Moving: How to save money and backache!

I am not a fan of moving. It is a huge hassle to find boxes, pack up everything I own, load into a truck, go to the new place, then unload it all and unpack. Over the years I have created a yearly purge that helps combat having too much junk.

Even with the deepest of purges we all still have to move at some point. Whether it be for a job, marriage, family, or other reasons. I am going to share my tips for making it the least painful.

Steps to take before moving:

1. Purge: Throw away anything broken, too old, or no longer usable.
2. Yard Sale/eBay: Find stuff you can part with and sell it. Cash is much more useful and a lot easier to carry!
3. Donate: Anything that didn't sell can be donated to Goodwill or some other charity. Bonus: you have a potential tax write off. Keep the receipt!
4. Gift: If you have some items that you don't need and know a friend or family member who needs it--gift it. People love free stuff!
5. Packing: As you pack up your stuff ask yourself: "Do I really need/want this?" for each item as you pack it. You will be surprised how much you can live without!
6. Donate/Sell/Gift (again): Chances are you found more items while packing that you can live without. Repeat steps 1-4 with these items as well.

Following the above instructions will make your move a lot smaller, faster, and cheaper! Having less stuff to move means you may need a smaller truck or don't have to hire movers. It also saves your (and your friends') backs from having to carry all those heavy boxes.

Side Tip: Compare moving in a truck to using ground shipping. It may be cheaper to ship some of the boxes and get a smaller moving truck!