Many of us have already been directly affected by the current state of our economy.  Some Americans have become unemployed; others have lost many of their assets in their struggle to make it through these hard times.  It has become difficult to judge if you should expect to be laid off, or if you should sell your house to move into one with a cheaper mortgage.  We have found ourselves to be venturing into a downward spiral and can only hope that our efforts shall be rewarded in the near future.

I am sure that more than just a handful of people have decided to sell their homes due to pay cuts or being laid off from a previously stable job.  The economy has determined a fate that nobody is too excited about, one that requires a little more work to stay afloat in the flood of disaster we find ourselves in today.  We sell our homes, despite the decline in real estate profits, hoping that a smaller, cheaper house will allow us to stay on top of our finances a littler easier.  But our homes are not the only area of finances that we must budget accordingly.  With housing comes bills, and with bills comes a thinner wallet.  So what can we do to lessen the load on our shoulders?

If you are moving, you can do so much to prevent excess fees from piling up.  Many people don’t want to go through the trouble of boxing up their own belongings, considering the fact that we have so many of them.  But even though the process is a long and tiring one, it will save you a lot of money in the long run.   Along with paying for labor in packing up your things, you can also save money by getting boxes from nearby businesses who stock their shelves with bulk products.  Another way to save money in your relocation is to use a bedded truck for your bigger furniture and boxes and make numerous trips rather than renting a moving truck.

However, if you are limited to the use of a compact vehicle, there are other ways to save money.  Instead of calling the first moving company you see on the side of the road or in the phone book and paying for expensive moving truck rentals , look up moving companies on the internet, or call all of the ones you see in the phone book just so that you can compare the prices for the load you are expecting to move and the length of time you plan to spend using the rented moving truck.  If you have a limited amount of resources, by all means, go cheap!!!  Cheap moving trucks are the only way to go if you cannot find a way to borrow a bedded truck or have one of your own. 

As I said before, get free boxes from businesses that would throw them out anyway.  And please, pack your own things!  Even if you insist on having it done by someone else, pay a younger kid in your neighborhood or even a relative in search of a quick job and save yourself a ton!!!  Moving is a big expense and a strain on your finances.  Do what you can in the best way you can – CHEAPER IS BETTER!