Need some advice on how to do a low-budget move. (moving, long distance)

[NYgal1542]

This post, I imagine, will not be of interest to those of you who are well set in finances, etc. Maybe even married people.

I do not mean to insult anyone, but the haves and the have nots think a lot differently; the "nots" seem to have neat ideas on how to make things work. Probably not explaining this very well.

The only time I was a "have" was many years ago when I was married only I did not realize at that time that I truly was a have. And my ex was quite happy about that.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure there are people out there who have done this kind of thing without going into debt and finding what they want in a nice area without breaking the bank, so to speak.

So how did you do it? What lessons did you learn? Being on a fixed income you at least know what you have vs being a working person and maybe not having that information.

Any ideas are welcome. Thanks!

[Crashj007]

I understand your problem, what's the question?

[NYgal1542]

Originally Posted by Crashj007

I understand your problem, what's the question?

Re-read the last sentence. If you are in the same boat (low-budget) and would like to move, how did you do it?

Is that helpful?

[jrkliny]

I don't think there is a simple answer. The best and cheapest way will depend on the amount of stuff and the distance. For a local move a Uhaul or similar rental is cheapest. I have done plenty of those moves and would not do one again unless I paid to have the truck loaded and unloaded.


For a modest amount of stuff and a long distance move, a POD might work. Assuming there are suitable places at the starting and final destinations, you can take your time loading and unloading yourself or with minimal help.


Regardless of the details, the more you can downsize in advance, the better. You need to plan on doing your own packing. It is very expensive to have stuff packed. You also need to find a source for suitable used boxes. New moving boxes are very expensive.

[Rakin]

I'd get free boxes from people who just moved and do as much of the work as possible myself.

Then I'd drive the truck to where I was going and unload it. I'd also downsize as much as possible and keep it all to a minimum. Moving items like a Fridge can cost more than buying a used one when I get there. Sell as much as possible and buy off offer up when you arrive.

I see young families do this all the time.

Labor is expensive if you hire others.

[grampaTom]

First order of business is to have a job lined up and then do some homework on the internet re rentals, transportation etc.
The actual move may be cheapest renting a van or trailer form U-haul or similar and doing the labor yourself with a few friends/family members to help. I say 'may be' because sometimes selling all your furniture and household items and then starting over from scratch in you new locale is the way to go.

[PAhippo]

Originally Posted by Crashj007

I understand your problem, what's the question?

I think the question is: what's the solution to the problem


if you've decided on a place to move, one thing would be of course get rid of as much stuff as possible. Keep furniture to a minimum. You can replace it with thrift shop/flea market/craigslist finds. It may take a while but as long as you've got a bed to sleep on and a chair to sit in almost everything else can wait.

except appliances of course.

as for the move itself, rent a moving truck. Hopefully a van would be big enough. If you can drive yourself, have someone help load it at the 'from' location. Ask around before the move so you've got some help lined up at the 'to' location. what'd be great is if you can find someone to go with you maybe staying a few days as a vacation. Or maybe if you're both moving you can help each other.

can't think of anything else right now.


others probably will.

[skycaller23]

I'd get some estimates from movers to get an idea of what the starting cost would be to move all your stuff.

Local moving is different then long distance moving and the costs are different as well.
You didn't say if your move is local or long distance.

You need a starting point of cost to determine if you can swing it or have to get rid of stuff.

[smpliving]

I would check out the "General Moving Issues" forum on this site. They have a lot of excellent suggestions and experiences. I'm thinking of moving in a few more years when I retire and that's where I'd go for info.


Good luck!

[Hemlock140]

The distance makes a big difference. I just had a relative move about 3 hours away last summer, on a very low budget. He borrowed a truck from another relative, and along with me and my truck and some other volunteers moved all of the smaller stuff. The actual movers only took the biggest, heaviest furniture. It would have been even less to rent a UHaul but he wasn't comfortable about driving it that far. The biggest savings is labor, having friends and family that can't come up with an excuse to be busy that day.