Moving with Fam: Smart Tips for Keeping the Costs in Control

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I have moved a number of times during my adulthood. All in all, it’s probably 8 times in a period of 10 years. I don’t like moving. It involves a lot of work. You don’t really know how much you hate moving until you are moving an apartment across a city on foot by hand with just your husband helping. No car, no friends, nothing. I’ve been in my house for over 20 years now and there aren’t many reasons that I’d leave it. I haven’t moved since I moved in here. Which means, if you read between the lines, that I have never had to move with my whole family. (Thank goodness!) Sheryl shared her tips on successfully moving a family while trying to keep certain costs under control, which I am sharing with you with permission.

Moving with Fam: Smart Tips for Keeping the Costs in Control

Deciding to uproot and move your family to a new location is a monumental decision that requires a great deal of planning and execution. Without a plan in place it’s very likely you could wind up spending hundreds (even thousands) of extra dollars. This post is for those that are moving the fam and want to keep those costs under control.

1. Start by decluttering

It’s far easier to move when there are less items you’ll have to bring along with you.

“Before we started this journey our mindset was to have and do more,” she says. “But it wasn’t giving us more life — we felt overwhelmed and stressed and depressed because it was too much.”

This is just one of many countless excerpts about how decluttering and “de-owning” stuff has liberated individuals and families. Once you begin to give up stuff, change your mindset, and readjust your lifestyle you begin to focus on experiences over physical items.

Imagine what you cut back on stuff before you dropped it in your new home:

·  Pay off your house years in advance

·  Finally go on that epic vacation

·  Invest more into your children’s college fund

·  Have a smaller impact on the World

All that’s required of you is to slow pack. Take your time going through the items as you’re placing them in the boxes and jus set aside those items you feel aren’t warranted to come along. Go ahead and try selling them to recoup some of the costs or donate them to friends, family, neighbors, or a local charity.

Since you’re moving with less stuff you are going to require a smaller home which, surprise, surprise, comes at a lower cost. Ta-da! Savings!

2. Let others do the heavy lifting

Moving is one of those activities that can pit the family together and breakup relationships. There’s always one person doing the heavy lifting and it gets tiring fast. Not only that but depending on the time of the year (especially summer) it’s absolutely excruciating with the heat. Then you throw in the friend that decides not to show up with the truck and now you’re bouncing off the wall.

It’s far easier just to do some research, look up moving quotes, and pick a company to do the move.

There are more than a few reasons why you’d want to use professionals:

·  You can hire additional people to get everything out, packed, and unpacked making the entire process even faster

·  Moving companies come prepared with the equipment (boxes, lifts, etc) to make the process as easy as possible

·  There are options with the moving services such as if you want to go at it slowly by using a moving container or use their storage facilities around particular areas

·  They’re insured so you don’t have to worry about what would happen if you got into an accident while on the road

Move a few times and you’ve had enough. The money savings come into play when you figure the time you’re saving – which could be put toward work – and the fact that any damages are covered (so you’re not stuck eating the cost from messing up during the move).

3. Get to know the area

Remember that moving should also take consideration of settling in to the new area, too. The first few weeks that you’re in a new location will most likely have you spending more money than you normally would because you’re adjusting to the area. This is perfectly fine because you’re in a discovery phase but knowing that you are experiencing this does keep your finances in mind so you’re not spending on new experiences/items because you’re in a glow phase.

Here’s how you and the fam can get adjusted to the new area:

·  Check through the local reviews of restaurants and locations to see where the locals eat

·  Make good with your neighbors right off the bat by introducing yourself and inviting them over

·  Consider joining a local group (hobby-related, PTA, sports, etc) so you can meet new people

·  Reach out to people you may know in the area or those friends that can give pointers

·  Be pro-active and outgoing at your work to buddy up and learn things about the area

Adjusting to a new town or city doesn’t have to be stressful. The first few weeks (maybe a few months) might be a little jarring for everyone but you all will settle in within due time once you’re all outgoing and trying to assimilate to the new location.

Once you’ve become a local you’ll know what to avoid, where to go, and when to do it so you can save money while doing some very neat things together.

What suggestions would you have on saving money during a big, family move and relocation?