The average person will move 11.7 times in their life. For a single mother, moving with kids in tow while dealing with a divorce or breakdown of a relationship can be incredibly stressful – and expensive. In fact, estimates put the national average cost of moving at $1,400 with a range between $800 and $2,150. Before making the big move, it helps to have a financial plan to avoid overspending and to keep track of your finances. What’s the best tool to do this? A great budgeting approach. Here are a few tried and trusted budgeting tips to help you with the financial aspect of moving.
Create A Checklist Of Your Home Moving Costs
The best place to start is to figure out what your moving costs will be. Creating a checklist for moving to your new place is the best way to do this. Experts recommend doing this at least 6 weeks before your move. Remember to note down costs like rental trucks and packing costs, costs of moving containers and a rental deposit if needed. It also helps to reach out to a few local movers for estimates and timelines when creating your moving checklist. This will help you schedule it financially and around childcare.
Keep The Financing Costs Down
It is easy to get up in the whirlwind of moving and lose sight of the actual costs attached to them. This can be particularly significant if you will be utilizing credit to move like credit cards or a moving loan. Once you have worked out your moving costs and budget, spend some time researching the best financing options and the rates out there. If you are moving into a new home as a homebuyer or plan on renovations, speaking to a home loan specialist can give you an accurate idea of the current interest rates charged on home loans. Alternatively, using a comparison calculator online can help you narrow down the best credit card rates and offers such as 0 percent balance transfer.
Don’t Forget To Create A Buffer For Those Pesky Unexpected Moving Costs
Having an idea of what your move will cost helps you budget more accurately. It also helps you plan for the best financing, if you need to utilize it. Once you have created a comprehensive moving checklist, you can then use a moving cost calculator to get a better estimate. Remember to add in a moving budget buffer to cover unexpected costs of moving like cost of temporary storage, setup fees for new utilities and realtor’s fees. It always helps to over budget for a move-especially since it always costs more than people initially plan for.
Finally, remember to continuously update your moving budget throughout the moving process. Like interest rates, costs of moving can change. Moving to a new home should be an exciting time. Unfortunately, for single mothers the financial side of moving can make it an incredibly stressful experience. The best way to relieve this is to budget effectively for your move and these 3 useful tips are a good place to start.
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