How to stay sane when packing to move

[whatevergirl]

Photo albums count as “sentimental stuff.” If you don’t want to keep them, give them to someone else in the family who would enjoy having them. That way, you’re not throwing out history.

Or, just go ahead and keep them.

But throw away all the real junk, and give away everything that’s still good to the poor. Keep only what you absolutely need - enough furniture for the living room to seat the family, enough books and bookshelves to provide a variety (without replacing the public library), one set of everyday dishes, one set of special occasion dishes, one set of cookware and kitchen gadgets, enough clothes to get by until laundry day (throw out or give away everything that is worn out or doesn’t fit), one dining room table, one hutch, one kitchen table, one bed, dresser, desk, and night table for each family member - you get the idea.

wanna help me?
no?
yes?

aw, no?
why not?

 

[jmcrae]

wanna help me?
no?
yes?

aw, no?
why not?

I wish I could. I think there is an international border in the way.

 

[whatevergirl]

I wish I could. I think there is an international border in the way.

LOL. aw. well, the thought is there…!

 

[tamccrackine]

coming from a very experienced military lifestyle (30+ years so far), packing is the easy part… it only takes a few days if you’re serious about it. Unpacking takes a few months. And as the saying goes… War is hell, moving is a close second.

My suggestions… one room at a time, get a set time frame in mind and then do three piles… keep, toss, charity. The second you touch it, make a decision as to what to do with it and don’t back off that decision. When you’re finished in that room, take the toss pile to the dump and the charity pile to the garage. When you have finished all the rooms, call up a local charity that will come and pick up what’s in the garage.

I’m all about gettin rid of knickknacks. I’ve managed to par down everything to the point of “If it doesn’t fit in the center curio of my shrunk, it goes.”

Books… donate to the local library.
Clothes- donate to battered women’s shelters/orphanages/charity
toys- orphanages/charity

Check the local listings for hazmat disposal areas.

Good luck!!! And pray constantly through all this for guidance and a strong will to NOT back down off the items to be tossed/given away as now is not the time to be wishywashy on what to take with you.

 

[Syele]

I move too much (about once a year)… Here are the things I do when I move.

1. Get rid of as much as possible.
2. Pack areas rather than types. By this I mean… I don’t put all the pens together etc. I pack everything on my desk in one box and label it “office desk.” Take all the stuff you kept in the second drawer of the kitchen cabinet in the “2nd drawer” box. When unpacking it’s much easier to say “Well I always kept it on my desk!” than to say “anyone know what sort of box we put the pencil sharpener in???”"
3. I get those colored dots (like for writing garage sale prices on), each room in the new house gets a color. If my desk will be in the living room of the new house the box labeled “my desk” will have a red dot (Cause red dots are for the living room, blue for bathroom etc.) This helps immensely when I get people to help unload the truck and they wanna know where to put everything. It also makes it so the lost item you need is probably at least in the correct room.
4. Be sure to have a special box (maybe buy a nice plastic bin or your travel luggage, so it stands out). Your special box should have the important stuff in it. Hammer and nails, the new lease agreement (or other paperwork) I stick my purse in there, keys, Also a little travel type kit… your toothbrush and such in case you lose your bathroom boxes for a week (yepppers it’s happened to me!) Never let the special box go with all the other stuff. You take it personally. So where you are is where the important stuff is.

 

[estesbob]

Not true (for women at least). Unpacking is the fun part. It’s like everything is brand new all over again when you unpack it from those boxes, and it’s always so nice to make a new house your own with the things that are special to you and your family.

The why do a still have a garage full of boxes?

 

[jmcrae]

The why do a still have a garage full of boxes?

If you haven’t needed to unpack them in more than a year, don’t unpack them - just send them to your local women’s shelter. They can sell the stuff, use it, or throw it away.

 

[whatevergirl]

jmcrae–I honestly think I could clothe the whole northeast with what I packed for ‘good will’ over the past few weeks.

thank you everyone, for your advice…it’s really been helpful

 

[water]

Have a garage sale, that could help get rid of things.

 

[whatevergirl]

you know, we were going to…but ended up procrastinating…we are moving in two weeks, it’s just cutting it close.

honestly…i should have because i have some good stuff i’m just taking with us because i don’t want to lose the value totally…i could always sell some of this stuff in florida

 

[water]

Sometime I should look back and thanks Lord for me being poor. Two years ago when I moved from PA to TX, I had everything fit in the back of my car.

I’ll be soon moving again in 1 month - this time I have my bed and a desk…

 

[whatevergirl]

Sometime I should look back and thanks Lord for me being poor. Two years ago when I moved from PA to TX, I had everything fit in the back of my car.

I’ll be soon moving again in 1 month - this time I have my bed and a desk…

LOL–I still have a baby crib and changing table. (and my kids are 11 and 14) So…I think I have pack-rat-itis. Honestly, I didn’t think this was going to be this hard…that’s largely why I procrastinated…my husband of course kept telling me how horrible it was going to be…but, did I listen? noooooo payin’ for it now.

That’s funny…everything fits in your car. aw.

 

[estesbob]

If you haven’t needed to unpack them in more than a year, don’t unpack them - just send them to your local women’s shelter. They can sell the stuff, use it, or throw it away.

We have done that. Mostly excess furniture.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

honestly…i should have because i have some good stuff i’m just taking with us because i don’t want to lose the value totally…i could always sell some of this stuff in florida

Tell me that’s a funny, please…Just put up a couple signs and say “Garage sale”. Please don’t pack the stuff you don’t need and have a garage sale onthe other end…

 

[jmcrae]

Tell me that’s a funny, please…Just put up a couple signs and say “Garage sale”. Please don’t pack the stuff you don’t need and have a garage sale onthe other end…

True, good point. Just get some cardboard, some masking tape, and a thick felt pen, make some signs, put them out on the main road nearest your house, that say GARAGE SALE @ (your address), and then just put everything out on the lawn.

There isn’t really a whole lot to organize - you don’t even have to set prices - just put a sign that says, “Best offer takes it,” and then just start stuffing the money into your pockets - and watch all your unneeded stuff drive off to good homes where it will be loved and cherished.

 

[Syele]

True, good point. Just get some cardboard, some masking tape, and a thick felt pen, make some signs, put them out on the main road nearest your house, that say GARAGE SALE @ (your address), and then just put everything out on the lawn.

There isn’t really a whole lot to organize - you don’t even have to set prices - just put a sign that says, “Best offer takes it,” and then just start stuffing the money into your pockets - and watch all your unneeded stuff drive off to good homes where it will be loved and cherished.

Yeah I never price my yard sales anymore. I make WAY more money than when I did… People so often offer me way more than I would have priced it at. So I make more money by doing less work… I’ll never go back!

 

[Mirror_Mirror]

When we move we just offer family and friends free pizza and beer, usually that does the trick.

Not always though.

 

[mamacita]

We have way too much stuff and the sad thing is that we moved in Jan. 2005 and got rid of a lot of junk. Then, we moved in Dec. of 2005 but somehow needed the movers who had a 24 ft. truck to make 2 trips not including all the boxes of photos, china, etc. that we moved ourselves in our van (oh, and all the closets were packed in the van) so how we managed to have 2 trips by the movers is beyond me. We got rid of stuff before both moves but when you have kids it is really hard to get rid of too much, such as the 50 rubbermaid tubs of baby/toddler clothes that you save for the next kids down the line??? And all the baby toys, and equipment. Not literally 50 rubbermaid tubs but you know what I mean! Packing is never fun, but it is a great way to get rid of stuff, so do it now or you never will!!!

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

Unless a baby outfit (baptismal gown or first photo outfit) or toy or piece of baby furniture has sentimental value, it can be gotten on the other end. Amazingly enough, they have babies in Tampa. I’ve seen them with my own eyes. They also have thrift stores, Target, a great supermarket called Publix, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and all the stores that comfort people by their ubiquitous presence in the United States.

Pizza and beer works for packing, and sometimes for a short-haul move. It is hard to bribe people to move you across the country on pizza and beer though- you need to throw in steaks.

 

[kbharbert]

This is the most horrible part of our upcoming move to Tampa. I am working until next Friday–my husband already gave his notice. (My company is relocating us to Tampa)

I work hard on the weekend with him to pack…and it’s truly horrible. I can’t think of anything more horrible. Maybe the pain of child labor…(maybe) It’s unreal how much garbage we have!!!

Can someone give me some helpful hints to make these next few weeks of packing a bit more bearable? (Thank you)

i went through this a little over a year ago.
#1—forget packing stuff out of drawers. a) it takes up precious boxes and b) why not let the drawer BE the box? obviously take out the drawers til you get the dressers loaded in the u-haul but them back in for the trip.

#2—if you have children…CLEARLY label their boxes of toys and put them on the truck LAST so they are the first off. same with their beds and clothes. you will THANK me for that advise later. LOL.

#3—for extra room in the truck, after loading the refridgerator, stove and oven, use the inside of them to transport smaller boxes.

#4----don’t use newspapers as packing for dishes and glasses if you can help it. the ink sometimes transfers and it is a MESS to get it off!

#5—someone else posted about throwing away stuff…i can not stress that enough.
i read somewhere that a third of what we have doesn’t answer one of the following:
is it useful? (do you use it every day or just at thanksgiving?)
is it loved? (did hubby give it to you on your first date? grandma so-and-so had it in her front room when you were a kid?
does it fit and do you wear it? face it…we will NEVER firt in that favorite pair of jeans from junior high again. let it go)

#6—FUN is what you make it. even packing and moving.
pretend your trying to get your teenager to clean his room or teach a toddler to dust. make a GAME of everything you can. who can pack (correctly) the fastest…who packed the most…be imaginative!!!