If you find yourself needing or wanting to move soon, there are a few good ways to plan ahead in order to make the whole process less expensive and time consuming than you may have originally thought. First, sit down and make a list of things that you need to do before you move, as well as deadlines by which you need to have these tasks completed. Calling around your area to see where free boxes might be available is a good start, which can save you quite a bit on your move. Also, note dates on your checklist by which each room in your house should be packed up and ready to go. This will help you to avoid the last minute panic that can be so common in these situations.
Once you have the packing part set up and rolling along nicely, the next part of your move should be calling as many companies as possible that service your area to see what their services would cost. At this point, you should have a budget written down that includes what you can afford to pay any vendor with help or equipment to facilitate your move, so note which such vendors fit well within your price range. Generally, the farther you plan to move and the larger your household is, the more money the move is likely to cost overall. Bear this point in mind when composing your budget, and look for ways to minimize the amount of money you need to pay out at the end.
Other things that should be included on your move checklist include contacting utility companies to shut down service at your old home, and calling their counterparts back up in your new town to start utility service up at your new place. Once this is done, you should be ready to move!