This post is sponsored by Sam’s Club.  All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. #SamsClub3M

I am so thrilled that moving our family is a thing of the past! About 5 years ago we made one of the biggest moves of our lives and drove all the way from Maine to Georgia. A little over a year ago we purchased our very first home and made our one last move into the new home. I don’t remember being more stressed in life than during those two moves and I learned quite a bit during those times. Whether you’re about to go through a big move and want to save money, or have been thinking about it but have been worried about your finances, these tips might just get you through it. Covering everything from the planning stage to staying motivated throughout, have a read and see how you can move home the frugal way. It’s exciting when you get to have frugal fun with the entire family, and no reason moving house can’t be economical and fun too!

Shop Around

Before you get started, it’s wise to shop around. There are ways that you can save money when you move, but you have to be smart about it. There are some areas that you will need to invest in, but others can be discounted or, even better, done yourself. One of the things you might want to get comparable pricing on is your realtor or even legal areas. It’s worth looking for the best price, rather than going with someone local or that you’ve known for a long time if you can.

Pack In Advance

It sounds silly to recommend being prepared well in advance, but it’s so easy to leave everything to the last minute – even if you don’t mean to. Collect boxes from any deliveries you have, ask family and friends to donate their to your move, rather than recycling. It’s a good idea to declutter too. Not only will you be only taking the things you need to the new house, but you can sell what you no longer need and make some extra cash too. By economizing in these areas, you can save on Packers fees or packing materials themselves. I always tell people that it is NEVER too early to start packing, you will be so happy you got most of it out of the day when moving day gets closer.

Give Yourself Time

You might want to save money on this move, but not at the expense of additional stress. It’s good to be frugal, but you have to be clever about how you save money. Try and get a small crossover between houses. If you get the keys to the new place a few days before you have to be out of the old one, you get a bit of time to decorate yourself. By opting for DIY, you can save money on decorators in the long run and make the move smoother overall. It’s also worth thinking ahead when it comes to meals too. You might have a lot left in the house that needs using up before you move, if so, plan smart. Think of meals you can make to use up what you have, rather than throwing it out.

The Big Move

When it comes to the big move itself, it’s likely that you’ll need a hand. Offer to buy friends and family lunch and dinner for the day if they help get your family moved… you would be surprised how fast things get moved when you have a few extra hands available. If you don’t have family in the state, or you have too much stuff to move, save room in your budget to hire a moving company. You’ll be glad you did when everything is moved safely and smoothly, rather than taking millions of trips yourself. There are areas where you’ll want to invest, and this is one of them. It’s best to make the move right and save bits of your budget for this, then ending up rushing around, losing things or worse, breaking them or hurting yourself.

Settling In

And finally, don’t forget about settling in right. If you can, make sure you’ve prepped and cleaned each room before your boxes come in. Label your boxes and have them put into the right rooms so you can start unpacking while the movers are doing their job. And of course, make sure you have some basics waiting for you when you arrive. Doing an online groceries and home essentials order at a time like this couldn’t be more convenient. Something else that many people forget is to replace all of the air filters when they move in, we definitely learned this the hard way when our HVAC stopped working correctly one hot day due to dirty filters. With all of the craziness associated with buying a house and moving, it didn’t even cross my mind to replace the filters in the house. 

Sam’s Club offers great low prices for their members on items that are useful for people who’ve recently moved, like 3M Filtrete air filters. 3M Filtrete filters are $8 off now through November 25th with Sam’s Club Instant Savings. We want to make your move easier and are thrilled to share a very exciting giveaway! We’re giving away 10 $100 Sam’s Club gift cards to some lucky fans.

• Giveaway will start Monday, November 12th at 12:00 AM ET to Friday, November 16th at 11:59 PM ET.
• Ten (10) winners will receive a $100 Sam’s Club Gift Card.
• Enter the giveaway by clicking the image above and submitting your email address on the form at the top of the page.
• The winners will be chosen through a lottery drawing and notified on Monday (11/19) via the email address you used to enter.
• See complete Official Rules for entry instructions, full prize descriptions, restrictions and other important details.