Reading Time: 3 minutes Don’t Forget To Budget For These 4 things When You Move
If you want to save money when moving, careful budgeting is one of the most critical steps to take. Consider how much you’ll be spending on packing materials, a moving company, travel, a deposit on your new home, etc. These are all significant expenses, and you’ll need to ensure you have enough in the bank.
However, there are other costs associated with moving that many people forget to budget. These expenses are afterthoughts, but they can still add up to make a hefty dent in your bank balance.
Remember to allocate some money to these four parts of your moving process.
Transporting Your Car
If you’re moving down the block, you can skip this tip, but if you’re relocating to a new city or across the country, you’re going to need to think about how on earth to get your car there.
You might plan a road trip and decide to drive it down yourself. In this case, you’ll need to budget for heaps of gas, pit stops (car snacks are a must), and even overnight accommodation, depending on how far out you’re moving.
However, car shipping is another option you might consider. This option might seem pricey, but it’ll save your vehicle a load of wear and tear.
Short-Term Accommodation
If your moving dates don’t all align perfectly, you’ll need to look at your options for temporary housing. When relocating, families can often spend as long as a month being technically homeless while they wait to get keys to a new place or finalize sales.
You could book in at an Airbnb, a guest house, a hotel room, or even find a friend who will let you crash on their couch. Plan this, so you know how much you’ll need to spend.
Staying Fuelled
In all the chaos of packing and planning your move, there’s something crucial you
might forget – you need to eat. Carrying boxes is hungry work, but when your entire
kitchen is packed up and inaccessible, how can you cook?
You might need to extend your regular food budget a little for more fast food than usual since this is simply the nature of moving into a new home. However, if you want to save money here, you could prepare some make-ahead recipes that you could reheat instead of ordering takeout or heading to a restaurant for three days in a row.
Filling the Gaps
The final thing you might be forgetting is that the chances of all your stuff fitting perfectly into a new home are slim. When you move, you’ll probably need at least one or two new items to fill in extra space or even replace things that get lost in the move.
There’s no way of knowing how much you might need to spend. It is best to be prepared for something to come up. To make moving easier, take measurements of the space and furniture before moving in.
ChaChingQueen is a lifestyle blog helping you live a happy and healthy life on a budget.