Confessions of a saveaholic

Kara Gammell

20th February 2009

Confessions of a Shopaholic, the film of a Sophie Kinsella novel, had its premiere in London this week, with Isla Fisher playing the central role of a personal finance reporter who cannot control her spending.

Well, reality is stranger than fiction; here's how this personal finance journalist saved £1,000 when moving home recently. My partner Gareth and I bought our first home in December and I knew it was time to pull out all the stops.

Having saved every penny of our deposit ourselves and having lived with Gareth's parents for six months to do it, money was tight. But it didn't prove too difficult to save substantial sums with my newly acquired frugality � and you don't need to move home to follow all these money-saving tips.

Moving service: Shiply.com

* SAVED £81

Although moving from a one-bedroom flat to a three-bedroom house was exciting, it did pose a small problem. We didn't have enough furniture. Luckily, a friend Becki offered us a bedroom set free, but it was 78 miles away in Berkshire. Moving it was going to cost almost £135 for the 156-mile round trip and a day off work.

A friend recommended website shiply.com, almost like eBay for courier services. The website says that as almost a quarter of the lorries on the road are empty, courier companies are eager to make sure no journey, and petrol, goes to waste.

Signing up was free, all I had to do was describe the goods I needed moved and the postcodes of the pick-up and drop-off locations. The courier companies then bid for the lowest possible price they are willing to accept to transport your goods.

The bids started at almost £90 and in the end I accepted a bid for just £54. I could have gone with an even lower bid, but I decided to go with a courier who had received a lot of positive feedback to ensure I actually saw the furniture arrive.

Money is only paid upon delivery minus a small deposit of £6 and you can arrange pick up and delivery at your convenience. Considering we moved a few days before Christmas, this was surprisingly easy and all the pre-assembled furniture arrived in one piece and on time.

Investigate the company you choose, in particular their levels of insurance. Visit shiply.com for more information.

Cost of van hire and petrol for 156-mile round trip £135

Cost of courier with Shiply.com £54

Savings £81

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