How To Move To NYC When You're Poor

You're making the move out to the city. You're told that it's great—you're also told that it's expensive. Getting yourself and your stuff out there is part of the money-sucking deal. Read on for some tips to make one of the most stressful events in life—moving—a little more manageable.

Throw stuff out

If you're poor, you likely are counting pennies at every step so that you can have enough left to eat when you finally arrive. This means you'll move into a tiny apartment. New York City apartments are already pretty small—yours will be even smaller. As much as it hurts, the best thing to do is throw stuff out. If you want to store stuff, go ahead—but have you got the budget to get back to it? Be selective about what you store—will you even want it when you are more financially comfortable?

Big or small apartment, the more you ship, the more you will need to dish out. The cost includes sturdy boxes, good packing tape, and any trips required (whether by you or a service), on top of the shipping itself. Keeping your possessions to a minimum reduces the stress here immensely.

Send smart

You won't be wanting a car in New York City—the roads are terribly crowded, and the public transportation is excellent—so you won't have a carful of space to throw your stuff in. Unless someone is willing to drive there and back, you will have to box and ship your things.

Do your research and find out what is cheap. Some organizations will send educational material (including books, DVDs, hand-outs, etc.) at a lower rate than the rest of your belongings. As for the rest, putting it on a bus or train for you to pick up will be much less expensive than renting a door-to-door service or a vehicle.

Try to get things there for free. For example, if you are flying to your destination, fill your free checked bags to the brim, and take the largest carry-on your airline will allow.

Consider if/how you will pay to get your boxes from the drop-off location to your apartment. For instance, your friends in the city may have memberships that allow them to rent a car free of charge in exchange for a monthly fee.

Also consider how you will get your stuff up three flights of stairs. While personal manpower is free, a back injury is incredibly costly. If you are unable to carry your stuff on your own, or the cost of hiring a packing and moving service is worth the stress it will relieve, compare prices before hiring.

Get ready to furniture shop

Your stuff has to go somewhere. The floor won't do for the long-term. Whether or not your new abode comes with furnishings, be prepared to get more—chances are that the place is even smaller than you thought and that you brought more than you have room for. Creative storage is necessary for you to live comfortably in a tiny New York apartment.

Do the research now, as a cluttered apartment will cause you stress, pulling you away from work or interviews. Lack of research may also cause you to quickly buy dinky storage or furnishing that doesn't work well in the space and that you will replace—spending more money—sooner or later.

If you are moving with a spouse, now is the time to bust out the wedding gift cards. You might find some as you move out; gather them and know where they are. Don't pack them away too deep, so that you can get to them as soon as your boxes arrive.

Being poor is inconvenient, but it isn't impossible. There are plenty of ways to save. Best of luck! Talk to your local moving experts, such as Cross Town Movers, for more information.

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