Many people don't have the time to move themselves and therefore, hire a professional moving service. This, of course, increases the cost of a move. There are ways to keep the cost of a professionally done move low, though. If you're moving and hiring a professional moving service, here are four easy ways to save on your move.

Declutter and Donate a Lot

First, start by decluttering your home of anything you don't want. Donate what you're able to, and then trash the rest.

Discarding items will help you reduce your moving costs no matter how the professional moving service you hire charges. If the service charges by weight, your belongings will weigh less. If the service charges by volume, your belongings will take up less space. If the service charges by the hour, laborers will need less time to pack your belongings. Because you have less, it'll cost less to move.

Donating whatever you're able provides an additional benefit if you itemize deductions on your income taxes. As long as you donate the items to a qualifying charity and have a receipt for the donation, you should be able to write the value of the items off on your taxes. Thus, you'll be saving on your moving costs and you'll save when you go to file your taxes.

Source Your Own Packing Materials

Professional moving services often sell moving supplies, but you may be able to save money by sourcing your own packing materials.

If you want to use actual moving boxes, compare quotes from local retailers, shipping service companies, nearby self-storage places and online sites before purchasing supplies from the moving service you're hiring. Another business might offer you a lower price on boxes, tape and other supplies.

To save even more on moving supplies, look for free boxes that you can re-use. Appliance stores, liquor stores and bookstores frequently have leftover boxes from shipments they receive, and the boxes they get are usually fairly strong. Just ask, and many businesses like these will let you help yourself.

Organize Your Home for Packing

In most cases, it's best to let the professional moving service you hire pack up your belongings. Movers know how to pack, and they'll make sure your belongings are safe. Additionally, some moving services won't insure boxes that people pack themselves. Since they can't know whether a box you fill was packed properly, they won't promise the belongings inside will be safe during the move.

You can reduce how much time it takes for movers to pack up your stuff, however, by making sure your home's ready for packing on moving day. Organize belongings into piles of related items so things can be packed together, and place boxes in central locations throughout your home. You should also make sure there aren't any obstacles preventing movers from accessing items.

Getting your home ready for packing will make this stage of the moving process go faster. Many services charge by the hour for packing, so you'll likely be able to save some money on packing fees while still letting the service pack your belongings.

Move During the Middle of the Month

As Merian White explains, it's frequently possible to reduce your moving costs by moving during the month rather than at the end or beginning of it. Because most leases start on the first of the month, more people move on the first and last weekend of each month than in the middle. Thus, a professional moving service is likely slower during the middle of the month -- and they may quote you a discounted rate in order to get business during this time of the month.