Moving… it’s one of those things in life that many people dread. In fact, unless you know professional movers that genuinely like moving/helping their customers and getting to know them, you will be very hard pressed to find anyone who puts moving on the top of their lists as best ways to spend time. In face, it’s usually at the very bottom. And, along with moving comes spending money. Sometimes moving can be an expensive thing, but if you know how to do it correctly, you can actually save plenty of money – this can help make the experience more enjoyable (especially in this economy). So, we have compiled some of the top ways to save money when moving. Take a look!

1. In every home with time more and more items are accumulated and at a certain point you come up with so many things you don’t need or that are broken and can’t be used. There is no point to move them. Go around your home, see what you don’t need or want and get rid of it. You can sell things on ebay or organize a garage sale, you can put things up on Craigslist, give away things for charity (that may even provide you with some tax benefits) or just give the things you no longer want to friends, relatives, neighbors, etc. Throw away the garbage and recycle the materials that you can. Especially review the heavy items in your home – winter coats, CDs, heavy boots, etc. Will you use them all? Will you be listening to all of the CDs you already have? This is one of the efficient ways to ways to save money when you move out. That includes dealing with the toys your kids may not be playing with any longer.
2. Another one of the ways to save when moving is to not throw away frozen food. Make a menu for the last period in your home and consume the food that you have. These are all things you have bought and paid for anyway.
3. At the same time, plan what will fit in your new home. One of the ways to save on moving expenses is to measure your furniture – if it won’t fit, don’t transport it.
4. If you have some equipment for your hobby or instruments in your garage you don’t use consider getting rid of them. This is one of the ways to save money when you move out because the heavier your belongings are the more money you’ll have to pay for your moving.
5. Explore your library and check which books you want to keep. A generous way to save money on moving expenses is to give away your unwanted books to the movers.
6. Get at least several moving quotes. If you only get one estimate, you may get a rogue mover. Even though in most cases the prices will be similar, don’t take that chance and ask for several quotes – if you don’t it may cost you a lot of money, effort and frustration.
7. Read reviews when looking for a moving company. For sure you should take some time to research on the movers before hiring them. One of the great ways to save money when moving is this because reviews can tell you how a company works. If someone was scammed – the reviews are the place to find out about this. Reading reviews online can save you money with movers.
8. Save on packing supplies. You don’t necessarily need to buy them all new from the store. You can collect boxes at liquor and book stores, supermarkets, etc. Just make sure that the boxes you get are clean, sturdy and strong enough to handle the content you plan to use in them. Instead of packing paper you can ask for defected newsprint at the local newspaper – they’ll throw it away anyway. One of the easy ways to save on moving expenses is to ask for second hand materials for packing online – there may be people who don’t need their bubble wrap, packing paper and have tape left after their move.
9. Can you be flexible on your moving dates? This is one of the ways to save on moving expenses that we’d recommend. In some cases if you agree on another moving date you may pay a bit less. In this way movers can combine the route they travel by taking other people’s belongings as well. And everyone is a winner!
10. Also consider the time to move. Usually movers charge more in summer, on weekends, during holidays and in the beginning and end of the month because they have more work then. One of the possible ways to save money when you move out is to contact a few movers and ask what the price for your relocation will be depending on the time to move.

So, as you can see, there are plenty of things you can do to make a move cheaper (and ultimately more enjoyable). Moving doesn’t have to be as bad as you think it is. Although, it is not something you want to do all of the time, there is a way to make it a more enjoyable activity and even save money in the process. Some of these tips are common sense, some are things you might have never thought out or over looked. The list could go on and on, however, we thought these 10 tips would help illustrate our point and save you the most money. Remember, the key to a successful move is planning and strategy! #MakingMovingSimple (bulleted tip section information provided by themovingblog.com)