Craigslist Movers: Straight Path to Saving Money and Destroying Your Property

It has always been fascinating to me people's desire to find movers in Atlanta or movers in Washington to move their 3,000 sq ft house from Atlanta or Washington DC to Minneapolis or Phoenix for $200. Of course, this is totally insane, and it's clear and obvious to 99% of people. What's not so clear and obvious to a bigger portion of relocating population is that moving anything larger than a studio or a small one-bedroom apartment, even locally, for $200 is simply . . . impossible.

MATH 101

Option 1: Renting a truck and having your buddies help you move:

• Truck rental, mileage (Budget/Uhaul): $70 (minimum)
• Taxes, charges, surcharges, insurance: $30
• Gas: $20
• Supplies (shrink wrap, blankets, tape; not including boxes): $30

Total straight out-of-pocket expenses: $150

Now, factor in the headache, sweat, lost time, broken items, having to find your buddies to do that for you, broken ankles and backs, beer and pizza to maintain your helper's spirit: Priceless.

Option 2: Finding "best in town movers" on Craigslist:

Total straight out of pocket expense: $300

Watching your grandma's dresser, made back in the days when Titanic was fighting icebergs, being tossed around by the "professionals" you found on Craigslist; listening to creative abusive language, in best case scenario, just among your movers, and not directed towards you; seeing them smoking and perhaps having a beer or two in the truck; hearing "Lady, it's gonna cost ya, you didn't tell me you had a microwave and an extra pair of socks"; and then, at the end of the move, not receiving your heart prescription medicine until you pay $300 instead of $200 you agreed several hours ago: Even more priceless.

In conclusion, if you do not have a desperate urge to spend all day or two sweating and dealing with all the headaches moving can offer, if you do not want to be robbed by your "local friendly best mover in town" found on Craigslist, you are really left with one option: having a reliable reputable moving company take this "pain-in-one-place" experience away from your shoulders. It will cost you a hundred or two more, but trust me: at least at the end of the day you won't be sitting by whatever used to be called your furniture wondering: What the heck was I thinking?!

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