You know the old saying, "Time is money," - but did you ever consider that it works in both directions?If you're spending time doing something - that should be saving you money... but then, the reverse must also be true, right?If you're throwing money at something, it should save you time.Maybe "throwing money at something" is the wrong way to say it, but I'm sure you get the point. Time is money, and the arrow can point in either direction.That's a little confusing, let me try it another way, that's more on topic.When you're moving to a new apartment, you have the option to save yourself a ton of time and stress, by hiring a professional packing service... but don't doubt that it's going to cost you because nothing worthwhile is ever free.If your time is super valuable to you, and the budget can take it, it sure is nice to have a professional handle the entire problem. If your budget is already stretching though, that's okay too - because there are a few ways to make your dollar go further.My advice is to start by checking the professional tips offered by Movers.com (click here for their latest guide) - because that's literally their only job, or so I assume. They write free guides to help you plan your next move, find the best movers, and save money doing it.As a wise man once explained to me, what you need to do, is to put a number on it.Will it take you 12 hours to pack? 18 hours? How much is your time worth per hour?Depending on that number, it could be well worth your time to hire a professional - but to know for sure, first we need to know approximately how much that would cost, and for that, we have Movers.com.It didn't take me long to find the details we need in this new cost estimate guide they wrote (click here to read that). According to their experts, a professional should cost you approximately $60/hour, although obviously, that can vary a bit.Now we just need to know how long it will take them to pack an apartment, so we can run the math, and... Movers.com has us covered there too.Honestly, I don't know why anyone reads my blogs instead of just going straight to theirs, but I'm not complaining, please keep reading. I'll be happy to tell you everything they said, in my own words.They have a whole chart that breaks down the approximate costs of getting a professional packer to do an entire apartment, based on the size of the apartment. That's easy enough - especially if you can also estimate how long it would take you to do the same thing.Here's the question though - if you can't afford a full-service packer for the whole job, should you just give up and do it all yourself? No way!There's a way better plan, that will take some of the stress off of you, while still seriously cutting the costs, and it's so simple, I'm sure you'll love it... are you ready?Are you sure? This is serious stuff...Okay, here it is - just leave all the hard stuff for the professionals.Seriously, it's that easy - and if you're not sure what's worth packing yourself, and what's better to leave to the experts... did you guess it?Movers.com has you covered, with a handy dandy explanation of the most difficult-to-pack or fragile items, just click here to read the full, free guide.What if packing some of the stuff yourself isn't an option? Well, there's still one way that you can save money, maybe.It really depends on the moving company you choose - and I can tell you how to get the best one in your area, but we're not there yet, so hold your horses. Anyways.With the right moving company, you can often reduce the rates a bit by providing your own packing supplies for their professional packers - but you should really talk to them about it first, rather than just assuming. Some companies will only use their own supplies, maybe it's an insurance thing... I don't pretend to understand it.The point is, that there are several ways to get all or most of the benefits of hiring an expert, without the full cost. It just takes a little planning and a little help from Movers.com.Speaking of which, I've been saving the best part for last - so anyone who stopped reading this blog already, well, it sucks to be them.If you really want to save money moving, (who doesn't?) then there's one tool that you should absolutely use, well in advance of your move.I'm not sure if anyone could have seen this coming... but it's a free tool from Movers.com... that you can access by clicking here.Then just look for a giant green button on that page that says "Get Quotes" and click that - it will take you to a form that asks a few basic questions about your upcoming move, for a good cause.Movers.com will compile that information and ask 7 of the best local moving companies for cost estimates, and you only have to fill in the one form, one time.The best part is, that's 7 estimates from the top-rated crews, absolutely free, with zero obligation.If that doesn't help you find a great moving crew, I don't know what will.Although I do have a sneaking suspicion that you could probably find it at Movers.com.Who would have thought?If you want to read the quick cost savings guide, or get your free estimates, just drop by https://www.movers.com/moving-guides/how-much-does-packing-service-cost.html