Moving - Getting Rid of Stuff

I was talking to my new neighbor (while unpacking boxes) - she told me she's still got at least 3 big boxes that she hasn't even touched since she moved here a few years ago.  So basically, she could just throw those boxes out by the curb on trash day and she wouldn't miss a thing!  


Why move stuff you don't need or want?  I'll guarantee you whatever is in those boxes, if need be, could be replaced with a quick trip to your local thrift store.  Yet they sit there taking up space; taking up a little bit of your peace; and having already cost you money because you had to box it, move it onto a truck, move it out of the truck and store it.  Just get rid of that stuff!  And here's how:


I'm the type of person that just works until I'm totally exhausted.  Maybe that's not your style.  So set yourself up some time for the job of getting rid of stuff you don't need and don't want to have to move.  Not knowing how much junk you have, I can't really give advice on exactly how much time it will take.  I will say, though, that you should do it as fast as possible and try not to think twice about pitching stuff.  If you think too much, i.e., "I might need this someday" ... "I spent x number of dollars on this!" ... "This may be valuable someday" ... you'll never get the job done and you'll end up moving stuff you don't need.  You'll be that 3 years/3 unpacked boxes person.  I think most households can be done in 3 days, tops.


You'll need 2 boxes and 1 heavy duty garbage bag (or 1 box and 2 heavy-duty garbage bags).  Box #1 is for stuff you are going to donate to Goodwill http://www.goodwill.org/  - http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf  remember to get and keep a receipt because these are tax deductible!  At the beginning of each year, I get myself a large manilla envelope (the kind that closes with a clasp) and I label it "Taxes 2012 (or whatever)".  I throw in receipts so that at tax time, it's all there.  It's good to donate your stuff to Goodwill because it helps someone who is less fortunate than you.  Keep telling yourself that every time you think you want to keep something.


Box #2 is for stuff you want to sell.  You'll either have a 2 day garage sale or you'll list your things on a site like  http://craigslist.org/  or  http://www.ebay.com/ . 


And #3, the garbage bag is for (ta-da!) garbage.  It's for stuff you are going to throw out.  It's the stuff you thought you might fix someday; or the stuff that has a missing part that you were going to possibly find someday; or the stuff you've been meaning to haul to the dump; or the extra stuff that accumulates in our homes.  Be generous with this part of your getting rid of the junk cycle.  This is stuff no one wants and you shouldn't want it cluttering up your home and life either.


 Start in the garage or storage shed (since that is where you keep most of the things you don't even use.  Think of the space as a clock face.  Start at 12:00 and methodically go around the room.  This method will keep you from getting distracted and will help make sure that you get to everything.


As you fill each box and/or bag, take care of it immediately.  Put donation boxes in your trunk so that you can deliver them right away.  Put garage sale items in an area that will be convenient for tagging and selling.  You know what to do with the garbage.


As you go through your house, make a note of the big items right now - things like furniture, lawn equipment, appliances - then list them into one of the three  categories:  Sell; Donate; Throw Out.


I love craigslist.  I think it's important to be very specific in your ad and to include at least 3 photos (it's free for Pete's sake).  I actually put my phone number in the ad because I need immediate results.  However, be safe.  If I don't have lots of people around me, I will meet the potential buyer at a busy parking lot or the police station parking lot.  I've never had a problem though.  I've actually always had really nice people buy my stuff through craigslist.  If your item doesn't sell, be sure to go into your account and renew your ad.  When your item sells, go into your account and delete your item.  


It's really easy to get rid of junk using craigslist also.  Create an ad entitled "Curb Alert".  You can list what you are putting out or just say it's a bunch of stuff.  I would put an end time so they know when it's over.  I would not give a phone number or you will have so many calls.  But yeah, just put the stuff you don't want at your curb and it'll be gone.  It's kind of like magic.  After one sale (during one of our moves), I put stuff at the curb that I was sure no one would take.  But I figured, what the heck, it's the same place I put the garbage and so I wouldn't even have to move it.  But it all got taken!  Even a garden house with two holes.  Amazing what some people don't consider junk.  So at the end of your sale ... Curb Alert!


In regard to your large items that you want to donate, most thrift stores have trucks and they will come and pick up the stuff.  They will even move it out of your house.  For free!  And it's tax deductible.  And if that doesn't work for you, curb alert!


Congratulations on the de-junking - you just made your move easier, cheaper and you're going to have a new clutter-free home!

The Rules of Moving

These "Rules of Moving" were made by one of my married daughters after comparing notes with me on exactly how annoying (and exacting) moving is.  This is all true.  Read it and weep.  Live and learn.  Be Prepared.  Endure to the end.   1. It will never be "more organized this time" so don't waste time over it. Note: labeling boxes "front, back and middle" does NOT work because you have so much to do on moving day that you don't have time to worry about which person took which box in what order.  Sigh!   Labeling the contents of each box in detail is very helpful! 2. Make sure to start and build your box pile at the level you will be loading them into the truck.  Makes it easier for the hand truck to move them. 3. Again, label the contents of each box in detail.  It's very helpful when you're looking for something specific, which (trust me) you undoubtedly will be. 4. No matter what time you start, you will always be done around 1:30 a,m. 5. Secure a reliable babysitter for the entire day. 6. Book a hotel (in advance!) for move-in night even if you plan to be done early.  You won't be able to find anything you need for bed; you won't have the energy to try; and you will definitely be in need of a reward after the hard work.  7.  Things will look brighter in the morning!   READ ON MOVER!

How To Move (in a million easy steps)

I have moved, oh - 25 times.  I have moved just myself; myself and hubby; and then as the family grew, myself, hubby and up to ten children!  So this is probably the easiest advice I'll ever give.  


I am listing things in what I've found to be the vital order. (Scary, hey?)

• First:  Buy yourself a notebook and some post-it flags like the ones you find at this website:    http://www.post-it.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Post_It/Global/ .    You can also get them at any office supply store or Walmart, Target, etc.  I like to use theme books (they're about $3 at Walgreens or CVS.)   http://carolinapad.com/ You will use this notebook for lots of stuff having to do with your move.  Please believe me - having everything in writing and in one place will save you time and the headache of frantically searching for information that you once had.  Use this book to write down every phone number, date, address, person, item of interest, things to do that you come across.  You will have to have the information at some point.  Put post-it flags on the pages you find yourself looking for most often.
• Second:  Now that you have your notebook and your post-it flags, walk through every room in your house (don't forget the garage, attic and storage shed) and mark down the biggish items you want to take with you when you move.  I like to write down the name of the room and under that list the stuff I'm taking.   To save time, use a separate page and mark down the biggish items that you will want to get rid of (more about this later).
• Next:  You will need to know an approximate number of boxes you will be filling.  There are some very good calculators to help you figure this out at  http://www.moving.com/moving-boxes/packing-calculator.asp  I would overestimate if I were you.  Just some guidelines (from my past) - figure you will want one wardrobe box per closet (2 if you have a big walk-in closet full of clothes). Figure a box each for your dishes, glasses, bake ware, pots and pans, tupperware and then however many small appliances you have.  I generally go with about 40 boxes and 5 wardrobe boxes.  It varies according to how much stuff you have to take.
• Third:  Something to think about is whether you will have to transport a car or other vehicle.  Keep in mind that if you have more than one vehicle and one of you will be driving a moving truck, and you don't trust your 5-year old to drive, you will need to get that vehicle to its destination somehow!  (Oh, how often I've wished for teleportation devices.)  There are businesses that move autos, trucks, motorcycles, ATV's, etc.  You can get an online quote at a place like  http://www.weshipyourcar.com/.  Some moving companies will also just put it on the truck with your other stuff (for a price).  Another option is renting a trailer to pull behind the moving truck.  Sigh, we did that once and we couldn't hardly park the thing!  Imagine how long the whole mess is - the truck, the trailer.  I wouldn't do it again if you paid me.
• Fourth:  You now have all of the information you need to do some research so that you can reserve your move.  There are several ways to move your stuff:

1. Company paid moves (this is, of course, the easiest and leaves you with very little to decide other than how much junk you want to take with you.)   
2. Movers such as Mayflower, Atlas, Allied, etc.  http://www.mayflower.com/moving/,  http://www.atlasvanlines.com/ ,  http://www.allied.com/   who will come to your home and give you a written estimate on what they will charge to pack, load, truck your stuff, and unload as well as unpack (if you like) on the other end.   I would recommend that you get 3 different estimates and choose the least expensive one as the amount you are willing to fork over.  The other movers will usually meet that estimate.  I ran across a good site  http://www.123movers.com/ that gives you comparisons of different movers.   You do have choices when you hire professional movers.  You can choose to pack your own stuff and you can choose to unpack at the other end.  Professional movers don't recommend it because they want to make more money.  These types of moves usually require some money down and the rest upon delivery (or they keep your stuff...hold it ransom).
3. Self Move.  This is where you rent a truck from a place like Ryder, U-Haul, Penske or Budget.   http://www.pensketruckrental.com/ ,  http://www.ryder.com/ ,  http://www.uhaul.com/ ,  http://www.budget.com/budgetWeb/home/home.ex .   You have a choice of a few different sizes (bigger doesn't cost that much more).  The price is determined by size of truck, dates of move (summertime and weekend moves are more expensive), and one-way or not.  When we moved from Wisconsin to Florida, we left all of our stuff in storage up there.  We found it was a lot cheaper to rent a truck in Florida, drive it all the way to Wisconsin, get our stuff, and bring it back to Florida.  That's because more people are moving to Florida than to Wisconsin (odd).  With this method, you pay when you pick up the truck.
4. You pack and load - they drive.  (I don't know what else to call it.)   I have used ABF three times in the past and I adore them.  You can use them or not, but they do have nice online calculators to help you know how much you're moving  http://www.abfs.com/default.asp and what it would cost with them.  At any rate with this method of moving, they drop off a trailer or pods and you have like 3 days to load.  For a trailer drop:  The pricing goes according to how much space you use but there is a minimum.  For a pod drop:  The price is according to how many pods you want.  You call them when the load is ready (you don't even have to be there) and they pick it up and deliver it (usually within a week) to your new address.  The delivery time varies according to how far away you will be.  You pay when your stuff is delivered.

• Fifth: Schedule the estimates, the moving truck or pods or whatever you are going to use.   (If you don't do this, you may end up not being able to get the size you want on the day you want.  You can always cancel by giving them 24 hours notice so you are out nothing.)

So this list gets you through the very beginning of moving.  There IS a lot to it but if you stick with me, you won't go start raving mad by the time this is through.  What an endorsement, huh?  MORE TO COME