Thursday, April 9, 2009

How to save money on moving

By JieYing Peng


After graduation, many of us have to move for our new jobs. If your company is picking up the relocation tab, you are lucky. For those who do not have that luxury, I am going to show you ways to save money when you move.

1. Ask the moving company's sales rep or booking agent how much the discount is and then see if you can get a slightly better deal. You should be getting at least three estimates, so you may have some leverage there.
2. Do not assume that the moving company or sales rep will tell you about additional fees. Make sure you find out ahead of time what services might be needed.
3. Be flexible. You'll stand a chance of cutting a better deal if you can be flexible about your moving date. Movers are very busy from mid-May to mid-September. They are usually looking for work in January and February.
4. Junk is junk. If you haven't used it or worn it in more than a year, movers suggest that you pitch, sell or give away the item.
5. Doing some of your own packing is one of the best ways to reduce costs.
6. The mover will sell you boxes, tape and packing paper. But you may be able to get them cheaper at a do-it-yourself mover such as U-Haul or Ryder. You'll save more money by getting boxes from your supermarket, but make sure they're in good shape and weren't initially used for produce, or they may attract bugs.
7. Plan for a moving budget. This will keep you on track and remind you of what you are able to spend and ensure that you have enough money to cover all the needed expenses.
8. Keep all receipts; you'll be able to deduct allowable expenses from your income taxes.

Resources:
http://www.paulstransfer.com/id12.html
http://moving.about.com/od/movingandyourmoney/a/money_leeks.htm
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/moving_on/Edit/costs.asp

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