How Much Do I Need to Save Before Moving Out of State?

The following are the major categories that determine how much money you should save before moving out of state:

• 1. Moving and Storage Expenses
• 2. Travel Expenses
• 3. Housing Expenses
• 4. Utilities
• 5. Transportation
• 6. Pocket Money
• 7. Emergency Fund
• 8. Conclusion

 

1. Moving and Storage Expenses

Hiring long-distance movers is more expensive than hiring local movers. There are a lot of details that build your final quote, including the distance, specialty items, service type, size of the move, additional stops, etc. If you want to know how much your long-distance move will cost, we suggest you request a quote from a moving company.

Usually, on-site estimates generate more accurate quotes. At Seka Moving, we do free on-site estimates for commercial and long-distance moves.

If you not everything from your current house will fit into your new house, consider getting quotes for storage. In your destination city, there might be storage deals or services that will pick it up from you for a certain fee.

 

2. Travel Expenses

If you are hiring a moving company to handle your move, you need a way of getting to the destination. What are you going to use? A bus? A flight? A rental car?

• Bus

  The average fare for a one-way trip on a Greyhound bus varies from $10 to $100 depending on the distance. We advise you to pack essentials and some clothes into one small travel bag. Send everything else with your movers because extra bags will cost you extra.

• Flight

  If busses rides are too long, you might want to take a flight. The average cost of a domestic flight is $345 in the third quarter of 2019. We suggest you fly a lowcoster, such as Frontier or SkyUp, which might cost you up to $100.

• Rental Car

  Driving a car is another way of getting to your destination. Renting a car will cost you at least $50/day excluding the fuel. You will make a few stops to rest and eat, so the cost will add up.

At this point, we the fastest and the most convenient is flying. Alternatives are not worth the savings. Also, you will get to your destination well-rested. Just allocate additional $50 for you Uber. So your total will be around $150 if you fly a lowcoster or $400 otherwise.

 

3. Housing Expenses

Housing is one of the primary expenses to consider when calculating how much to save before moving out of state. It is advised that rent shouldn’t exceed 1/3 of your monthly income.

Usually, in large cities, you need to pay an application fee, security deposit, and first month’s rent. Some landlords also require paying the last month’s rent and purchasing renter’s insurance. If you used a real estate broker’s services, you will have to pay the broker’s fee on top of all the housing expenses.

If you are short on money, consider finding rentals on Airbnb, Facebook, Offer Up. There are some scammers on Facebook and Offer Up, so be very careful when directly dealing with the owners.

 

4. Utilities

So, if you are moving into an apartment, prepare to spend around $150 per month. If you are moving into a house, then your utilities will cost you closer to $400 per month. Below are the average monthly utility costs in the US:

• Gas – $72.10/mo.
• Electricity – $110.76/mo.
• Internet –$60/mo.
• Water – $70.39/mo.
• TV – $85/mo.
• Trash – $14/mo.

You can shop for all your utilities in one place using MyUtilities. They already connected over 100 million people and have over 70,000 utility providers. Please, allocate money for your cell phone and health and dental insurance.

 

5. Transportation

If you have a car, don’t forget about car insurance, gas, and parking.

Car insurance costs vary from city to city. You need to call your car insurance company and ask about your new rate after you move. They will be able to tell you the exact monthly price.

Your gas budget could change as well. Mostly, it depends on how far your job is from your home. Parking also depends on your housing. If you will rent a house, then you can park your car in the driveway. If you rent an apartment, some apartment complexes offer free parking. So, first, you need to figure out the housing to get a more precise number.

If you don’t have a car, around $100-150 should be enough for a month of public transportation.

 

6. Pocket Money

Remember that when you move into your new house, it will be empty. You will need to buy groceries, cleaning supplies, personal hygiene items, etc. We suggest you allocate $100-150 for pocket money. That way you have some groceries in your fridge; you can take a shower and clean your house as well.

 

7. Emergency Fund

In case of an emergency, you should have some amount of money in your savings account. This will give you additional peace of mind. Professional financial advisors suggest having an emergency fund around three to six months of your living expenses. Only use this money in case of an emergency. If you want to get started, Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps will guide you.

It takes a few years of good financial habits to build an emergency fund. If you don’t have it, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t move across the country. As long as you have a job waiting for you, and you can cover your expenses from the first six categories above, you are good to go.

 

Conclusion

We decided to combine all the numbers in one place to make it easier for you. So, the following categories will help you to calculate the amount of money you need to save before moving out of state.

• Moving and storage – get a quote from a moving company;
• Travel – $150 – $400;
• Housing – look up the pricing in your destination city;
• Utilities – $150/mo. or $400/mo.;
• Transportation – $100 – $150 or car expenses (insurance, gas, and parking);
• Pocket money – $100 – $150;
• Emergency Fund – optional for now, but good practice in general. Think about building your emergency fund.