2 Rolls of Tape + Man-Power

Moving can be expensive, regardless of the distance of the move. No one paid us to move. We had to "buy out" of our old lease. We had to pay new deposits to get our utilities and electric turned on. So, we had to be a bit creative on how to save money on moving.

Luckily, since we last moved (Late December 2013), I have been hoarding boxes. We had leftover U-HAUL boxes, boxes from new kitchen appliances, and boxes from Christmas gifts. All we had to do was put them back together and secure it with packing tape. We didn't buy any labels, but simply used sharpies that we already had to label the boxes. Additionally, I had saved up random packing materials so that we wouldn't have to pay for bubble wrap. We used the saved-up packing materials and extra towels when extra cushion was needed.

Boxes: $0
Labels: $0
Packing Tape: $7 for 30 yards
Bubble Wrap: $0

We chose not to hire movers, due to the cost of these services. We asked several family members to help out with getting the job done. Additionally, we planned to use my dad's truck and my uncle's trailer to move the big furniture and heavy items.

Movers: $0
Truck & Trailer: $0

SO, our move was supposed to only cost $7.

HOWEVER, then we looked at the forecast. 2 days prior to moving, our moving day was projected to have an 80% chance of thunderstorms. After analyzing the financial risk of having all our furniture ruined by rain, we decided to rent a U-HAUL for the move. It was not our ideal situation, but no human can control the weather, so you just have to deal with it.

U-HAUL: $130

Our total moving cost ended up being $137 plus food for our helpful family! Still not too bad, if you ask me!

Speaking of helpful family, we could not have been so effective in moving had it not been for our family members who not only helped us get our stuff onto and off of the moving van, but also, drove the moving van, went to pick up lunch for us all, let us load some of our stuff into their cars, and helped finish packing the small leftover items that we hadn't gotten to yet. To top it off, some of the work was completed in the pouring rain! Everyone sure was a trooper. We appreciate everyone who was able to help  on moving day!

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