Getting ready to move? Here are the money moves you need to make before you’re really ready. This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job...
Are you getting ready to move? It costs a lot, doesn’t it? It’s like an assault on your wallet.
The average cost of a local move is $1,250, while a long-distance move averages nearly $4,900, according to industry studies.
If you’re moving, every little bit of money helps. Keeping that in mind, here are five financial movies to make if you’re getting ready to move:
1. Ask This Website to Help Pay Your Credit Card Bill This Month
Moving means you have a lot of things to spend your money on. Wasting it on expensive credit card payments shouldn’t be one of them.
It might feel like you’ll always be stuck with that extra monthly bill.
But with help from a free website called Fiona, you could wipe out all of your credit card debt by the end of the week.
It will match you with a low-interest loan to pay off all your credit cards at once. Its interest rates start at less than half of what you’re probably paying your credit card company. That could save you thousands in the long run.
Plus, you’ll be debt-free that much faster.
Fiona keeps your information secure with the same kind of encryption your bank uses. It takes two minutes to see if you qualify for up to $1 million online.
2. Cancel Your Car Insurance
Here’s another thing to stop wasting money on: Your current car insurance company is probably overcharging you. But don’t waste your time hopping around to different insurance companies looking for a better deal.
Use a website called EverQuote to see all your options at once.
EverQuote is the largest online marketplace for insurance in the US, so you’ll get the top options from more than 175 different carriers handed right to you.
Take a couple of minutes to answer some questions about yourself and your driving record. With this information, EverQuote will be able to give you the top recommendations for car insurance. In just a few minutes, you could save up to $610 a year.
3. This Guy Added Nearly 300 Points to his Credit Score — See How You Can Raise Yours, Too*
This might not be first on your moving to-do list, but it’s more important than you might think. The better your credit score, the better deal you’ll get on an apartment lease or a home mortgage.
Try using a free website called Credit Sesame.
Within two minutes, you’ll get access to your credit score, any debt-carrying accounts and a handful of personalized tips to improve your score. You’ll even be able to spot any errors holding you back (one in five reports have one).
James Cooper, of Atlanta, used Credit Sesame to raise his credit score nearly 300 points in six months.***
“They showed me the ins and outs — how to dot the I’s and cross the T’s,” he said.
Want to check for yourself? It’s free and only takes about 90 seconds to sign up.
4. Let This Free Financial Plan Save You up to $3,500/Year
If you’re moving, having a financial plan is one of the smartest decisions you can make for your future. It’ll help right the wrongs you’ve made and get you on a path toward a richer life.
But only people making six figures can afford a personal advisor to analyze their finances and give them personalized recommendations, right?
Wrong.
A company called Anasova uses AI software to replace those expensive sessions with financial advisors. It takes less than 10 minutes to answer some questions about your money habits and goals, then you’ll get a super-personalized PDF outlining what you need to do to reach them.
Even better? Anasova’s financial plan is completely free — and totally anonymous. You don’t even give them your email address. They won’t bombard you with ads or sell you other products, either.
Now you can get access to custom financial advice — even if you’re not a millionaire. Just click here to answer a few questions and get your free financial plan from Anasova now. It could save you thousands.
5. Let This App Pay You up to $83 Per Win for Playing Bingo on Your Phone
Every little bit of cash helps when you’re moving. Lots of us already play games on our phones for fun or just to pass the time. Want to see if you can win money at it?
There’s a free iPhone app called Bingo Cash that lets you play for real money. You could get paid up to $83 per win.
You might be thinking: There’s got to be a catch. This is definitely one of those spammy apps, right?
Wrong. There really isn’t a catch. Sure, you can pay to play in some higher-stakes tournaments, but there’s no pressure. And, in fact, there aren’t even any annoying ads.
The game is based on a classic Bingo format — plus tons of variations on the game. You’ll battle it out against other players at your same skill level. Everyone gets the same board and sees the same Bingo balls, so winning is totally a matter of skill. The top three players in a game can win real money — anywhere from $1 to $83.
Over on the App Store, it has a 4.7-star rating (out of 5).
To get started, just download the free app and start playing your first game immediately.
Mike Brassfield (mike@thepennyhoarder.com) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder. He knows what a pain moving is.
***Like Cooper, 60% of Credit Sesame members see an increase in their credit score; 50% see at least a 10-point increase, and 20% see at least a 50-point increase after 180 days.
Credit Sesame does not guarantee any of these results, and some may even see a decrease in their credit score. Any score improvement is the result of many factors, including paying bills on time, keeping credit balances low, avoiding unnecessary inquiries, appropriate financial planning and developing better credit habits.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.