New PODS Promo Code

New PODS Promo Code: Save 5% off Local Storage or One-Way Moves

Have you ever come across the issue of not having enough space? Maybe you live somewhere that doesn’t have a lot of living space, or maybe you just realized how cluttered your home is. Regardless of the reason, Pods.com can give you the help you need to organize your life!

Pods specializes in providing storage units for you to use. Nothing could be easier: just request a unit, load it up, and then have it stored until you are ready to get everything back. Choose how long you want to keep the unit, and return it when you are done. You can have the unit stored at your home or request that it is transferred to a local storage location.

These PODS are large enough to hold even the biggest items, and loading them are a breeze. Whether you have some Christmas decorations that need to go away for the summer or just have items you can’t throw away, PODS will keep them safe and secure until you are ready to get them again. Don’t let your home be cluttered up any longer, find out how freeing it is to have extra space with the convenience of a PODS unit!

Call 866-767-PODS or visit Pods.com and mention Pods PROMO CODE R101 to get 5% OFF 1st Month storage rental or 5% Off long-distance moves.

How to Deal with High Gas Prices on a Move

We didn't think that moving could any worse, but then gas prices started to go up and up. No matter where you go gas is expensive, but some filling stations offer cheaper gas prices than others. If you plan ahead, you can save some money from going into your fuel tank by searching for the best gas prices.

If you have a smart phone you can search the cheapest gas prices while you are on your way to your destinations. We recommend looking for the best gas prices here. If you are using a smart phone you can install the Gas Buddy app. The app will take your GPS coordinates to determine the cheapest gas that is close to you.

Without a smart phone or wifi device you will need to plan a little ahead. Before you depart for your move you should choose to get gas at certain stops. Enter the address on gas buddy then plan out which stations you will stop on the way to your new home.

There is a way to avoid paying for high gas prices of moving all your stuff! You can hire movers who will take into account gas prices when you are paying. This way you don't have to worry about filling up the moving van, and you can have help moving all of your stuff.

Wait one second though! Some movers will charge extra depending on weight and distance. When you sign the contract you should ask if they have any extra surprise charges. Even if they say "no" you should read the contract you sign very closely. As usual when you are choosing a mover it is good to make sure they have no bad reports with the BBB.

New 1800 PackRat Promo Code

Portable storage has been growing in popularity for many years now. Now it's widely recognized as a great way to both move and store your belongings. Portable storage units have demonstrated how truly convenient they can be. PODS is certainly the best known company in the field, but other companies such as 1-800-PackRat offer a very similar service and are often less expensive. And by using a Pack Rat promo code you can save even more.

1-800-PACK-RAT Promo Code: V0111P2

Save 5% off monthly storage fees of a 1-800-PACK-RAT portable storage unit.

Features of Pack Rat storage units:

•    100% satisfaction guarantee
•    Storage units are secure, all-steel construction
•    24 hour guaranteed delivery at your convenience
•    Long distance moves includes a moving coordinator, content protection plan, blankets and a lock.


Many thousands of people have chosen to make their move easier by having an all steel, weather proof portable storage unit delivered to their home.  With 1-800-PACK-RAT portable storage units you can take your time and load the unit at your convenience.  When done loading, call the company and they'll pick it up and keep your unit level at all times.  You can either have it delivered right away to your new home or store it at the 1-800-PACK-RAT storage center, which is a secure and climate controlled warehouse.  If you are moving long distance, one of Pack Rat’s moving coordinators will help you through the process. Just be sure to redeem the Pack Rat coupon V0111P2 to save 5% off the cost.

Packrat Portable Storage and Moving

Packrat only uses steel storage units and a 24 hour delivery guarantee. Other companies have earned a bad reputation for not showing up when promised. They deliver either an 8×12 or 8×16 all steel, weatherproof, lockable storage container. Take your time and pack the unit at your own pace. When you’re ready, 1-800-PACK-RAT picks up the container and moves it to your new location or to their climate controlled secure warehouse.

Moving Day Checklist

The Most Important Things To Include On Your Moving Day Checklist

The kids are restless, boxes are still only half filled in the kitchen, and milk just spilled on the counter. The day has finally come for you to move, but you are far from ready and wish you were far away from this scene. Many people dread moving for the chaos that it brings and the tedious work that it involves. There is a simple solution to avoiding stress and making your moving day go a lot more smoothly. As unbelievable as it may seem, a moving day checklist is the key to keeping chaos from overtaking your moving experience. A checklist can help bring you peace of mind. It can prevent you from forgetting anything and help you to pace the tasks that need to be accomplished in the time frame required so that you are ready on moving day. There are some important things you might want to include on this checklist.

Eliminate

Packing, in itself, can be overwhelming, especially if you have accumulated a lot of things over the years. Some things are really no longer useful to you, and become burdensome clutter. A good solution is to get rid of the things you don’t need, a few weeks ahead of the move. The more you eliminate, the less you have to organize before and after you get to your new home. The following are a few ideas you can do to discard the extra stuff in your house:

•    Have a garage sale.
•    Donate unwanted household items and clothing to a charitable organization.
•    Give away plants to relatives or friends.
•    Use up frozen foods and pantry storage.
•    Properly discard propane tanks, excess cleaning fluids, and other substances that may be toxic or flammable.
•    Return library books and anything you have borrowed from neighbors or friends.

Plan Ahead

Some tasks require that you make reservations ahead of time. If you need to purchase airline tickets, or reserve a hotel room or a moving truck, you can do this at least six to eight weeks ahead of time to assure your arrangements are secure. Also, remember to contact the post office and fill out a Change of Address form. There are other businesses that should be notified at least two to four weeks before you move:

•    Utilities (arrange for shutoff dates)
•    Banks/Credit Card Companies
•    Newspapers/ Magazines
•    Doctor/Pharmacy/Dentist
•    Insurance Agency
•    Department of Motor Vehicles/City and County Tax Assessor

Packing

If you are working with professional packers, communicate with the company which items you do not want packed, and which items are fragile and need special attention. If you are doing the packing yourself, label boxes according to rooms, and have everything packed before moving day. Begin packing about a month before the move to give yourself time to pace the project. Pack a special box ahead of time with things to entertain the kids and keep them occupied when the big day arrives. Keep this box accessible so that it can be one of the first ones unloaded at the new house. 

Moving Day and Final Check

Supervise the move, making sure that that furniture is disassemble and everything gets on the moving truck. Fill out the bill of lading and take a final look around to make sure you have remembered everything. Check the cabinets and closets for anything you might have forgotten. Shut off all faucets, the furnace, and the air conditioner. Turn off light switches, and shut all windows and doors.

A moving day checklist can ease your mind so that you can avoid being overwhelmed and enjoy your new home in greater comfort.

How to Find a Storage Unit for Antiques

So the time has come to put antiques and/or family heirlooms in storage, and just thinking about the daunting task is enough to make you stressed. Beyond just getting the antique safely to storage, you need to find somewhere that it won't get damaged. These items can range from valuable to irreplaceable, so we do not want any harm to come to them.

Take a deep breath. This does not have to hard. We have three easy steps that will make finding storage for your antiques much easier.

1) Find a Storage Unit 
There are no shortage of storage facilities to choose your storage unit from, so you can be as picky as you want. If the manager of storage facility doesn't want to answer your questions then you can go find some place that will. To protect your antiques from damage while in storage, you will want to choose a storage unit that has climate control. Fluctuating environmental conditions can damage or even ruin antiques. There are not climate control systems in every storage unit, so it is imperative that you make sure you get a storage
unit with climate control.

2) Choose a Mover 
Antiques are extremely heavy and extremely easy to damage. This combination is not good for leaving it to the amateurs or yourself. For these reasons, we highly recommend carefully choosing a moving company. When you are selecting a mover you should call to ask about moving valuable items. Ask them about what packaging and safety precautions they take when moving valuable items. If they do not have an answer that pleases you, choose someone else. Also, make sure that the Better Business Bureau approves of the moving company to make sure they are a credible company to begin with.

Getting Antiques Out of the House Can be Half the Battle

3) Check Your Insurance
Do not rely on mover's insurance for antiques, because these free plans almost always depend on the weight of an object. Your antique is probably worth more than its weight, so if anything did get damaged it would be a major loss for you.
Also, you will probably need to provide proof of insurance before a good storage facility will agree to store valuable objects. If your plan does not cover your furniture, you may need to get insurance for the antiques from a third party.

Once you have done all three of the steps, you are done! Give yourself a pat on the back. Moving and storing precious items is a very stressful occurrence for everyone, so don't feel bad if the thought of storing your antiques is making you go bonkers. Happy moving!

No Internet After a Move? A List of Free Wifi Hotspots!

Switching utilities before a move can be quite a hassle, and just remembering to switch electric and water is enough to worry about for many of us. A lot of the times people forget about connecting the internet or do not want to bother with it right away. Here is a plan of approach that can help you with switching utilities. If you still don't get to it, I definitely understand.

Frequently, we don't realize how much we really need the internet until we don't have it during a move. Or don't realize the level of relaxation and enjoyment the internet can supply after a move. Here are some places with free wifi hotspots that we can take advantage of when we are in the transitional phase of moving.

Starbucks: They really are everywhere! Fortunately, most of them do provide free wifi access. Going there during the coffee rushes in the morning can be a headache, but it is quite quiet during the day and evening. Grab yourself a tasty treat or a cup of coffee while you relax in one of their couches or tables.
If you are not that into chain coffee shops, many small coffee shops have free wifi as well. Utilize your search engine to find some.

Parks: If you live in a dense urban area, the chances are some parks provide free wifi spots. Google search your city's name and "parks with wifi". It is really nice to sit outside (in a shaded spot) while surfing the web.

Restaurants: Many casual dining spots will have free wifi. A national chain that notably has free wifi is Panera. They also have tasty pastries, sandwiches and coffee you can enjoy while checking your emails.

Library: You would be hard press to find a library that does not provide free wifi. You may have to get a library card while you are it, but library cards are frequently free or have a very small one time fee.

Office Depot, Apple Stores and Staples: While these are not as cozy as most of the examples listed above, they do provide free wifi hotspots. You may find yourself standing in an aisle, but at least you can get access to the internet. If you have lots of things to do the level of discomfort will make sure that you budget your time wisely!

If all else fails, if you have one, you can use your smart phone for a couple of days until you are all set up. Moving is one of the times that I really find my Android's internet feature to come in handy. 

If you can't get access to the internet, try to stay calm. Somehow our species survived a long time without it, and I think we could survive without it again. Maybe...

Declutter Before a Move by Selling Your Stuff Online!

Yard Sales: Soon to be in the History Books

I hate yard sales! While I enjoy going to them in search of bargains, I hate hosting them. Before moving many people resort to yard sales. While this method of getting rid of junk before moving does work sometimes, it also takes up a lot of time and energy. You have to move everything out to the yard, pray that it doesn't rain, and barter with people all day (if said people come at all). What doesn't sell that day has to be moved back in, and hopefully there are a lot less items then you started with. Sometimes you'll be moving just about everything back in, and wishing that you had your weekend back. 

When the option to sell used items online became viable, I was ecstatic. I've sold old electronics, furniture, books and more. Thanks to selling used items online, I live a more declutter existence- as long as you don't look in the corner my basement. An alternative to the yard sale method is attempting to sell yourself online. Like yard sales, whether or not someone buys your stuff can be variable. By selling your secondhand goods online, they will have more than the time period of a  yard sale to sell. 

If you know you are going to move in a month, weeks or even a year, you can start to declutter before the move early on to increase the likelihood you'll ride yourself of unwanted items. Posting your items online early can help raise the prospects of someone buying them, and let you worry about moving related issues come moving day.    

We are going to go over some of the big name marketplaces that are available to direct you where to sell used items online. Our number one tips that goes with any of these marketplaces is to include a picture with your ad. Not including a picture will make potential buyers either not notice your item in the first place or be skeptical of the item's value. CAUTION: As always NEVER give anyone your banking information. Use a PayPal account if you will be doing business online. 

Different Marketplaces Online: Website to Sell Stuff (In No Particular Order)

1) Ebay 

One of the first popular sites to sell used items, Ebay has a very large customer base. Although Ebay started as just an auctioning site, now you can either sell your items auction style or fixed price. I recommend trying to sell bigger, more valuable items at fixed price. For smaller, less valuable items try selling them at auction. Sometimes just getting the stuff off your hands will be a relief, even if you do not make a profit. 

2) Social Networks (Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus) 

Almost everyone and there grandma seems to be connected to a social networking site, and utilizing it to declutter before moving can be a blessing. You can either opt to give stuff away to friends and family or ask for a small price. Frequently people may need furniture, free books or whatever goodies you may have. It never hurts to ask around. Post a status, tweet or note about the used items you have, and offer them to anyone who will come pick them up. 

3) Freecycle 

Freecycle is a non-profit born from the idea of keeping good items out of landfills. Using this sites means that you will essentially be giving away unwanted items in the name of recycling. While there are not programs available in all areas, there are in many. All you do is have to enter your city and state to see if there is a Freecycling program in your area. You may even acquire some items if you see something appealing. 

4) Craigslist 

Putting an ad on Craigslist can be an effective method of getting rid of stuff. You will have to deal with phone calls, email bartering and someone coming to your house. If you are trying to sell something on Craigslist make sure that you take precautions if you are showing someone the items in your home. Try to pick a time when someone else is home or agree to meet in a public area. 

5) Hire Someone to Sell Your Stuff for You 

There are many small specialized companies sell your stuff on Ebay or Amazon for a small fee. To read more about this option, see this article. This can take the time and stress out of dealing with selling used items online. Moving can be stressful enough without worry about selling old furniture. These companies job is to know how to sell second goods online, so they know the ropes of getting rid of stuff. 

6) If All Else Fails- How You Can Still Declutter Before Moving 

Even if you can't sell all or any of your items online or at a yard sale or even give them away to your friends, there is still hope to declutter before a move. You can hire someone to remove your junk for you. With these companies all you do is show them the stuff you want removed, and they will get rid of it for you. It is nice to have your home finally free of the clutter!