bag(s), cleaning solution, paper towels or rags.

Start packing now. Pack away books you won't read, summer clothes, anything you don't need for everyday living. Labeling them is important, too. You might think about which boxes will even need to be opened when you get to inlaws. I would think much of the kitchen items won't be needed until you get your own place...pack and mark accordingly.

Keep out some food and snacks for packing day, too. You will get hungry.
You might be able to get free boxes at a store nearby. I think Walmart stocks on Monday mornings...lots of boxes laying around. Invest in some packing tape.

I would also purge as much as you can, too. If you aren't using it now, you probably don't need it. Why spend the energy moving something like that.

That's all I have for now!

[zakity]

I was going to suggest the toilet paper!

Many years ago, we were helping a friend of DH's move. DH had to use facilities and needed some and there was none to be had. I have always throw the last few napkins from the fast food places in the glove compartment and he used to laugh at me for it. It saved his butt, literally...

Also, take some soap and some hand sanitizer. Some of the rest stops don't have soap or toilet paper. We actually take two bottles of soap, one for the me (only female in the household) and one for the guys. I use the sample shampoo bottles and refill them with cheap shampoo. You can also take a partial bar of soap or a hotel sized bar in a baggie. It will get sort of gloopy after a few uses though.

Also, baby wipes are great for long trips. I still keep the cheap thin ones in the cars since I don't have to wipe up poopy butts anymore. They are more for faces and hands and such. They are great when you have to check something under the hood when you are away from home. You can wipe the grease off your hands.

[Squishypig]

I moved a few years ago (Louisiana to S Carolina) and used AFB U-Pack to move everything. Very inexpensive and I had a wonderful experience with them. I moved alone and I didn't want to drive all my possessions along with towing my car. I don't know if I would have used them for a 400 mile move with another person but it's an alternative.

Other wise my tips are (and I fully admit that I am anal when I move):
- Start gathering boxes from places. Depending on where you work, that can be a good source. I work in a boring office and I managed to get most of my boxes here when we bought our new house. I've also called grocery stores and they've set aside boxes for me as well.

- Assign a color to each room. When you pack a box, use a marker the assigned color and label ALL sides with that color. I usually take it a step futher and put the room in the upper right hand corner (LR=Living, MBR=master bedroom, etc). It makes it really easy if you are having a lot of peope help you move in. They know if the box is red to bring it to the kitchen, blue to the living room without having to ask you.

- When you pack a box, number them starting from 1. When you go to unpack, you'll know that the highest number boxes were the last packed and those are usually the ones that need to be unpacked first.

- I actually keep a running list of what is in what box so it's easy to account for then once I get to my new home and if I need to put my hands on something specific, I can go right to that box.

- The last box you pack onto the truck should contain:
- tools that you need, extension cords, tape, paper, pens, etc
- paper plates, cups, forks, knives, etc
- toliet paper, paper towels, soap
- bath towels (so that you don't have to unpack anything to take a shower)
- sheets, blankets, pillows

- When I get to my new place, the first thing I do is get the bed set up and made up and declare the bedroom my calm in the middle of the storm. For me, it's very important that if I get overwhelmed that I have a place to go and rest without a lot of distraction. And there's nothing worse after a day full of moving and unpacking than being ready to collapse into a bed... only to have to make the bed.

I've used this system for my last four moves and it really makes a difference. Good luck with the new move!

[whitestripe]

those are some great tips squishypig. i'm about to move myself, but luckily i am only moving about 25 minutes away, and we have three weeks to do it in. i agree with the bed thing - our first move we did that, but our second move we didn't. it sure makes a difference. i remember having to start work at 5.30am in the morning, it being about 11pm and having to make the bed. talk about frustrated to tears!!!!

[B.J. Johns]

as scfr mentioned, get "29 days to a smooth move"...very good info.