Moving on a Budget

Packing your Stuff: Regardless of where you're moving too, you still need to pack your belongings carefully. How you pack is as important as the move itself.

The first time we moved halfway across country, I was very "attached" to our belongings. Rubbermaid tubs were on sale for $3 each at our local Walmart and I bought 50 of them. I knew our items would be in storage for several months while we renovated our new house and wanted them to be weather and pest proof.


First, once you've sorted all of your belongings room by room, pack them into boxes or totes. Using Masking Tape- label the name of the room the contents belong in, and then a note about the contents. If the box is heavy, it may be worth noting on the label. I typically add a label to the top right hand side of every container (front and back). This makes it easier to see what the contents are quickly.



Be sure to wrap your breakables carefully. Since you'll need to bring your linens with you, use them to separate and wrap your glass dishes- towels, washcloths, handtowels, and pillowcases work wonderfully. After all, everything has to get there together, why use dirty newspaper?! When you arrive your kitchenware will be still be sparkly clean and ready to use.

Once you've filled your totes and labeled them appropriately, put the cover on the tote, drill 2 holes in each handle.






Slide Plastic Zip ties into each hole, secure them into place. This insures that your contents will NOT fall out, even if the tote gets tipped over. This also makes it more difficult for pests to wiggle their way into the containers. The totes will last for years if you need to place items in storage, once you've settled into your new home, you can stack the empty containers for use later or sell them on a yardsale or Craigslist.





Free Boxes

• If you're really tight on cash, you can go to department stores or liquor and ask the managers for old boxes. Many times these are located at the back of the store (by the loading docks) in bins and have already been broken down. They can be refolded and duct taped to stay closed, if needed. Avoid getting boxes from grocery stores as they more likely to have insects (& eggs!) on them. You don't want to bring pests to your new home!
• Avoid using regular household blankets or sheets as furniture covers during the move. Certain fabrics will create friction when they rub and may literally rub the finish right off your furniture by the time you arrive at your destination.
• Be wary of any gasoline or solvent chemicals when you pack the truck or trailer. During one of cross-country moves, dh placed a generator in the back of the trailer. Having forgotten to pack several pairs of shoes on the front porch, I tossed them into a milk crate and placed them on top of the generator (the only space left that I could find). By the time we reached our destination, (more than 50 hours of driving straight- and a temperature change of 70 degrees!) the gas in the generator had leaked a little and literally dissolved several shoes. It was a gelatinous mess of shoe goo!

Be sure to create an "Arrival Box" and label it as "Open Me First". This will be a box containing essentials that your family will need when you arrive to your destination. It should contain things to help serve a quick meal, as well as get cleaned up and refreshed.

• Bar of Soap
• Couple Washcloths
• Couple of Towels
• Paperplates, forks
• Roll of Paper Towels
• Roll of Toilet Paper (you never know if one will be at the house when you arrive!)
• toothbrushes/toothpaste
• Hand Sanitizer