Getting weight tickets for a military move

One of the biggest concerns when completing a Personally Procured Move (PPM), also known as a Do-It-Yourself (DITY) move, is getting reimbursed. While there’s other paperwork to complete, weight tickets are a vital component. If you’re using a rental truck, you have to figure out how to get them, and if you’re hiring a moving company, you have to make sure they take care of everything. Learn more about what weight tickets you need, how to get them and how U-Pack simplifies the PPM process.

getting military weight tickets at a weigh station
What are certified weight tickets?
Each branch of service requires specific information for reimbursement, and it may change depending on the service you use. Before your move date, confirm the specifics with the Transportation Office. Typically, military weight tickets need to include:

The name/location of scales
The moving equipment identification
Weighing date
The Weight Master’s signature
The accurate weight of the belongings
You will have a set of weight tickets — one showing the loaded weight (vehicle with a full tank of gas, belongings, but no driver or passengers) and the other showing the empty weight (vehicle with a full tank of gas but no belongings, driver or passengers). These measurements are used to calculate the weight of your household goods by subtracting the empty weight from the loaded weight.

Obtaining certified weight tickets
If you’re doing a complete DIY move, you’ll be responsible for weighing the vehicle at an approved location and providing the information listed above. It’s important to note that not all weigh stations on the side of the interstate are certified. Find out where the nearest certified weight station is on this map from Move.mil.

If you’re using a self-moving service like U-Pack®, you’ll need to make sure they can provide them. U-Pack can provide certified weight tickets as long as we know that weight tickets are required before the move date. We have military specialists who will ensure you have everything you need for reimbursement. After your move, a U-Pack military specialist will email the DITY move weight tickets to you so you can submit them for reimbursement. Contact us at 877-610-5790 for additional copies or assistance.

Still figuring out the moving process? Learn more about everything that goes into military moving from start to finish.

Why it’s worth the money to hire movers! (And how to do it right)

Are you sick of hearing me complain about how HARD moving is? Seriously, Freebs, I feel like I'm about to die. And, spoiler alert, since misery loves company, I probably won't quit complaining any time soon. But there's hope! Amidst the misery there is light at the end of the tunnel by way of tips, tricks, and lessons learned along the way to hopefully make your experience as good as it can possibly be. (And don't worry, I'm sharing tons of #ThePageProject before and afters on Instagram and Facebook so follow over there to see the progress – aka MESS – we are making!)

When I asked y'all for moving advice one of the most common pieces of advice was…HIRE MOVERS! This came as a shock to me because it's so darn expensive (or so I thought), I was sure most people would think it a luxury rather than necessity. Boy, was I wrong! We had used them before and only had a so-so experience. But thanks to my Freebs' advice (plus the fact that I'm 33 weeks pregnant…) we hired movers and decided…

…it was worth EVERY PENNY!

My friends at HireAHelper.com asked me to try movers from their database and give an honest review, so I accepted the challenge! Now I'm sharing it with you as well as my best tips first on

1. HOW to afford hiring movers,
2. WHY it's worth the money, and
3. how to do it the RIGHT WAY and not get scammed or get all your stuff broken in the process.

Let's get on with it, shall we??

Why you Should Hire Movers, How to Afford Them, and How to Do it Right!

When Bubba and I moved from our first home 4.5 years ago we decided to hire movers because we had a newborn. It was a huge stretch for us financially, but we did it anyway. I did what I knew how – did a quick google search, called around and found the best price, and booked two guys to help us for a few hours.

Over-all the experience was…ok. Yes, we got help moving our stuff! And that was great. But they were late, I'm pretty sure one showed up high, the other was about half my size and 3x as lazy, and I recall being annoyed that there was a lot of standing around, figuring out what to do next. It put a mildly bitter taste in my mouth and we decided that next time we moved we would just enlist the help of family and friends (to the point of being blacklisted) and save the money.

Flash forward to now…moving from a much bigger house with way more stuff, über pregnant and not much help, 4 little kids running around. We decided to follow the advice from the bazillions of you who commented on my cry for help and hire out again.

Around that same time the Heavens parted and a website, HireAHelper.com, reached out and asked if I would try their site.

At first glance I assumed it was a site to help you find the best deal on movers, which I was not interested in, because we learned that simply shopping for the cheapest price results in a lot of wasted time and broken furniture. I looked into it further and realized their site takes on more of the role of a general contractor, of sorts. They partner up with moving companies that they've qualified and know are good workers, you hire the movers (of your choice) through HireAHelper, then HireAHelper becomes your “general contractor” and manages them and is the one you go to with any problems or mishaps. If they are late, don't show up, break your stuff, show up high, whatever, HireAHelper has got your back!

I wrote about how their website works in detail below. But basically I scanned their site, compared prices (because I'm no fool, after all), looked into the ones that I liked and found the best fit, booked them, secured a truck (trucks are separate), and BAM. Done.

Now, in general here are some tips and things to consider when hiring movers:

1) It's worth the money…but it's definitely an investment.

I was completely jaded.

I thought “we don't have that much stuff, and we've already taken a few loads over in our truck – I'm sure it'll only be a few hours at most”. BOY was I wrong. 8 hours later we were scrambling to finish in time. EIGHT HOURS!!! We moved within the same city, so it was a very short move. Sure, it would've only taken a few hours to load things up…but I didn't factor in the time to drive to the new house and unload everything into it as well. Just know going into it that hiring movers isn't “cheap” and you should have the mindset that it's an investment; a want, not a need, and if you want it (which, I mean, who doesn't…) you'll just need to go into it with the right mindset and cut dollars from other budgets to make it fit!

Which leads us to my next point…

2) Work it into the budget!

Hiring movers to help you move all day can easily approach $1,000+, depending on how many guys you hire and how big of a truck you need. Here are some things you need to keep in mind when budgeting for movers:

• Assume it's going to take all day and calculate accordingly. Then, if it goes faster than expected you'll be pleasantly surprised and not blind sighted!

• Ask if there are taxes, fees, mileage, or overages involved in their pricing, and factor that in to the budget as well (and try to avoid additional fees at all cost, of course).

• Cut out spending or make extra money to pay for it! If you did a spending freeze just before moving (which should be easy because really, who wants to go grocery shopping right before moving day??) you could save several hundred dollars to put toward hiring movers! We decided to sell as much stuff through the classifieds as possible, and held a big yard sale which brought in a few hundred dollars. See “how to become a yard sale ninja” for my best tips and tricks!

3) Save money WITHOUT sacrificing quality.

Because I'm Jordan, and it's in my blood to stretch every dollar, I will say that there are definitely ways to hire quality help and stretch a buck at the same time. Here are a few quick tips:

• Enlist help from friends and family. Just because you are hiring a company doesn't mean you can't bring reinforcements! After all, “many hands make light work”. The more, the merrier! Have the movers focus on the furniture and extra heavy stuff, and put fam/friends to work on boxes and smaller things. No shame in recruiting backup!

• Work alongside the movers. Don't plan on it being a day off! You should be sweating and working right next to them. Again, many hands make light work and every set of hands makes a difference!

• Quality control!! Working alongside the movers not only cuts down on hiring time, but also allows you to keep a close eye on what's going on to make sure they aren't dinging your walls or breaking things in the process.

• Prepare as much of your furniture as you can BEFORE they come! As I explain in my moving hacks video, you can buy some packing saran wrap online and wrap furniture, take out dresser drawers and wrap them, wrap paintings and art, etc. The less they have to do on the day of the move, the faster it will go. Our philosophy was “we are hiring them to HAUL our stuff, not PREPARE our stuff” which helped cut down on time (believe it or not).

• Rent your own truck. Many moving companies don't even have their own truck; they rent it as-needed from Uhaul or the like…and they are up-charging it! You find the best deal on a truck and secure that yourself, then just hire the labor from a company. Chances are you'll save a pretty penny that way.

4) DON'T HIRE BASED ON PRICE ALONE!

I can't stress this enough. Based on personal experience and horror stories from people I know, just trust me on this one. Just because someone is the best “deal”, doesn't mean they are licensed, insured, or even legit. Sometimes it's a guy with a google number and he'll bring along whatever buddies need to earn money that day. Who knows if they are trustworthy, safe, or hard workers! Stop the insanity!

One thing I like about HireAHelper is that they are open about the fact that you can find cheaper prices elsewhere. Their specialty is making sure it's quality service and a good experience for you. So something to consider is “if I'm going to pay for this, I want it to be done right” and you may need to pay even a little extra to do so.

The movers (helpers) you see on HireAHelper do loading and unloading jobs for a living. Many are professional labor-only moving companies (cheap movers without a truck) that specialize in load and unload services. Others are full-service moving companies willing to send their workers out on labor-only moving jobs.

So there are my best tips!

Hopefully they help you make your (exhausting, stressful, difficult, sleepless, inconvenient…) move much more enjoyable for you and your family!

Now, here's how HireAHelper works:

#1 – Compare Prices

Simple, and upfront pricing. With straightforward hourly rates, it takes the guesswork out of comparison shopping.

See availability. The “helpers” themselves manage their availability on HireAHelper, so you know exactly when someone may, or may not be available for your job.

Customer reviews. Every single customer has the opportunity to leave an honest, and unbiased review. You will see EXACTLY what other people are loving most on HireAHelper, which may help you make your “helper” decision!

Business details and credentials. Equipment lists and business credentials are clearly listed for every helper; you know exactly what they will have, no questions asked!

#2 – Book Your Moving Labor

Select the helper you want on HireAHelper, and select your preferred start time. You get to pick!!

Reserve with a credit card. It's fast and secure. Your card won't be charged until the day before your move. No sneaky hidden charges, it's all very upfront, and I LOVE that.

They'll call you to confirm. Your helper will give you a call to confirm the details. You can ask any questions you may have, and get a good feel for how the move will operate — I'm a planner, so this is super appealing to me!

Straightforward cancellation policy. Cancel up until 24 hours before your job start time with no fee. And, though I am a planner, I have been known to change my mind on things, too! Being able to cancel, and reschedule within 24 hours? That is AMAZING!

#3 – Enjoy a Stress-Free Move

Your payment is held in escrow by HireAHelper. When the job is complete, we'll send payment to your helper – this means it's in their best interest to show up, on time and ready to get the job done!

#4 – Leave a Review

Honest customer reviews are what make HireAHelper awesome. Reviews are what can help make, or break your opinion, right? RIGHT! The reviews on HireAHelper offer peace of mind, and reassurance that others have had a good experience with your selected “helper”, and that chances are, so will YOU!

*     *     *     *     *     *

Whew! Lots of info but hopefully it saves you money, time, stress, and that oh-so-precious back of yours  But I have to say, I'm curious…

…Do you agree that movers are worth the money? What are your best tips? Share with us below!

Is This Even Legal? Three Strange Hacks That Might Help Pay for Your Move

When you put a down payment on a house, you get a house. If you put a deposit on an apartment, you get an apartment. When you pay for your move, well, we hate to admit it, but you’re not getting anything new. We transport your goods from one place to another, and you pay us for it. The truth is that hiring a moving company is an incredible savings over the alternative. Which is replacing everything you own. Still, a little help paying for the move would be nice.

Fortunately, there are some little-known hacks that might either help pay for your move, or pay for it in its entirety.

The IRS

The IRS can’t pay for your move altogether, but they might be able to help. If you are moving for a new job, and the new job is more than 50 miles further away from your new home than your old job was from your old home, the move might be tax deductible. Yes, that’s confusing. In other words, if you used to commute 10 miles to your old job, and you’d have to commute more than 60 miles to your new job, that would be a good reason to move. The IRS agrees, so they’ll help out.

You also have to work 39 weeks out of the first 12 month period in your new home. It can be more than one job. The good news is, you don’t have to wait till after the year.

A tax deduction is never 100%, but you can deduct the move, up to 30 days storage, even even moving expenses for your family. 

Student Loans

If you are moving for school or have recently graduated and you still have some student loan money to spend, you can spend it on your move. Granted, you’ll have to pay it back, but the theory is that you’ll be making a lot more money by that time. Still, if you are trying to avoid debt, this might not be your best alternative.

Your Employer

You’d be amazed at the number of people who forget to negotiate moving expenses into their new employment contract. For the employer, it’s a tax deduction. For you, another reason to work for that company. Not all employers will pay for your move. But some will even help with a downpayment on your new home or temporary housing expenses while you look.

Bay Area Moving Company - How to Save Money When Moving

You simply need to combine two facts to get a clear understanding of the concept behind sorting out your belongings before moving and determining which items to get rid of and which ones to bring to your new abode. Those two, small facts that are going to help you save considerable sums of cash both now and in the future are:

Total Weight

There are several, vital factors that are accounted for when calculating the cost of the move and the most important of these is the total weight of the goods being transported.

This should make it clear enough why countless people are diligently searching for ways to lower their moving costs and, understanding the facts that are presented above, this is something that you should attempt to do as well.

This is quite simple in theory - you just have to pack and take a whole lot less stuff when moving. However, in practice, this simple task can become one of the most challenging endeavors you ever take on right up until you reach the comfort and security of your new home.

But why exactly should you opt to get rid of household items that you no longer need?

Save cash. When you hire professional moving companies to help you transport your furnishings and other belongings to your new abode, the best of these professionals will actually come to your property to visually inspect the items that you want them to move.

This in-house review of your goods will additionally include a danger evaluation and a risk assessment, but the primary purpose of this initial visit will to provide a fair and feasible estimate of the total moving costs. And this is actually quite straightforward: the fewer belongings that you choose to bring with you, the lower the overall shipment weight will invariably be and thus, the lower the quoted price.

Once your moving day arrives, when the weight is officially measured and each of your items has been loaded on to your provider's truck, your costs may be even lower if the weight of your items has been kept as low as possible. And that is how getting rid of unwanted items can help you save a considerable amount of cash.

Some of your household goods may have been around far longer than they were meant to be.

Earn money. To keep some of the money that you have earned in the bank throughout these times of transition is good, but what is even better is the notion of generating additional cash to actually expand your moving budget. Your decision to get rid of any unnecessary or unwanted items before moving is going to help you generate this additional cash. How's this possible? Because you can sell items that you don't want or need easily online or in a garage/moving sale. 

Save space and time.

As one of the most effective techniques for cutting your costs when moving, repurposing, selling, recycling, donating or even throwing your unwanted things away will help you save a lot. Moreover, moving into a new home with fewer goods in tow will also save you a significant amount of time given that you aren't going to have to inventory, sort, pack and prepare these things - and you can also save a ton of space - thing about all the extra room that you'll be using up by carting along things that have lost their usefulness.

Final thought: Moving in general can be very costly. As per the American Moving and Storage Association, an intrastate move costs over $2k on average, while the average interstate move is over $4k.

7 questions for a potential mover

Do you want to facilitate your relocation to the utmost? If yes, you have already thought about the relocation company you should turn to for the assistance. Naturally, there hundreds of different offers on the market and not all of them are liable partners.

If you want to come across a proper offer on the market, you need to keep in mind 7 questions to ask your potential movers. The issues cover the packing, delivery and payment details and can disclose the specific of the removal company and its customer policy.

Ask about the documents company has and the period they are in business.

There are different kinds of organizations, the membership in which shows that the company is trustful and can handle your property carefully. These organizations include American Mover and Storage Association (AMSA), Better Business Bureau (BBB) or US Department of Transportation (USDOT). The last one is considered the most significant. You only need to ask the company for its DOT number, and if the representative cannot provide one, it must be an illegal company, working from somebody’s garage.

Ask about the pre-estimation of the moving costs.

Most of the companies estimate the price of the moving before you place a firm order. If they don’t provide free estimation, it is a warning sign. But the possibility of free estimation isn’t everything. First, you need to get the estimation in a written form and then ask if it is binding or not. The non-binding estimation means that the final price quote can differ from the previous estimation. It is not always bad, just know that the price can change slightly.

Ask about extra service and their price.

You have to learn what the company consider an extra service as some of them charge for the extra stops, parking, fuel or have extra quote for oversized furniture handling. Also ask, if these movers take extra for the time they drive to and from your place.

Ask about the kind of their rate (is it hourly or flat-rate).

Most people like to move with the flat rate. In that case there are no surprises about the final quote. But most companies charge hourly. Learn exactly when the count of the time begins and when it ends, also, specify the information about the lunch break: is it included in the price or not. Try to know where you stand before the agreement is made and the relocation process begins.

Ask about the packing details.

Is the packing is entirely on you or are they going to pack everything? Are there any limitations on the type of packaging material, boxes and the size of bags? Ask whether the movers can provide you with packaging material and other necessary tools for the move. Also specify if you need to seal the boxes or the movers would like to check their contents.

Ask about the policy of broken or damaged items.

Ask the company what liabilities it assumes and how it handles the deal in case of broken or damaged items. Sometimes even the most liable company faces unlucky accidents. Most of cases the damage doesn’t depend on the movers, however, you need to know whether the company gives any compensation or it’s all on you.

Ask about the delivery schedule.

For most moving companies it is hard to deliver the items too soon. So don’t be surprised if they will ask for a week or two. And don’t trust the company that gives you more than attractive dates of the delivery.

If you want to move safely, move with California Movers Local & Long Distance Moving Company. We provide a full service, including packing and cargo handling. Just ask for a free estimation of the price and get one of the most affordable quotes in San Diego and other Bay cities. We deal with both local move and long-distance relocation and charge no hidden fees.

WHY DOWNSIZING IS GOOD FOR YOU

If your kids have moved out and you no longer want or need a big house, chances are you’re going to downsize at some point in your life – maybe more than once. The good news is this: Going smaller is good for you! Here are five reasons bigger isn’t always better:

1. You’ll save money

This one’s obvious: In general, smaller spaces are less expensive. Downsizing to a smaller house or apartment is good for your wallet:

• Cheaper monthly payments for mortgage or rent
• Lower heating and cooling costs
• Less space to fill means less money spent on furniture and decorations
• Fewer things to fix around the home
• Lower property taxes (or none at all, if you rent)

Housing costs take up most of our income. Lowering your monthly expenses leaves you more money for saving, investing or spending on things you enjoy.

Lowering your overhead gives you more time for pleasure, plus downsizing can be very invigorating.

2. It’ll re-energize you

Downsizing forces you to start a new chapter in your life – one that’s simpler and less cluttered. You could think of yourself as a potted plant: If you leave it in the same pot for a long time, it becomes root-bound and stops growing. A smaller living space means a change in lifestyle, which keeps life from getting stagnant and reduces your stress level. And think of the peace of mind you’ll gain from not having to worry about monthly bills.

3. You’ll have more time for fun stuff

According to IKEA data, Americans spend an average of 55 minutes per day looking for things. If your home is smaller and less cluttered, imagine what you could do with all that extra time! Taking care of a big home occupies a big chunk of your life, but if you move to a smaller abode, all that time spent cleaning and fixing things can be spent on hobbies, spending time with loved ones, getting creative with DIY storage projects, or curling up with a good book.

Wondering what to do with a small closet? Check out our Pinterest board: Small Closet? No Problem

4. Purging unwanted stuff will remind you of what’s really important

It’s no secret that we spend a lot of our lives accumulating possessions. How many of these things do you really want or need anymore? It can be therapeutic to go through your mountains of things – it’ll remind you of where you’ve been and where you want to go from here. And once you get rid of the things that aren’t useful or sentimental to you, you’ll feel as though a giant weight has been lifted off your shoulders.

Wondering what kind of housewarming present a small-space friend would enjoy? We’ve got 10 ideashere.

5. It’s better for the environment

Smaller homes require fewer materials to build and less energy to heat and cool, which puts less stress on our planet. So chalk up some karma points for yourself on that front.

Have you downsized recently? How did it improve your life? Share in the comments below.

8 Tips for Single Female Homebuyers

Don't Push Your Limits

“Just because you are pre-approved to buy a house at the top end of your range, doesn't mean you should,” advises TJ Freeborn of Discover Home Loans, pictured here with her son Jack in front of the Elmhurst, Illinois, home she bought. “Single women have only one income to rely on for household expenses. It's smart to make sure that your monthly mortgage payment is an amount that you are comfortable with. Then, if unexpected expenses arise, your ability to pay your mortgage and maintain your lifestyle isn't compromised.”