The average American is expected to move a total of 11.4 times in their lifetime: that’s a lot of U-Haul trips to be paying for. Here are a few essential things you’ll need to know before (and after) you pack those boxes.

Sell the Junk

Or just junk it. Anyone who has read (or talked to somebody who’s read) Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, knows that there’s nothing healthy about hoarding. And most moving companies base their fees on cargo weight. So, all those souvenirs, books you haven’t quite gotten to yet and swag from that job three jobs ago? If they’re worth anything, someone else will buy ’em.

Plus: if you can’t sell it, most charities will come on by and pick it up as a donation. They’ll will even give you a value on your donations, allowing you to write it off your income taxes! Learn more about that here.

For an idea of how much your things are worth, here’s a great donation valuation guide from Goodwill.

Never Pay For Boxes

Companies will try to sell you boxes: U-Haul sells them anywhere from $0.99 to $2.45 or in bundles that can go up to over $300. Forget about it. If you live in a city, or even any kind of small town, most businesses—particularly liquor stores and print shops— will be abundant with boxes they are desperate to get rid of. Just don’t wait until the last week.

If you’re feeling timid, check out freecycle to find out what people are dying to give away.

Another big secret: some boxes at the post office are free.

Move at the Right Time

According to an analysis from Unpakt, a comparative pricing company for moving services, the cost of actually moving from one-bedroom apartment can cost anywhere from $840 to $4,460, depending on what time of the year and the month you plan it. Try to get as much moving as possible done before the end of the month. And if you have any choice on what time of year, pick a time of that’s not between the middle of May and the middle of September. It may be cold out, but your pocket will thank you.

Get Tech

The world is bigger than U-Haul and now. Don’t stop yourself from getting an estimate from the big boys, but there are so many new app-based moving companies out there; check out bellhops, ghostuck and zootly, just name a few of the bigger ones. Zootly will put you in touch with the closest and most reliable movers in your immediate vicinity while bellhops employs college students to move your things on the cheap. And don’t forget, you can always take your lower estimate to U-Haul and they just might match your price!

IRS Stuff

Finally, make sure you let the IRS know you’ve moved—even if you’ve set up a forwarding address. A lot of mail stops getting forwarded after 60 days: especially mail like tax returns. Another tip: if your move can be tied, in any way, to your job you might be able to write the whole thing off.

string(4220) "
The average American is expected to move a total of 11.4 times in their lifetime: that's a lot of U-Haul trips to be paying for. Here are a few essential things you'll need to know before (and after) you pack those boxes.
Sell the Junk
Or just junk it. Anyone who has read (or talked to somebody who's read) Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, knows that there's nothing healthy about hoarding. And most moving companies base their fees on cargo weight. So, all those souvenirs, books you haven't quite gotten to yet and swag from that job three jobs ago? If they're worth anything, someone else will buy 'em.
Plus: if you can't sell it, most charities will come on by and pick it up as a donation. They'll will even give you a value on your donations, allowing you to write it off your income taxes! Learn more about that here.
For an idea of how much your things are worth, here's a great donation valuation guide from Goodwill.
Never Pay For Boxes
Companies will try to sell you boxes: U-Haul sells them anywhere from $0.99 to $2.45 or in bundles that can go up to over $300. Forget about it. If you live in a city, or even any kind of small town, most businesses—particularly liquor stores and print shops— will be abundant with boxes they are desperate to get rid of. Just don't wait until the last week.
If you're feeling timid, check out freecycle to find out what people are dying to give away.
Another big secret: some boxes at the post office are free.
Move at the Right Time
According to an analysis from Unpakt, a comparative pricing company for moving services, the cost of actually moving from one-bedroom apartment can cost anywhere from $840 to $4,460, depending on what time of the year and the month you plan it. Try to get as much moving as possible done before the end of the month. And if you have any choice on what time of year, pick a time of that's not between the middle of May and the middle of September. It may be cold out, but your pocket will thank you.
Get Tech
The world is bigger than U-Haul and now. Don't stop yourself from getting an estimate from the big boys, but there are so many new app-based moving companies out there; check out bellhops, ghostuck and zootly, just name a few of the bigger ones. Zootly will put you in touch with the closest and most reliable movers in your immediate vicinity while bellhops employs college students to move your things on the cheap. And don't forget, you can always take your lower estimate to U-Haul and they just might match your price!
IRS Stuff
Finally, make sure you let the IRS know you've moved—even if you've set up a forwarding address. A lot of mail stops getting forwarded after 60 days: especially mail like tax returns. Another tip: if your move can be tied, in any way, to your job you might be able to write the whole thing off.
"

You Lose $20K Each Year Just For Being a Mom You may not know this, but there was a time when smoking was considered “liberated” behavior for women. There was a cigarette company Virginia Slims that was created specifically to attract female smokers during the bad old 1970s. The slogan was “You’ve come a long

By Massimo Tornambe Scott Disick, aka “Lord Disick” has gained fame and a devoted following since his appearances on the reality show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Disick is renowned for his expensive taste in clothes, cars, and women. The question that millions of fans are asking is: where did his fortune come from? Scott

Imagine this: you marry the man of your dreams. You have two beautiful children with another on the way. You spend your days cooking gorgeous, nutritious meals for your family…. from scratch. You get paid to share your daily life and meals with people around the world. But here’s the catch: half of those people

Trying to cancel your gym membership can be more tiring than actually attending that kickboxing class you keep skipping. Getting out of your gym contract can be so tough that people are going to great lengths to avoid paying any penalties. After going into debt living a lifestyle she couldn’t afford, this woman forged fake

​​The ugliest thing about credit card debt is that it’s plaguing millions of Americans all across the country. Hang-on, hang-on before you despair — it’s possible to pay off credit card debt by simply avoiding certain purchases that you’d normally give in to without a thought.  The latest social media trend that encourages people to

Even if you don’t know the first thing about collectables, you know Funko POPs. Funko Everyone does. They’re absolutely everywhere, from comic book shops to big box stores to movie theater concession stands. Many people think Funko POPs are cute, with their big black eyes and uniform features. Others think they’re creepy for pretty much

If you were to ask someone who they think the biggest superstar in the world is, there’s a good chance they’ll answer without a moment’s hesitation, “Beyoncé.” The Queen Bee has been effortlessly dropping record-breaking albums and chart-topping radio singles since her Destiny’s Child days, and she is not slowing down anytime soon.  Considering her

A few years back I lucked into an unexpected pile of cash. I’m not sure how word got out but it did. Suddenly, I was pitching in to help my brother buy a used car. I “loaned” $500 to a friend to help pay for the broker’s fee on her new apartment. And another long-time

Image via UnSplash: Giorgio Trovato There’s so much to do before the end of the year. And so much of it seems to zap your bank account. Hosting Thanksgiving? Holiday shopping? Decorating and decking the halls? All of it costs money. But there’s one way to get some money back before the close of the

In this month’s Money Journal, Celia is organized and disciplined yet enjoys her life “to the Max” Welcome to Money Journal, a monthly Paypath series that examines how Americans really handle their finances. Our participants keep a journal of their earnings, spending, and savings (if any), then share what it’s like to live in their