Moving: How to save money and backache!

I am not a fan of moving. It is a huge hassle to find boxes, pack up everything I own, load into a truck, go to the new place, then unload it all and unpack. Over the years I have created a yearly purge that helps combat having too much junk.

Even with the deepest of purges we all still have to move at some point. Whether it be for a job, marriage, family, or other reasons. I am going to share my tips for making it the least painful.

Steps to take before moving:

1. Purge: Throw away anything broken, too old, or no longer usable.
2. Yard Sale/eBay: Find stuff you can part with and sell it. Cash is much more useful and a lot easier to carry!
3. Donate: Anything that didn't sell can be donated to Goodwill or some other charity. Bonus: you have a potential tax write off. Keep the receipt!
4. Gift: If you have some items that you don't need and know a friend or family member who needs it--gift it. People love free stuff!
5. Packing: As you pack up your stuff ask yourself: "Do I really need/want this?" for each item as you pack it. You will be surprised how much you can live without!
6. Donate/Sell/Gift (again): Chances are you found more items while packing that you can live without. Repeat steps 1-4 with these items as well.

Following the above instructions will make your move a lot smaller, faster, and cheaper! Having less stuff to move means you may need a smaller truck or don't have to hire movers. It also saves your (and your friends') backs from having to carry all those heavy boxes.

Side Tip: Compare moving in a truck to using ground shipping. It may be cheaper to ship some of the boxes and get a smaller moving truck!

Free boxes for moving or storing!

Over the past few years I have moved around Atlanta for various reasons. As a result I have gone through many moving boxes. I cringe when I hear of people buying them. There are so many ways to get boxes for free! I decided I should share my tactics with you as a responsible frugal finance blogger.

Here is the list of places where I get boxes for free:

• Work - we get lots of shipments at work. I save the boxes if I need them and bring them home.
• Liquor Stores - They get cases of alcohol and these are strong boxes and great for moving. I use these for books and another heavy objects.
• Friends - Know someone who moved recently? Chances are they have boxes that they are looking to get rid of!
• Warehouses - If you have any in the area they probably have tons of boxes that they will throw out. It costs nothing to ask!
• Craigslist.org - People advertise moving boxes in the free section all the time. You can find way more than you need here too!

With all of the above options you have no reason to buy boxes unless you need an odd shape or size for a special purpose. If you do buy some because of this reason be sure to hang onto them so you don't have to spend the money again. You can always get some tape and cut of some boxes to create the one you need as well.

Moving can be expensive. Don't waste money on boxes if you don't have too!