Did you know that the average American moves over 10 times over the course of their life, for an average of several hundred miles? Many people will be moving this year and looking into their options for moving companies. Other than death and divorce, moving is one of the most stressful events that take place in life. If you are planning a long distance move this year, what are some things you should keep in mind that will help you to have a relatively pain free experience?

First, plan ahead with your packing! This will help reduce stress on multiple levels. Start packing up your least used items months ahead of time. Keep in mind that looks can be deceiving, and a single room can require as much as a dozen boxes to be packed up. Be tough when it comes to saving old or never used items. Do you really want to pay a moving company to transport that halfway across the country? Although you can often get boxes free at a grocery store, sometimes buying a large number of even sized boxes can be a good idea as they are easier to stack high and efficiently in a truck.

Second, plan ahead for your cross country moving company! As you probably know, there will be many companies to choose from, and now is the time to do research and figure out which one is right for you. Find a company that is within your budget, that also has satisfactory ratings from the majority of its customers. Make sure your moving company is licensed and insured so that if something happens to your belongings, you will not be out of luck.

Third, you can save money with your moving company if you have the ability to be flexible with your leaving time. For example, did you know that it usually costs less to move during the middle of the week or month, rather than the end? You can end up saving a fair amount of cash simply by altering your departure a few days forward or backward. Remember when comparing prices that fees change depending on if you are dropping off the truck where you end up, or not. So make sure you are comparing apples to apples.