Moving House: How to Save Big Money on Your Next Big Move

As many of you know, MDT and I just finished graduate school and moved from New England to the Midwest to spend the summer visiting family and traveling before we do the expat thing (me for the second time). We don't have a *ton* of stuff, but it was enough that we had to rent a moving truck to get it all to St. Louis (plus us and the two cats). Now, I've rented plenty of U-Hauls before, but this is the first time I used one to move long distance. Did you know that they wanted upwards of $800?? For a 10-foot truck?! The reason, they say, why it's so much is that there's some federal law that states that you can only legally drive so many hours a day (something ridiculous like 4) and so if you rent a truck to go 1,163 miles, they figure the miles per hour and make the rental out for 6 days. So even if it only takes 2 days to do the actual drive like it did for us, you're stuck paying for 6 days of rental time. But we didn't have much choice, so we bit the bullet. But we were able to save a good deal of money, and without further ado, I'll get on with the sharing.

Packing and Prep
Whatever you do, don't buy packing supplies from moving companies—they're a total ripoff. If you need boxes, check with your local convenience or liquor store; they almost always have tons of boxes they'd love to get rid of. Packing tape is harder to come by, so if you must buy it, buy it from a dollar store. Places like Staples and Office Max like to charge outrageous prices for silly things like clear packing tape.

Trucks and Travel
Obviously, if you hire movers, you'll be paying an arm and a leg, so go with self-moving rental trucks if possible. If you have lots of stuff or heavy furniture, enlist a couple of friends to help. For discounts on truck rentals, search coupon code sites. We found a 20% off code for Budget Trucks that saved us over $100 on our rental. Change of Address packets from the post office also often have coupons for movers and truck rentals.

Better yet, if you've got a friend or relative with a truck that's big enough, maybe they'll help you out. Or if you're moving long distance but don't have a ton of stuff, check out rideshare options. Ridester and eRideShare.com will let you hook up with other travelers going your way. Gas is expensive, so splitting it is always a big money-saver.

Route Planning
If you're a AAA member, take advantage of their free maps, triptychs, and regional guide books. The guides list hotels and attractions for each area along your route and include useful information about the hotels they list, such as whether they allow pets, offer free wifi, etc. If not, FreeTrip.com will map your route, let you choose options such as avoiding tolls or taking the scenic route, and can list gas stations, rest stops, national parks, and lodging (by price) on the way.

Food and Snackage
It's easy to spend a ton on food while roadtripping. If you stop to eat at restaurants, you lose valuable time; if you make a quick stop for fast food or gas station snacks, you save some time but usually spend too much and end up with unhealthy food. My advice is to pack your own meals and snacks. It's not that hard. We brought a small tub, filled it partway with ice, and threw in some sliced cheese and veggies, a tub of hummus, and a couple of reusable water bottles. Then we packed a canvas bag with apples, bananas, pita bread, and tortilla chips. That gave us enough food for our two days on the road: sandwiches and fruit for meals, chips and veggies with hummus for snacking. I even brought a little tin of powdered tea mix in case we tired of water. And since we bought all our food (with coupons, of course) at the grocery store before we left, we saved time and money on the road.

Staying Overnight
Of course you could sleep in the cab at a truck stop if you're really low on cash, but I wouldn't advise it. For one, most rental moving truck don't have reclining seats, and for two it can be dangerous. Sleeping in a parked vehicle can be an invitation to car jacking, especially if you're alone. If you don't feel like sleeping in the car or roughing it in a tent, you still have several inexpensive options: hostels, motels, and budget hotels. Hostels are likely your cheapest option, but they're not as plentiful as motels or hotels. Hosteling International's US site lists HI member hostels by state, Hostels.com lists them by region, and Hostel World by city/town. Once you've found one you want to stay at, it's worth calling them directly; sometimes you can get a better price that way. The same goes for motels and hotels you find via third-party search.

If you have a credit card with rewards, check the benefits--I was able to book two free nights along our route for MDT and I (and the kittens) with points from my AmEx card. Other membership organizations, such as AARP or professional or labor unions, may offer hotel discounts also. Leave no stone unturned.

Moving with Pets
Speaking of kittens. . . if you're traveling with pets, don't forget to bring enough food (and litter if necessary) for them during the drive and the first few days after you arrive. We brought a few cans of food (normally we feed them mostly dry food, but we worried they'd be too nervous to eat and thought we'd encourage them with wet food), a jug of litter and a small litter pan to set up in the hotel rooms, and their regular food and water dishes. If you'll be on the road most of the day, it's best to take away their food the night before so that they won't have to use the bathroom on the road. They should have access to water all the time, even on the road. If their carriers don't have attached water bowls, just offer them water in their regular dish whenever you stop for gas or whatever. Ours were never interested, but it's important for it to be available to them, especially if it's warm out. Also, if your pets don't do well in cars, talk to your vet before you leave about calming methods. Ours recommended a small dose of Benadryl for my cat, who tends to hyperventilate if he's in the car for more than a few minutes, and that worked quite well. Never give your pet any medicine or supplement without consulting your vet first.

Be sure you check with your hotel before you book to make sure they accept pets and to see whether they charge any fees for them. On the other hand, I'm not advocating breaking any rules, but it's usually pretty easy to sneak small, quiet pets like cats into motels or budget hotels, especially if there are multiple entrances. If you choose to do that, however, make sure you never leave them alone in the room, always keep the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door, don't let them scratch the furniture, and clean up after them thoroughly.

Happy Trails!
Good luck on your move/traveling adventure. Hopefully you'll be as lucky as we were and find a huge bag of coins in the door of your rental truck ($40 worth)! LOL.

If you have any money-saving moving tips, leave a comment on the blog!

To see this article in its natural habitat, visit True Adventures in Money Hacking

-Wren from TiredofBeingPoor.net