When people move, it’s often because their financial situation forces them to. For this reason, it’s important to know how much you’ll have to spend during the actual move, particularly on moving supplies. Supplies like boxes, packing tape and packing materials are necessary items to get your belongings from one point to another. They can also be a significant expense. Fortunately, by being a smart consumer, you can lower the costs associated with moving.
Boxes can be purchased at office supply stores, storage facilities, and moving companies. However, this is an expense that can be completely avoided. Free boxes can often be obtained at grocery stores, liquor stores, and from people who have recently moved. Just start collecting boxes as soon as you know you’ll be moving, and you should be able to accumulate enough boxes in time to start packing your belongings about eight weeks before moving day.
Packing tape is probably a supply you’ll need to purchase. Due to its nature, used tape does not perform very well. Packing tape is going to be quite expensive if you buy it from a grocery store, storage facility, office supply store, or from a moving company. The best place to buy packing tape at the best price is the hardware store. You can also buy it at discount stores, but be aware that the quality you get from a big box store may be poor.
Packaging material is used to eliminate gaps in your boxes, which can cause the contents to shift during transport and be damaged. Packing peanuts and bubble tape are two of the most popular types of packing materials used during moves. However, these materials can be quite expensive, especially since you will only use them once, unless you move frequently. Luckily, you don’t have to use packing peanuts or bubble wrap in your boxes. Since you’re already packing certain items anyway, you can use them as packing materials instead. These include items like towels, t-shirts, and sheets. You can wrap your delicate items in these clothes or towels, which will help prevent breakage. You can also use these items to stuff boxes at the last minute to fill empty spaces. If you get a daily newspaper, you already have cheap packing materials at your disposal. Start putting away your newspapers a couple of weeks before you start packing. In this way, you will be sure to have it when you need it.
You can spend a lot of money packing supplies when you move if you’re not careful. Fortunately, by using the strategies here, you’ll be able to cut your expenses and have enough money to successfully get you from point A to point B. You might even have enough to give the movers a decent tip.
