AS OWNER OF A LOCAL MOVING COMPANY FOR OVER 30 YEARS, here are some ideas to help you save for a local move.

They are:

-How to get the best pricing from your mover. -Find the BEST DAYS to schedule for the best pricing. -Find low cost options for moving boxes and packing materials. -Preparation you can do prior to the movers arrival. -Selecting The Moving Company And Getting the Best Rates. -Local moving is usually 100 miles or less, is charged for by the hour, and often completed within the same day.

Selecting The Moving Company And Getting the Best Rates.

Local moving is usually 100 miles or less, is charged for by the hour, and often completed within the same day.When selecting local movers, research is key. The internet today provides many helpful tools that enable you to find qualified movers very quickly. Various review sites such as the Better Business Bureau and Yelp can help you narrow down your search to a few qualified movers. Movers that belong to the BBB and movers that belong to any state moving associations are good choices. The reason is because member movers value their reputations within these associations. You will rarely find bad movers or rogue movers that are affiliated with consumer or moving associations, because over time they would be exposed.

To get the best rates from movers, when you contact them, let them know you will be contacting a few other movers, and that budget is important. When movers know they are competing with other movers, they will tend to give the best rates and pricing. Ask them to email you their quotes and rates in writing. Be sure their quotes includes the list of items to be moved, along with access descriptions of each location. Actually read the quotes, as each mover may have different minimums, rates, terms, etc.

Work Around Your Movers’ Schedule To Insure The Best Rate.

The day of the week or day of the month you choose to move can often have an impact on your movers rates. High demand days for local movers are normally Fridays and Saturdays. Also, the last few days of each month and the first days of each month tend to be higher demand for movers. Movers have less incentive to give discounts on days where they know they will be busy. On the other hand, if you are able to schedule your move during lesser demand periods, you may be able to negotiate lower rates. Many movers actually give discounts for Mondays to Thursdays, or during the middle of each month.

Low Cost Options For Moving Boxes and Packing Materials

There are a number of options for finding cheap or free boxes. The quickest and cheapest sources for new moving boxes are Home Depot and Lowes. Within the last few years these stores have created small moving centers. Consumers can buy boxes at these locations almost as cheap as movers can buy the same boxes in pallet loads.

If you are looking for cheaper or even free boxes there are other options. Try going to Craigslist for your area and search for “free moving boxes”. You’ll be surprised how many sources there are. Another place to find cheap of free boxes is look for someone that is moving INTO your neighborhood. Introduce yourself and offer to take away their used cartons for free.

Recycling centers can be another place to find inexpensive or free packing material. A lot of the time they will sell you material in bulk, by the weight, car load, or truck loads instead of by the box. You can even flag down the scavenger that has his truck loaded with materials headed for the recycling center. They’ll gladly take $20 for a stack of boxes. If you offer to pay them for 50-100 boxes, heck that may be worth what the recycling center gives them for their whole truck. So it never hurts to ask.

Being Prepared For The Movers Will Save You Money.

Local movers generally charge by the hour, so anything you can do yourself will save money. This includes tasks such as dismantling and reassembling beds, and taking care of any connections and reconnections of appliances such as washers or dryers or refrigerator icemakers. Also consider packing and moving yourself the small items such as boxes and lamps and stereos and pictures, etc.

Another way to save with local movers is a “large items only” type move. This will definitely save money. But then you will need to move the smaller items such as lamps, pictures, boxes, etc.

Another way to save money is to have all the boxes ready to go for the movers in the garage. Not only does it clear out the house but it makes it quick and easy to load them on the truck. At the destination you can have the mover place the boxes in the garage and you can unpack at your leisure. This may not be for everyone as it is hard work but it sure can save you bucks.

Bad Estimates and Surprise Moving Costs

No one likes to get a moving quote, then be surprised by charges on moving day that are far greater than the estimate. This often happens when the moving company does not have complete information to generate an accurate estimate.

The 2 most important factors for an accurate quote are: The list of items being moved, and the access at each location - for example, single story home vs. 10th floor apartment - certainly the apartment move will take far longer than the house move.

If your move is small you can often get your quote by phone or email. Be absolutely certain to give the mover a complete and thorough list of items to be moved. Give it to them in writing, preferably by email. Don’t be vague by saying only “contents of 1 bedroom apartment”. Be specific with a list of items within the apartment, including small items such as lamps, pictures, boxes, etc.. This will minimize the chance of unpleasant additional costs on moving day.

This is very important. If you have a move bigger than 2 bedrooms it is essential that you have the moving company estimator come to your house and give you an estimate in writing, detailing and listing everything that needs to be moved. This is very important because your move price is based on all your household items. Please don’t leave out small items hiding in the closet.

These are just a few areas where you can save when doing a local move. But with proper planning and preparation and a willingness to do some of the work yourself, your savings can be significant.

The big day has come and gone. Hopefully, the two of you are not left with a mountain of debt from your wedding soiree and you will be able to get a fresh start with your new lives together. Newlyweds have so much to deal with and, if they are not careful, finances and all of the issues that go along with it, especially during this economy crisis, could start to weigh heavy on their wedded bliss.

There are some things that the two of you can do now and as you start your new lives for saving, cost-cutting, and staying within your budget. Some are basic things that you may have already started to do. Other tips may be completely new strategies for you to try:

Never waste energy. Those energy bills will be mainstays in your new lives. They simply don’t go away. So, together, come up with ways for helping to conserve so that you keep your bills reasonable and within budget.

From shorter showers to turning off the lights when a room is not being use, the two of you can realize a saving, cost-reduction, and a feeling that you are also helping the environment just by working out your “energy conservation plan”. These small changes can add up to a considerable savings over the long term. That money could be used to help stretch your budget a bit more.

Make cooking a definitive. This economy crisis is making cooking “the in thing” again as more and more people try to cut down on spending money eating out. For newlyweds, cooking together could be a wonderful way to connect as you work to integrate your new lives together with your other roles in life. You could save a tremendous amount and have a lot of fun along the way!

If you do go out, use coupons. Many great restaurants offer an abundance of coupons either through their email club, in your Sunday newspaper, or in the circulars that are delivered to your mailbox on a weekly basis. Sift through these little papers, clip the coupons, and use them to buy for cheap a great evening meal for two! Some even offer whole meal packages that will include a bogo (or buy one get one deal), and drinks for a very low price.

Consider your “real” needs. Maybe a massive apartment is not the most cost-effective way for you two to live. Just think, if you can save on rent there are so many other great things that you two could do with your money. You may even want to consider a short-term rental or one of those “first month free” deals.

Finally, try not to start completely from scratch with your furniture. Keep anything that can has “good bones” and can be recovered, repainted, or reused in another way. This will give you an opportunity for a huge saving. Costs can quickly mount when you are buying “brand new” stuff. Don’t feel like you have to. In fact, before you make any major purchases, take inventory of what you have. If you have excess, sell it on your own or go through a furniture consignment store. You may be able to get something “new” at a later time without spending any of your own hard earned cash. That’s enough to make any newlywed happy!

This economy crisis has many families working together to find ways to reduce their expenses. People are getting creative as to the various ways that their family can save a few pennies and yet still enjoy what life has to offer. For some families they are taking a slightly different approach and are turning to “green” alternatives to keep their family budgets on the positive side, and to do something positive for our world.

By making a few adjustments to how you do things, your family could rack up a significant financial saving. Cost-conscious families can make going green translate into more green for their families. Here are some simple strategies for making it happen:

Find alternative energy sources for those little handheld electronics instead of traditional batteries. Traditional batteries actually hurt our environment because of the toxic acid that they can leak into the ground. So, instead of buying battery after battery, use alternative energy sources such as rechargeable batteries or a solar powered charger, which works based on free sunlight! You won’t have to worry about trying to find batteries that you can buy for cheap because you will always have battery power. So, your family should definitely see a saving by using these energy sources.

Don’t waste water. Reduce your family’s water bill by encouraging children to take showers instead of baths, which are a huge water and money waster. You can take this further for even greater saving, cost-reducing, and earth friendliness by minimizing showers to 5 minutes or less and by having children learn not to let the water run while they are brushing. Your family could see an instant financial boost from these small conservation efforts.

Do teach children to be creative with their water usage. Tell them to place 2 small cups or bowls in the shower when they are using it to catch the excess water. This water can then be used to water plants! They could also catch rainwater and use that for watering plants at a later time also. Either way, your family could experience a saving. Cost conscious people can really appreciate doing anything that could significantly reduce their water bills.

Put the sun to work for you and your budget. Just a little sunlight can brighten up a whole house. Families will save on their energy bill by using sunlight instead of electric lights whenever possible. During this economy crisis, use the free resources that your family has available to them to maximize your family’s saving. Cost-conscious parents need to have everyone retrain their minds to turn off lights when they are not necessary and to keep window shades and curtain open. Reducing the use of electric energy helps our environment in a number of ways also.

Do teach them to research and use frugal recipes that take advantage of locally grown produce and products that you can buy for cheap. Just about every area has a farmer’s market. These markets are havens for saving money. From cheap produce to low price dairy, most families will see an amazing opportunity to save at this markets, over the regular retail prices. Plus, by making an effort to buy for cheap the local produce and products, you are helping to reduce emissions from planes and foods that have to travel to your area! A lot of that fresh produce is also organic which means that the farmers do not use harmful chemicals on the food.

Your children can learn to understand the importance of going green and will follow your lead on environmental issues. Teaching them to work to save our planet and to help your family by doing things to conserve to save money are life lessons that they will need in years to come. Teach them now and, once the world is through this economy crisis, they will know how to do their part to help to reduce environmental risks. With your guidance, they will know how to care for their family while maintaining a financially and “environmentally” sound budget!

Most couples are not immune from the economy crisis that is taking place in this world. With such a strong financial pull, many are finding that they don’t have the extra funds that they were used to having, and have had to cut back on some much needed romantic time as a result. If you find that you are in this situation, here are a few simple strategies for planning a romantic getaway that won’t cost you beyond your budget:

Sit through a time-share seminar for a free weekend trip. You don’t have to buy anything and you don’t have to spend a dime for a full weekend away. The one thing that you will have to do is give up about 2 hours to listen to someone try to sell you a condo or vacation villa. If you are not interested, that is fine. At the end of the session, you just consider it a done deal and enjoy your free stay away. You may even get a dinner out of the deal or tickets for attractions. The only thing better than being able to buy for cheap is to get something for free!

Don’t knock using coupons and doing research for the best deals available. Take advantage of every opportunity to buy for cheap when it comes to attractions and dinners. Just by using coupons and searching out the discounts, you are sure to enjoy a financial saving. Cost-savvy couples should look for “buy one, get one” offers on dinners and tickets to get the most economical pricing.

Don’t knock those AAA benefits! AAA is more than just a way to save on roadside assistance. They offer their members tons of deals and specials on vacations, rentals, and meals. You can buy for cheap at a lot of places just by pulling out your AAA card. Your romantic weekend could cost you a lot less just by making the most of those deals that you receive from AAA in your email and in their monthly magazine.

Don’t knock those peaceful staycations. You could actually enjoy a little time in your own home if you temporarily send the kids off or put the dog in a kennel so that you and your companion can have a little respite. Your local area is the perfect to start when it comes to looking for great “companion deals” on dinners and other attractions that will allow you to buy for cheap instead of paying full price. You may be surprised at what your area hs to offer when you don’t have to worry about bringing the kids along.

If you don’t have children you can still enjoy a staycation by using it as an opportunity to try something new and different right at home. It could be a new frugal recipe that you jazz up to impress your companion. Just buy for cheap a few niceties such as glasses, candles, and pretty placemats, and you could transform your home into a romatic hideout.

Flowers make anytime special. Spend a weekend just showering your partner with flowers that you buy for cheap. Instead of spending $30-$50 at a florist, buy for cheap at the local Wal-Mart or Aldi’s where you can expect to spend less than $5 per bouquet. Flowers at every turn will make your partner happy and is sure to keep a smile on their face. It’s a perfect way to enjoy a romantic weekend without spending a ton of money.

Don’t knock those last-minute deals on the popular travel sites. From Travelocity to Cheap Tickets, you can buy for cheap a fantastic weekend away for up to 75% off! Plus, these sites often have additional opportunities for saving, cost-cutting and spending less on dinners and attractions.

Your companion will be grateful for the chance to get a few moments with you knowing that your planning has allowed for you both to still enjoy a financial saving. This economy crisis doesn’t have to take the romance out of your life just because you are trying to stay within a budget. You can hold onto your budget and still reap the rewards of a romantic time with your companion.

Summer holds the promise of lots of fun times with friends and family with those warm summer days and nights. Some people have been a little concerned about their financial ability to enjoy this summer because of the economy crisis that many are experiencing. Well, the truth is that you can have plenty of fantastic summer gatherings without gathering too many bills in the process.

If you still want to have a fantastic time, try these 3 fabulously frugal ways to have a fun event without breaking your budget:

First, shop for decorations that you can buy for cheap. Cheap candles can be the highlight of a great summer gathering if they are arranged and decorated nicely. Whether you decide on pedestal candles or those pretty long candlesticks, the candles that you can buy for cheap from the dollar store can be made to look great with a few little embellishments like ribbon or glitter.

Canvass the thrift store for a very pretty, mix and match set of plates and server ware that you can buy for cheap. Coordinate the colors with your decor, which will help to add flair and panache to your overall look. Complimentary colors will allow for you to change the color scheme up by switching some things around without having to go out and buy all new pieces. This will be much cheaper than using paper products at every event.

You should also consider recycling some stuff that you have around the house to make decorative items like placemats. If you are not that “crafty”, you could also buy for cheap plenty of pretty placemats at your local dollar store. Just by using a pretty placemat, some cool candles, and nice plates, you can make a real fabulous impression on your guests without spending beyond your means.

Another way to have fun and yet save is to put those frugal recipes to good use. Don’t spend a ton of money on expensive foods. Find some frugal recipes either online or through your network of friends, and focus on the appearance of your food versus the cost of it. Plus, always use your coupons and shop for sale items that you can buy for cheap to even further reduce your costs.

Embellish the food with cheap accents such as nut slivers, fruit or vegetable slices, pretty green and black olive slices, and chocolate bar shavings for dessert. All of these items, you can buy for cheap, and yet they will make very huge impact on the appearance of your food. Do some research online to learn how to make them work.

Finally, pull out those old board games and a few decks of cards for some light and simple fun. You could even consider karaoke or using your iPod for the musical entertainment. The key to making things fun is to keep the atmosphere as comfortable as possible, and as cheap as possible for you.

Being a frugal fashionista hostess takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, you will be able to pull off all types of gorgeous summer fun gatherings without going broke, during an economy crisis or anytime.

One simple way to save some cash is to check the lint trap in your clothes dryer and clean it weekly. The dryer uses an extra-ordinary amount of electricity and will run more efficiently saving you money on you energy bill. Considering on average they use 4400 watts to run at an average kWh charge of 11 cent, that dryer is costing 48 cents an hour to run. Reason is that if the screen has lint on it, the dryer has to work twice as hard and drying clothes will take twice as long. Also, built-up lint in your clothes dryer vent is the second leading cause of house fires. You could be saving more than just money. Clothes lines and dryer racks are the most economical way to dry.

Many find that thrift shops and especially garage sales offer unbelievable bargains that can’t be found any place else. If you have an eye for useful items that you need, and at garage sales you can bargain for rock bottom prices for those items you have an interest in.

Stretching your trips in between barber shop visits by trimming your own hair saves dollars. Duplicating the barbers’ approach and procedure is all you need to get started. With a sharp set of scissors, a guy can stretch out visits for months between cuts.

Save money by avoiding local coffee shops when you bring your thermos to work. Save hundreds of dollars a year by cutting loose the Starbucks habit. If you take the time to grind your own coffee you’ll furnish you own gourmet treat.

Use fans for cooling to avoid high air conditioning electric bills. A large window air conditioner uses 1.5 kWh. A 42 inch ceiling fan uses .24 kWh in 10 hours. At an average charge of 11 cents per kilowatt hour, cost mount. Fans are the best money saving cooling device by far. Fans use one-tenth the electricity of air conditioners so use them to circulate the air. Attic fans are another great way to exhaust hot air trapped in the attic and pull cool air through the house at night.

Summer spells free entertainment as many orchestras perform their mastery locally. Even college or high school plays at less than ten dollars a ticket beat the price of a Broadway theater production price. It’s the exact same story line. Also there usually is an arboretum or nature trail nearby for an inspiring trek.

Did you know that your bank marks up the checks they sell you a hundred percent above their costs? You can get a much better deal for discount checks online. You’ll also find a wider variety of designer checks to choose from.

Laundry budget tips like pre-treating stains and washing specials outfits in cold water minimizes fading. You can make your own stain pretreatment by mixing one part laundry detergent, one part water and one part hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle. Spray the stains and rub the material together or use a soft brush. For fabric softener, try using white vinegar which is much less expensive.

As the price of some of life’s staples rise, many families have started to cut back on what is perceived as the more expensive groceries, such as meats. Sad to say, but in a family, those steaks and chops are usually the first thing to get axed from the shopping list, in favor of cheaper alternatives or double duty protein items such as dairy products. But hold on…you may not have to cut out that shoulder and bacon if you get a little creative with your shopping.

Here are a few ways that you can get your meats and eat them too:

1. Many stores sell their own cuts of bacon. Once they have sliced it down, there are usually pieces, slices, and chunks that are left over. These are the ends and they taste just as good as the regular slab bacon bits. Any frugal fashionista can save by buying a package of ends, which is usually priced up to 60% off of the regular bacon price. A pound of regular packaged bacon is around $4. A pound of bacon ends is around $1.25. Plus, of course, companies always publish bacon coupons. You can get the maximum benefit by using those coupons when there is a Buy One, Get One Free sale going on. With these, you could end up paying less than half price for each package.

2. Stores almost always mark down or reduce the price of chicken. It’s a great meat that can be used for everything from soup to salad. But, when you are planning your frugal recipes, always remember that it is usually cheaper to buy a whole chicken versus buying those special cuts, like breast portions or wings. The price of reduced priced chicken is usually 25-60% off of the regular store price. Another saving option that will allow you to buy for cheap large amounts of chicken is to buy the chicken leg quarters. They are not fun to clean, but the bottom price range for them is around 39 centers per pound.

3. Steak is great, but the price can be a bit daunting…if you don’t catch it on sale. Only buy steak and other red meats when they are on sale. Ground beef often goes on sale for less than one dollar a pound. Then, the stores will often reduce the price even more. When you see this happening, bulk up! But, be careful with buying marked down steak. Often, certain cuts of beef are already priced high, so when they reduce the price, it’s still a very expensive proposition. Check the prices of all of the different cuts and compare them. That way, when they go on sale, you know which is the best possible deal for your family.

for cheap as much meat as you can when it’s on super mark down or sale. You should also try to take advantage of price matching. Some stores will match the prices on identical items from other grocers and, of course, use coupons whenever possible. You may find that some starch products such as pasta or rice will give you FREE meat if you buy their product. Catch those items on sale and save, save, save!

Our lives are filled with personal treasures, household necessities, and, for most, simply put…lots of stuff. We love having stuff but when happens when that “stuff” develops issues that could potentially require costly replacing. Small damages can lead to huge expenses if you don’t take steps to minimize the cost or to find ways to buy for cheap the services that you need to get your stuff up to par.

Here are a couple of low cost tips for preserving some major home “things” that could save you lots and lots of money:

Simple carpet fix: Don’t just jump and replace your carpet for minor stains. There are a couple of easy fixes to get your carpet back to its original glory. First off, baby wipes work like a charm. They are pre-moistened with soap so you won’t saturate your carpet too much. They are absolutely phenomenal on small food, urine, and dirt stains. Another great way to save your carpet, especially during an economy crisis, is to invest a couple of dollars in a “dye catching” cloth. These little marvels will help you to get up tough stains like ink. Just pour a little rubbing alcohol on the ink spot and dab with the dye catching cloth. Remember not to rub! Before you know it, you will have saved yourself hundreds of dollars or more in carpet replacement costs!

Cheap Wall Care: Above all, you should always keep paint on hand for your use. Just having that extra can of paint around can save you money and headaches! Try to buy your paint when it is on sale for a good saving. Cost cutters can also consider purchasing the “off” paint, or “oops” paint that is readily available in most paint sections of the store. These are cans of paint that just didn’t make the cut for other customers when they got them home. You can get them for as cheap as $2 and some stores will mix them to the color that you want for free!

Another great tool for keeping walls well preserved or for fixing small marks is the “magic eraser” sponge. These can be found at supermarkets and discount stores all over for as little as 2 for one dollar. But, the money that these sponges save can make you speechless. They make marks vanish like…magic! Professional painters charge a lot of money. Wouldn’t it be great to keep your money in your pocket or use it for some of life’s other great moments?!? Just keeping magic eraser sponges and paint for touch up can help your money stay yours and help your walls stay wonderful.

Try these tips for protecting your favorite household things. You may be surprised at how much more money you have and how comfortable you feel each and every time you walk in your absolutely favorite “thing”…your home!