Moving day is always an exciting time. Whether moving into your first home, changing locations from one side of the country to the other, moving into your first apartment on your own, or just looking for a change, there’s a lot to think about to ensure the moving day goes successfully. Moving isn’t cheap either.
For most of us, moving day can mean expenses outside our regular budget. For this reason, it’s important to cut costs where possible. If you’re looking forward to an upcoming move, here’s how you can do it on a budget.
Shopping Utility Providers
There are things you can do before moving day to set yourself up for successful budgeting. Well before the big day, you’ll want to know what you’re getting into when it comes to utility expenses. Shopping for electricity providers and understanding fees and tariffs is a good place to start. Ask ahead of time about what you can anticipate for an electric bill based on anticipated KWH hours and electric suppliers.
The best way to find an energy provider is to google which companies provide service in your area. Call each retail electric provider and ask for their rates and monthly bill schedules, early termination fees, and hook-up fees for residential customers. This estimate price comparison could pay off in the long term and doing the research ahead of time might well be worth it.
Don’t forget to shop around for your internet, cable, heat, water, and other utility providers too. Doing so will save you lots. Ask about discounts and bundle packages for providers who offer more than one utility service. Where you can, extend service contracts from your current residence to your new home too.
Being Patient
It’s only natural to look around a new home or space and want to jump right into costly home improvement projects like a new roof or bathroom. People want to make their homes their own. But before pulling out the plaster and those credit cards, take a look around and decide what can wait. Moving day will be expensive enough. Those hardwood floors you’ve always wanted, for example, might be able to wait until you’ve had a few months to recuperate from the moving van rental fees and replenished your savings account.
Remember, there will be plenty of free weekends to work on making your new home into your perfect, sanctuary space and it doesn’t all need to be done in one day. Being patient will pay off in the long run. For now, consider concentrating on things like prep work and anticipation for projects better saved for a rainy day in the future. Allow the excitement of organizing your new space to be enough for now.
Prioritizing Small Things First
Holding off on bigger projects doesn’t mean you can’t jump into smaller projects now. Something like repainting the bedrooms could be relatively inexpensive if you are willing to do it yourself. Save on labor costs by throwing on those painting overalls yourself.
Your DIY effort will go a long way in helping you get to know and form an attachment with your new home if you can keep the cost of materials down. Replacing light fixtures, new handles on old cabinets, replacement faucets, and smaller items to bring new life into your home are all great ideas for those looking to keep project costs low.
In the end, while it’s tempting to jump into moving day with grand plans of making our new homes just right, the key to managing expenses during and after a move is taking projects one at a time. While this may mean living with wallpaper from the seventies or cabinets that haven’t been replaced in years, holding off until finances are less tight will be worth it. Creative thinking, setting realistic priorities, and shopping for discounts, and great pricing for utilities will all go a long way in making your move more affordable. Happy moving day to you!
