Moving expenses

[dr&momto2boys]

We're moving in less than 3 weeks and everything sure adds up! Do you have any money saving tips? For instance we called several movers (to help move furniture, we packed all boxes and moved most to temporary storage ourselves) and found it cheaper to hire movers from a more rural area even though we have to pay more travel expenses. ($60/ hour for 2 guys vs. $100/hr.) We also have 3 days to wait between moving out and moving in to the new place and found it cheaper to rent our own U-haul truck for 4 days than to pay the movers to keep it for a few days or use the container system.
What else can we do to cut costs? Tips on new utility/ TV/ internet providers? All the little things we need/want to replace at the new house? (Also buying new appliances.)
Thanks!

 

[verleniahall]

instead of hiring movers - have them annouce at church that you are in need of some help moving the heavier items - no cost to you except maybe offering som epizza and soda afterwards.

 

[scrapquitler]

Whenever I have moved, I've always reminded myself (and my family) that we didn't need all the new things we wanted/thought we needed for the new house right away. Sure, the couch we had might not have fit in the living room the way we wanted, but that didn't mean that we needed a new one immediately. We could live with the old one for a few months. We always spread out the expenses over some period of time (six months, minimum) because most of them were WANTS not needs, and it was easier to budget that way. Now of course, some of those expenses there wasn't much choice...when we moved from an apartment to a house, the lawnmower was a must, so we prioritized those.

 

[hamm1207]

If you're moving more than 50 miles, keep all receipts for movers, gas, storage lockers, and lodging--these are tax deductible! We moved from Texas to Alaska and when we filed our taxes the next year, we got 3/4 of the money back. We just moved back to the lower 48 from Alaska, and we saved all of our receipts again.

 

[loves to dive]

We try to get the new house a few weeks or even a month before we get out of the old. That way I start moving the little stuff and things like clothes, dishes, etc. over myself. All we have the movers do is move the big heavy stuff like beds, couches and washer/dryer. We even did that last time we moved at work. Only had to have the movers for a couple of hours. If you can't do that, make sure you box up all the stuff yourself so all they have to do is pick up the boxes and move them.

 

[piccolopat]

If you're moving more than 50 miles, keep all receipts for movers, gas, storage lockers, and lodging--these are tax deductible! We moved from Texas to Alaska and when we filed our taxes the next year, we got 3/4 of the money back. We just moved back to the lower 48 from Alaska, and we saved all of our receipts again.

Not all moving expenses are deductible. They must be due to a job move and some other things. For example, we moved more than 50 miles but my job only moved less than 10 miles. We moved from south of NYC to north of NYC to make the commute easier (one train in to GCT rather than car, train, ferry, 2 subways). We couldn't deduct any of our moving expenses. You should check the IRS rules before trying to deduct these.

 

[piccolopat]

If you are physically able, move as much of the smaller, non-breakable furniture yourselves like chairs, end tables and lamps. Leave the larger stuff and anything breakable to the professionals. Please make sure they are fully insured. Some of the cheaper ones may not be cheaper if they break things and you don't get reimbursed for the damages. Also make sure they estimate the number of hours and compare that to a fixed price estimate and be there to make sure they are actually working the number of hours they bill you for. If you can hold off on buying the new appliances or staggering them over a few months, that might help. The biggest tip - be ruthless and get rid of or donate as much as you can. Don't wait until you are in your new home to decide you don't need a bunch of stuff that you just paid to move. It might be better to do without some things for a while if you will replace them within a few months or even a year.

 

[hamm1207]

Not all moving expenses are deductible. They must be due to a job move and some other things. For example, we moved more than 50 miles but my job only moved less than 10 miles. We moved from south of NYC to north of NYC to make the commute easier (one train in to GCT rather than car, train, ferry, 2 subways). We couldn't deduct any of our moving expenses. You should check the IRS rules before trying to deduct these.

Good point--all of our moves have been across country...

 

[KarenAylwood]

Make a comprehensive list of what you're going to need / want for the new house. We needed lawn stuff because we were moving from a condo, and needed more shelving units for the basement, etc. I prioritized everything then had DH ask at work if anyone had anything they were looking to get rid of- we ended up getting an old lawn mower for free from his boss. It won't last forever but it has allowed us to push off getting a new mower. For things I had to buy I shopped around a lot and figured out the price of everything.

We used connections to save money on most things- our old neighbor was the manager of a moving company so he got us two trucks (plus gas) for free and three guys for $800 for the day, plus packing materials. Look on craigslist or the like for packing materials. Also use towels, and whatnot to pack breakable things. DH got discounts on appliances through work. I did a lot of research on what I wanted and then looked around for the best price for everything. Get rid of as much as you can before moving- we did a thorough cleanout and donated 5 big piles of stuff before moving. Not as much money saving as time/hassle saving. It was great to start fresher with less stuff.

This isn't really budget related but I read online about having a "move box". It was the first thing we moved into the new house and it had stuff in it like paper towels, clorox wipes, toilet paper, hand soap, paper plates/cups/utensils, bandaids, some screw drivers, a box cutter, garbage bags, grocery bags, hand towels, granola bars, etc. When we got in I ran around and put the toilet paper in all the bathrooms and the soap out and everything so we didn't need to search for anything. I also had another "pantry box" that was the first box we moved into the pantry- had snacks, quick things for meals when we first moved in, etc. It really was a huge help.

 

[kymom99]

Make a comprehensive list of what you're going to need / want for the new house. We needed lawn stuff because we were moving from a condo, and needed more shelving units for the basement, etc. I prioritized everything then had DH ask at work if anyone had anything they were looking to get rid of- we ended up getting an old lawn mower for free from his boss. It won't last forever but it has allowed us to push off getting a new mower. For things I had to buy I shopped around a lot and figured out the price of everything.

We used connections to save money on most things- our old neighbor was the manager of a moving company so he got us two trucks (plus gas) for free and three guys for $800 for the day, plus packing materials. Look on craigslist or the like for packing materials. Also use towels, and whatnot to pack breakable things. DH got discounts on appliances through work. I did a lot of research on what I wanted and then looked around for the best price for everything. Get rid of as much as you can before moving- we did a thorough cleanout and donated 5 big piles of stuff before moving. Not as much money saving as time/hassle saving. It was great to start fresher with less stuff.

This isn't really budget related but I read online about having a "move box". It was the first thing we moved into the new house and it had stuff in it like paper towels, clorox wipes, toilet paper, hand soap, paper plates/cups/utensils, bandaids, some screw drivers, a box cutter, garbage bags, grocery bags, hand towels, granola bars, etc. When we got in I ran around and put the toilet paper in all the bathrooms and the soap out and everything so we didn't need to search for anything. I also had another "pantry box" that was the first box we moved into the pantry- had snacks, quick things for meals when we first moved in, etc. It really was a huge help.

Your last paragraph is sort of budget related because it keeps you from running out to buy the things that might otherwise be buried. Good idea!