Isn’t moving to a new place so exciting? Finding a charming neighborhood, decorating the new house, making new friends (neighbors), etc., all sounds really exciting. But we are sure that you know that it is not always sunshine and rainbows. What is the one thing you dread about a move? You guessed it right, most of us are worried about how deep a hole you will have to dig in your pocket when you move!

But what if we told you that there are a range of moving deals and discounts offered by almost all moving and storage companies? You can take advantage of these offers and save yourself the headache of draining your savings accounts. We have listed down some of the best discounts offered by moving companies so that you don’t have to break your head over searching for them. Read on to explore the beautiful world of discounts!

Best Moving Discounts

When you get a quote for your move, you might have an uncontrollable urge to just ditch all your possessions and move out. We get it, moves are super expensive. You need to know about all the discounts that you can avail of while moving and that’s why you need to go through the following list.

1. Membership Discounts

We often tend to let our valuable membership cards accumulate dust as we forget to use them and help ourselves with the benefits offered by them. It would be unwise to not enjoy the variety of advantages offered by these cards, especially the ones that help you to get discounts on your moves.

Discounts for AAA Members

AAA is one of the favorite organizations of many car owners in the country. Their excellent emergency roadside services are something to speak of. However, did you know that the members of the AAA can actually avail of discounts from many moving companies? Here are some of the best offers:

  • Penske offers a 12% discount to all AAA members. AAA members can also buy moving and packing supplies from Penske at a reduced rate.
  • Extra Space offers one month of free storage along with a $15 American Express Reward card to all AAA members.
  • Atlas Van Lines offers full-value protection free of cost to all AAA members (you end up saving about $600).

Also Read: AAA Discounts on Moving Services

Discounts for AARP Members

If your age is above 50 years, we are sure that you are already a member of the AARP (American Association of Retired Person). Members of this organization receive a whopping 20% discount if they are moving on weekdays and a 10% off on weekends if they are moving with Budget truck rental. Members of this organization might not get discounts from other major moving companies.

Discounts for Costco Members

A Costco membership card will not only get you household stuff at cheaper prices, but it will also help you to bring down the price of your move. If you are moving with Budget Truck Rental, you can reserve your move by visiting Budget’s Costco partnership page. Doing so will ensure that you get a 25% discount on your move.

Discounts for Union Members

Being a union member is beneficial because you then have the power to raise your voice confidently in the work environment. To add to that, holding a membership to a union will also fetch you a 20% discount if you are moving with Budget Truck Rental. You can avail of this discount even if you are a retired member of the union.

2. Discounts for Military Members, Law Enforcement, and First Responders

The members of the military put their lives at risk for the country. Their job requires them to move frequently. Moving companies acknowledge this and strive to make the moves of military members (active-duty and retired) and veterans as smooth as possible. Some companies offer discounts to first-responders (EMTs, firefighters, etc.) and law enforcement personnel as well.

Most companies do have some kind of discounts for military members and first responders and here are some of them.

  • Budget truck rental offers 20% off on local moves and 15% off on long-distance moves to first-responders and police. Similarly, they also offer 20% off to the members of the military.
  • North American Van Lines gives a whopping 50% off to the American Legion members.
  • Penske Truck Rental offers a 10% off on all moves to the members of the military.
  • CubeSmart offers a 10% discount on their storage units to active members of the military.
  • Members of the military can get a 10% off on their local moves and 5% off on their one-way moves whenever they move with Oz Moving and Storage.
  • PODS offers a 10% discount to members of the military (active, veteran, retired). If this wasn’t enough, customers can also get one month of free storage if they are going for a long-distance move.
  • 1-800-PACK-RAT offers a 10% discount to military members.
  • Smartbox offers a $20 discount to active-duty members of the military.
  • Please visit the websites of Go Mini’s and Zippy Shell in order to see what offers they have for the members of the military.

3. Student Discounts

Students are the ones who have to move at least once a year every year. They are also the ones who might not have enough savings in their bank account to finance each and every one of their moves. College students are often expected to move out of their dorm rooms immediately due to a variety of reasons, for instance, the ongoing covid pandemic.

Because of this, moving companies come to the rescue of students by offering several discounts and helping them to cut down on their expenditure. Here are various ways in which students can save some money while moving.

  • Budget Truck Rental offers 20% off on all local moves and 15% on long-distance moves to all students.
  • Penske offers a 10% discount on all its moving trucks if you show your college ID.
  • Don’t forget to check the U-Haul and Smartbox website for the ongoing deals and discounts for students.
  • Students can also avail themselves of up to 10% of discount while moving a few things via a bus. Students are advised to look up for Student Advantage Discount Card and Coach USA Discounts.

Also Read: Average College Tuition Costs By State

4. Discounts for Teachers

Teachers shape the future generation because of which they are extremely invaluable to the nation. Moving companies recognize their contribution as a result of which, they try to make the lives of teachers easier by offering discounts and bringing down the price of their move. Let us look at the discounts offered by different companies to teachers.

  • Budget Truck Rental offers a 15% discount on one-way moves and a 20% discount on local moves to all teachers.
  • E-Z Rent-A-Car asks teachers to use the coupon code- 827B9 to avail of a 10% discount on their moves.

5. Senior Discounts

When you cross a certain age, everyone around you starts becoming more accommodating. You start commanding more respect, you can slow down the pace of your life and enjoy all that you have earned. To add to that, you can also expect to avail of many discounts when it comes to spending money on various occasions.
Older adults might want to move into a smaller home, or they might want to travel a little bit more. In all cases, older adults can expect to get discounts offered by moving companies especially for them. Some companies might not advertise these discounts but you should ask for them anyway. This is because almost all companies have some discount offers for the senior members of the society.

Apart from the usual senior discounts, members of different organizations (meant for seniors) can also expect to save some money on their moves. Let us look at some of these offers.

  • Penske offers a 10% discount to all the members of the American Seniors Association.
  • Members of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association and National Association of Senior Move Managers can benefit from the special prices offered by Bekins.

6. Saving Money with Moving Coupons

Using coupon codes is the easiest way of reducing the price of your move. A moving coupon generally indicates the percentage of discount you can avail of when you use it. You are required to use these coupons during the checkout after you reserve your moves. Have a look at some places where you can find coupons to reduce the price of your move.

  • Groupon: All of you might be familiar with Groupon. How many of you have used a Groupon to avoid spending a lot on something you wanted to purchase or some class you really wanted to attend? The good news is that you can use Groupon to make your moves cheaper for yourself. Just keep in mind that your Groupon has an expiration date, so make sure you use it in time.
  • RetailMeNot: RetailMeNot makes several discounts (10-25% off) and deals on other moving-related things (moving supplies, moving containers) available for you. Their offers change constantly. All you have to do is keep an eye on the right offer and grab the chance to bring down the price of your move. These coupons will help you to cut your costs when you hire established moving companies like Penske and U-Haul.

7. Church Discounts

Bekins offers a solid discount to the members of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and lets them save some money on long-distance moves. Bekins makes sure that even pastors can avail of these discounts. To add to that, Bekins donates back a portion of its earnings back to the church.

8. Discounts for the Unemployed

Due to unfavorable circumstances, some people lose their jobs and have to survive on their savings. If they need to move (for downsizing or any other reason), they will have to spend whatever they have, on the move. Public Storage Inc. often provides professionals who have been laid off recently, with a $50 discount.

You will be happy to know that many other moving companies will also comply with your discount requests if you are stuck in such a situation, but these companies often don’t advertise these offers.

Best Moving Deals

You might feel outraged about the fact that only some special members of society (teachers, military members, students, seniors, etc.) can take advantage of the discounts offered by the moving companies. But let us tell you that you couldn’t be more wrong.

Moving and storage companies have plenty of deals for all their customers. All you have to do is search for the one that suits you the best. Let us have a look at some of these deals offered by different companies.

  • Penske gives a 10% off to all the customers who book their one-way moves through Penske’s online reservation system. Additionally, Penske also offers unlimited miles on all their long-distance moves.
  • Customers can expect to get one month of free storage when they book a rental truck or trailer from U-Haul. U-Haul storage facilities are known for their clean weather-resistant storage units.
  • Life Storage also offers free storage for the first month. Who doesn’t love freebies, right?
  • Public storage charges you a rent of only $1 when you rent out their storage units.
  • When you rent out a unit from CubeSmart, you can expect to get the unit for free for the first month and then 15% off on the monthly rates later. You might need a truck to move your stuff into their storage unit. CubeSmart lets you use their moving trucks for free for up to 4 hours. Cubesmart has made free trucks and drivers available at specific locations in New York City. Isn’t that a steal deal?
  • Mini U Storage also tries to make the life of their tenants convenient and easy. They offer their moving trucks for free. While you can use these trucks for about 4 hours on weekends, you can use these trucks for free for up to 6 hours on weekdays. The first 50 miles are free after which you will be charged $0.99/ mile.
  • When you order a storage container for 3 or months for either a short-distance move or storage purposes, 1-800-Pack-Rat will pick up and deliver these containers for free.

Also See: How Much Does it Cost to Move? | Moving Truck Rental Deals and Discounts

How to Get Discounts: Useful Tips and Advice

It might get too tedious and confusing when you look for discounts online. You could suffer from an information overload and not end up availing of any offers. To simplify things for yourself, just download the coupons.com app. This app is a life-saver because it alerts you whenever some moving deals are offered by moving companies.

  • Look out for companies that offer you deals and discounts that reduce the final price ridiculously low. These companies might be trying to scam you. Scammers often advertise very low quotes and then harass their customers until they are paid an exorbitant amount. Whenever you hire a company, make sure that it is registered with the FMCSA and accredited by reputable organizations like the BBB and AMSA.
  • Many people seem to feel embarrassed or afraid to ask for discounts. Many companies might not advertise their discount offers, but they will certainly offer you some deals and discounts that will bring down the price of your move. So, don’t be afraid or embarrassed, just ask for discounts.
  • Many times, a company rep might deny giving you any discounts. In this case, you can always ask the rep to put you in touch with their managers. Managers often give out discounts to their potential customers.
  • Each discount offer is meant for some group of people. You often need to meet certain conditions to avail of the discounts offered by the companies. Before you demand the company to provide you with a specific deal or discount, make sure that you fit within the criteria specified by the offer. After all, you don’t want to waste your own and the company’s time as well.
  • You can score better discounts on the basis of the discounts already offered to you. This means that whenever a company offers you some discounts, you can show these offers to another company and ask them to give you a better discount. The second company will comply with your request as it wants you to be its customer. This is very similar to the price-matching policy.
  • Move during the off-season. People generally move during the summer season (April-September) when the demand for moving services goes up. However, if you move in the off-season, you can expect to get moving services at a much lower rate. Similarly, if you move on weekdays instead of weekends, you can end up saving a lot of money.

See Also: Moving Container Deals and Discounts | How To Compare Moving Quotes?

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get the best deals on movers?

In order to get the best of the deals from your movers, you should be prepared to negotiate and haggle a bit with them. You have to ask for movers for discounts, special offers, promotional offers, etc., upfront. If you want your mover to give you a good deal, make sure that you start talking to your mover well in advance. This shows flexibility from your side and the mover is compelled to make some adjustments and offer you its services at a low price.

Similarly, make sure that you talk to more than three movers. Enquire about the deals and discounts that are currently running. Once you get an idea about what is being offered by each mover, you can ask the mover of your preference to beat its competitors’ prices and offer you a better deal.

What is the cheapest day to move?

You should always avoid moving on the weekend. You will always get moving services at lower rates if you move on the weekdays (Monday – Thursday).

Does AAA have discounts for moving trucks?

Penske is AAA’s exclusive moving truck provider because of which all AAA members can get a flat 12% off the daily rate for their truck rentals. Penske also offers a discount of up to 10% if you reserve your one-way moves online. This means that if you avail of the discount offered to the AAA members along with the discount offered for the ones who reserve their moves online, you could get almost 20-22% off on your moves.

Final Thoughts

If you plan your move strategically, hire the right movers and score the best moving deals, you won’t have to pay an arm and a leg for your move. We agree that discounts make a huge difference in your final bill, but don’t rely only on discounts to make your move cheaper. You can save money in several ways including holding garage sales, donating possessions, scheduling well in advance, etc. Make sure that you create a budget and stay strictly within it. Moving doesn’t have to get expensive, that’s all we have to say!

Also Read: Best Affordable Moving Companies in the US | How To Move On A Budget?