Moving is not only a highly stressful endeavor, but it can be an expensive one as well. In addition to the moving expenses to consider, there are also several deposits and fees and other expenses involved with switching homes and services. The farther you must move, the more expensive it can become as well. Whether you have a large or small budget, there are several different ways to slash moving expenses to help you make even a long-distance move on a budget. Here are 4 tips from a Denver interstate moving company for planning your upcoming relocation:

1. Downsize

Everything you take with you will cost you money. The more you take with you, the bigger the truck you will need or the more movers you will need to hire. The larger the truck, the more it costs to rent, not to mention the more gas it will guzzle. The more stuff you have, the longer it will also take to pack and unpack. One of the very best ways to drastically slash expenses right from the start is to sell or donate everything you don’t absolutely need to take with you.

2. Use recycled boxes

Just boxes and packing materials alone can easily run you a few hundred dollars. You can save a great deal of money – and help protect the environment – by using gently used boxes. Not only that but used boxes will also often come with packing materials still in them, saving you even more money. There are dozens of ways to get good, used boxes and when you are finished with them, you can even pass them along to someone else. In fact, here is a video that shows you 20 great places to find used boxes.

3. Use packing materials you already have

Sheets, towels, and other linens, as well as t-shirts, socks and other soft clothing items all make excellent packing materials. After all, you must take them with you anyway, so why not put them to good use? Not only will using household items as packing materials save you money since you won’t have to purchase as many moving supplies, but it will also save you money by cutting down significantly on the number of boxes you have to pack. By using linens as packing materials, instead of having 5 boxes of dishes and a box of linens to move, you will just have 5 boxes of dishes. Here are some other common household items you can use as packing materials.

4. Use every space

Whether you use movers, on demand storage pods, or rent a truck, every square foot of moving space will cost you money, so the less space you take up when moving, the less it will cost you to move. Instead of moving an empty laundry hamper, fill the laundry hamper with smaller bath items. Instead of moving an empty suitcase, use the suitcase like a box and pack it just like you would a box. Instead of packing pots and pans individually, nest them or fill large pots with smaller kitchen items. Ultimately, the goal of efficient and economical packing is to be able to fit everything you are taking with you into as small of a space as possible.

Find out how much your move costs!