How to move to Hollywood on a tight budget-tricks and hacks
It doesn’t matter what is the motive behind your big move to Hollywood. You know that you don’t have to spend a ton to do it? We hear all these stories how people relocated with only a couple of hundreds in their pocket. Some say you can do it for several thousand. No matter what is your financial situation, a move to Hollywood on a tight budget seems like a daunting task. Don’t worry! We have you covered, check out our easy tricks and hacks bellow!
Move to Hollywood on a tight budget and survive to tell the tale! Here’s how!
Research your options-DIY vs. Professional help
People jump to a conclusion that “doing it yourself ” is always the cheaper alternative to hiring professional movers. Think twice! This approach puts a lot of stress and sweat into a move and can easily cost more than the alternative. Living in LA is already as costly as it gets. You can’t afford to make costly mistakes from the start! Here is some advice on how to choose the best option for you:
- Looking to hire professionals? Collect at least three different quotes before making a move. Many don’t realize that they can actually negotiate a price with moving companies, especially when they decide to move offseason. This choice can lower your rate as much as 30 percent!
- Do a “little” background investigation on “Yelp”, read other people’s reviews. Ask the company to provide references from previous customers etc. If you want to be completely sure, do a quick check on U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safety and Fitness Electronic Records System website.
- If you are still considering the DIY approach, make sure your move to Hollywood is planned ahead. Avoid traffic hour. Even if you decided to move your own car packed to the brim. The weight of it, coupled with a traffic jam will cost you a lot of fuel money!
- If you are looking for something in between these two approaches, try portable storage units? The company delivers a storage unit to your door, you have to load it. The company then transports the unit to your desired location and again you have to unload it. This option brings the best of both worlds!
Choose a good moving date
Most moving companies are fully booked during the summer months. May to September is when most of US families decide to move and thus the rates skyrocket. That’s why choosing a moving date wisely can make all the difference for your move to Hollywood on a tight budget. Try to avoid the height of moving season. Book your move during the winter months. This will also put you in a position to bargain with moving companies and get the best possible rate for your relocation! Also, don’t forget the fact that moving on weekends will cost you more than choosing a weekday. So planning ahead and choosing a good moving date will go a long way with your moving budget.
Don’t buy boxes
Why buy boxes when there are so many other options! Cardboard boxes are a major item on your list when you are trying to relocate on a budget and there are different ways you can get them:
- Hunt for used boxes. Look around your neighborhood on a trash day, go behind big groceries stores. Go to liquor stores and ask for leftover boxes. Theirs are usually sturdy enough for anything you need to pack. Check out your workplace or ask neighbors who recently arrived to share some of theirs.
- Rent boxes. Actually, believe it or not, there are companies who rent their boxes out! After you are done using them, they come and pick them up. This method is also environmentally friendly.
- Ask on social media for used boxes or check the Craigslist’s Free section
Just try to be creative! We are sure you will find enough boxes for your move to Hollywood on a tight budget.
Before you decide to buy boxes, try out these easy tricks and save a lot of money!
Get rid of stuff
Any move whatsoever is a good opportunity to get rid of unnecessary stuff that you have accumulated over the years. If you are a little bit of a hoarder at heart and this freaks you out, just try and think how much you will save in the long run! Having less stuff will lower your moving rates plus your rent won’t be so huge in LA, cause you won’t need that much space. Don’t forget the wonderful feeling of freedom while traveling light as air! Hollywood is an expensive place to live, so consider every possible option to save money during the relocation. It’s not a bad idea to sell some of our possessions to lighten the load and earn some much-needed cash. Even better, sell it all!
Lower the expenses by getting rid of unnecessary stuff!
Pack it yourself
You decided to move to Hollywood on a tight budget and you’re looking to save every step of the way. This means a little bit more work for you and a little bit less work for the moving company which you hired.
Packing on your own is a good way to lower your moving costs. Don’t forget you will do a better job organizing and placing things in different boxes, than a complete stranger who is hired to pack it for you. Also, when you pack your moving boxes, you will quickly unpack after moving to Hollywood. Where to start? Well, now the previous advice makes so much sense! After you got rid of accumulated clutter everything will come in to focus and you’ll be able to start packing. The general advice is to begin the process in rooms that are less used. Slowly make your way towards the rooms that are used on daily bases, such as kitchen and the living room. This will prevent cluttering your home with moving boxes.
Also, you should think about disassembling your IKEA furniture such as dressers and beds, or any other kind of furniture that allows being disassembled, on your own. Don’t forget to bribe some good friends with pizza and beer to help you pack.
Disassemble the furniture yourself and save money!
Be wise and use USPS
A lot of people don’t realize how much cheaper USPS shipments can be compared to the rates moving companies will charge you! The heaviest thing to move our boxes packed with books, and that’s exactly what drives the price up with moving companies, the total weight of your stuff! If you decided to relocate your books along with your other belongings, do them separately via USPS mail. It will take them longer to arrive, but don’t forget to plan ahead and the fact that you will save a lot of money. You can also use this way to send clothes. The package weight limit is 70 lbs and it costs less than a suitcase that you would check in at the airport.
Books always make the heaviest boxes, try shipping them instead!
Let these be the base for your successful new life in LA. Be smart, think ahead and create opportunities for your self. After surviving your big move to Hollywood on a tight budget you might also consider seeing Hollywood attractions. Just the fact that you are putting this much effort in your relocation tells us you will be successful in your future endeavors.