Just as you would need to with any project, you need to set a budget when you move. Setting a budget will ensure that your move goes smoothly financially and that you have enough money to complete the relocation. This is especially true when you are moving yourself.
If you are moving on your own, here’s what you’ll need to remember to include in your moving budget:
- Truck Rental – Prices will vary based on the size truck you need and how far you are moving.
- Mileage and Gas – Ask the moving truck company how many miles to the gallon the truck gets and how many gallons it holds. You can figure out the cost of your gas based on the distance of your move.
- Insurance – You may or may not need to purchase additional valuation converage – for your shipment or the truck if you’re driving it. Your credit card company may cover this, so always check with them.
- Additional Equipment Rental – In order to get things done, you might need to rent a few extra things like a loading ramp, a dolly, mattress covers, and so on.
- Incidentals – This is a small extra budget to cover additional costs you might not have thought of – increased gas prices, bubble wrap, tolls, and things like that.
Figuring the Budget
Once you have all the expenses listed, you need to figure out how much you will actually have to come up with. Here’s how:
- Add all the costs up – this is your subtotal.
- Multiply your subtotal by 5% – this is just a contingency.
- The sum of these two is your total budget.
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